Rio's Eco-Wall

Rio is building walls around some favelas, presumably to protect the surrounding forest. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I definitely support saving as much forest as possible. But it's not like the Brazilian government is all the committed to forest protection. Compared to what happens everyday in the shrinking Amazon forests, the favela residents are making next to no impact. Is the wall segregation and social control, as the residents suggest? Or is this the Brazilian government making a positive environmental statement in an area where they can exert some real control? I tend to believe the favela residents here. This really screams of social control masquerading as environmental protection.