The Amazon rainforest contains almost two years of global carbon emissions, but is under threat as a carbon sink, according to a new study.

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest dropped 33.6% in the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term, providing an encouraging sign for his administration's environmental efforts.

A delegation from the Brazilian government that includes widows of two slain men who had worked for justice for Indigenous Amazon peoples arrived in the remote region where the two were slain Monday in a symbolic retake of the place, now that a new government has taken office in Brazil.

Environmentalists, Indigenous people and voters sympathetic to their causes were important to Luiz Inácio da Silva's election to a third term as Brazil's president.

Closely-watched numbers for annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon show the total area of forest loss is down somewhat from last year, but that was a 15-year high.

More fires burned in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest this August than in any month in nearly five years, thanks to a surge in illegal deforestation.

After declaring a decision final, an important state court in Brazil has backpedaled and reopened a lawsuit that invalidated a large protected area in the country's Amazon rainforest.

The Brazilian government has granted a preliminary environmental permit for paving a controversial highway that cuts through one of the Amazon’s most preserved areas.

Peru has descended into one of the worst political crises in its history and protection of its Amazon rainforest is failing, according to a report published today.

A pledge by nine grantmakers to give $5 billion to conservation efforts that address threats to biodiversity and to help curb climate change is taking a different approach than philanthropy has embraced in the past — one that may require those organizations to do things differently.

Last month, mainly European investment firms sent a letter expressing concern over rising deforestation and demanded forceful action against illegal activities in the Amazon. We hope the dialogue can bring forward positive results and progress, we wont see the same as last year with all the forest fires, and maybe see positive results coming out of this after awhile. Brazil already receives money from wealthy nations, namely Germany and Norway, to fight deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Norway alone has donated $1.2 billion to Brazils Amazon Fund since its creation in 2008. However, both European nations suspended contributions last year, citing continued deforestation and questioning whether the government wants to stop it.

SAN ANTONIO – We see dust plumes make it to South Texas every summer and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who enjoys it. It does make sunsets more vibrant, but the side effects of those with dust allergies seem to outweigh any positive. SEE MORE: Photos: KSAT viewers send in photos of San Antonio skies as Saharan dust arrivesAs the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon spans over 40 percent of South America. According to the research, 22,000 tons of dust arrive at the Amazon each year from the Sahara. READ MORE FROM KSAT.COM:Answering your questions about Saharan dustWhat you need to know about Saharan dust in TexasWeather this week in San Antonio: Heat and Saharan dust