Our planet can't take many more populists like Brazil's Bolsonaro | Jonathan Watts

Just when Earth badly needs pro-environment leaders, we get big-business strongmen. There's a reason for this grim ironyUnless every poll is wildly wrong, Brazil will probably elect a racist, sexist, homophobic advocate of torture at the end of this month. The former army captain Jair Bolsonaro nearly won outright in the first round, securing the votes of almost 50 million people - despite his extreme views being well known.What is less well understood, however, is the catastrophic environment implications of his rise to the brink of power. And in this, Bolsonaro is not unique: around the world, diminishing resources are fuelling a global rise of authoritarian leaders dedicated to doing the bidding of some of the world's most environmentally damaging interests. Continue reading...