Environmental security

Scientists are terrified that Brazil's new president will destroy the 'lungs of the planet'

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's far-right presidential candidate, swept the polls on Sunday to win the election.

"Brazilians are exhausted by corruption, by rising violence, by an economy that just hasn't improved," and Bolsonaro has made a lot of promises to fix those things, according to Peter Prengaman, The Associated Press' Brazil news director.

Bolsonaro, who has been called the "Trump of the Tropics" and has a history of making anti-gay, misogynistic, violent, and racist comments, is also taking aim at the country's environmental policies. And scientists across the globe are worried.

As Brazil's president, Bolsonaro will control nearly two-thirds of the Amazon, the largest tropical rainforest on Earth. He has argued that too many environmentally protected areas are hampering the country's development.