Regional climatic models forecast a warming of up to 6ºC in the final decades of the 21st century in the southern portion of Amazonia, stated Greenpeace in the do*****entary and report entitled, "Changing Climate, Changing Lives", announced this Wednesday.

        The do*****ents show that, in 2005, a large portion of forest presented aspects of the semi-arid 'sertão' region, during one of the most severe droughts ever seen.  At the same time that it is suffering the effects of warming global temperatures, Amazonia is also contributing less and less to the equilibrium of the ecosystem due to unsustainable human activity.

        Greenpeace shows that deforestation currently contributes to the emission of some 300 million tons of greenhouse gases annually.  The number is two to three times greater than the volume released through the burning of fossil fuels in the country.  The report points out that deforestation and forest burning contribute to making Brazil the fourth highest source of carbon dioxide gas releases on the planet.

        The increased temperature may turn the Amazon forest into a savannah forest.  Estimates are that, in the next 50 years, some of its areas may become drier and poorer than the Brazilian 'cerrado' savannah areas.

        Besides commenting on the effects to the Amazon region, the do*****entary reports on Hurricane Katrina, the first one on record in the South Atlantic, and on droughts in the state of Paraná in July of this year.