Brazil’s Environmental Ministry says ________.

Brazil’s Environmental Ministry says the rate of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has increased by about 15 percent over the last year. Officials say logging and clearing land for farming are responsible for the destruction of nearly 20,000 square kilometers of jungle from August 1999 to August 2000. That is nearly 3,000 square kilometers a year more than in recent years. Officials say they blame last year’s economic recovery for the deforestation because it caused an increased demand for timer and land.