DUBAI 24 August 2019: 7 months into 2019 and there have been , over 72,000, fires in the Amazon rain forest. Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research reports that’s an 83% increase from last year and a record high; so why haven’t we heard about it?
Environmental groups in Brazil alleged that policies put forth by their president, Jair Bolsonaro, encourage deforestation of the Amazon, which, in turn, allows for more fires. Bolsonaro is publicly dismissive of the emergency and claims, that the aforementioned groups deliberately set the fire’s to embarrass his administration, either way, an enormous environmental tragedy is taking place and no one seems to be doing anything about it.
Tribes in the surrounding areas of the fires are being displaced, local flora and fauna, known only to the Amazon, are being devastated. The rain forests of the Amazon, which spans 2.1 million square miles, are the lungs of our planet and they’re on fire. Scientists worldwide warn that the fires will accelerate global warming and cause irreparable damage to a priceless global treasure. In order to ensure the protection of the Amazon there are a number of things we can do to help.
- Education
By learning more about the crisis from official sources awareness increases and the situation becomes harder to ignore.
You can learn more about it on
–Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research
2. Reduce, reuse, recycle
The average individual can also help by reducing their carbon foot print. It is not enough to simply recycle, we must also take care in what we purchase and where it comes from. Eco-friendly household products, fair and free trade merchandise and recycled clothing are just a few ways to reduce your impact on the environment.
3. Donate
Perhaps the best thing any of us can do is to donate to the charities already doing their best to help the Amazon rainforest. A non- profit organisation called Charity Navigator rates charities on their accountability and financial management. Listed below are six charities with at least three out of four stars.
–Amazon Conservation Association
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