As the largest tropical forest on earth, the Amazon plays a critical role in regulating global climate, storing massive amounts of carbon and emitting 20 percent of the world's life-giving oxygen. But rapid deforestation has destroyed nearly a fifth of the rain forest and has brought it to a tipping point: if we lose much more of the Amazon, the damage will become irreversible. Hanging in the Balance tells the story of several social entrepreneurs who have been working to save the rainforest, with remarkable results. In Columbia, Gaia Amazonas has helped protect indigenous lands encompassing one-fifth of the entire country. And in Brazil, Amazon Conservation Team, Imazon and Forest trends have contributed to efforts that reduced deforestation by 80% since 2004-- the single greatest reduction of carbon emissions ever achieved by humankind.

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