Rainforest Reduction
The Global Citizen
The Amazon Rainforest has been burning for a long time now. The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) satellite data showed an 84 percent increase compared to the same period in 2018. The space agency reports its satellite data has detected more than 80,000 fires since January 2019. While fires can be a normal occurrence during the dry season, the sheer amount of fires along with the growing deforestation has been causing major concern in the last year. Many prominent world leaders and celebrities have been trying to raise awareness.
But before getting into political awareness and campaigning, it is important to know what causes these fires. There are several reasons. The dry season contributes to some of the long-burning fires, but recent expansions on Brazilian ranching and mining is the major cause of the recent deforestation. Both industries are major contributors to pollution and strip the Amazon’s natural ability to resist and recover from these fires. Whether it is the legal harvesting of natural resources or illegal activities such as logging without a permit or mining in protected areas that are rampant all throughout the Amazon Basin, it is important to recognize that human causes are the main culprits for the state of the Amazon. The Brazilian government has stated that most of the fires are due to climate change and the current drought, but most environmentalists around the world still point to human activity as the main cause.
Many people are concerned that climate change is not only contributing to this issue, but it is shrinking the chance of fighting it. With so much fire, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will keep rising, contributing to the rising global temperatures. The fewer trees that survive these fires the fewer trees will be working to help combat the rising levels of carbon dioxide. Something has to keep scrubbing the atmosphere to produce oxygen. Other countries have not only stated their concerns but have sent help as well. Mexico notably has sent planes to dump water over several areas in order to try and help combat the spread and severity of the fires.
Wesley Rodriguez-Diep is a senior studying international relations.