What Caused the Fires in the Amazon Rainforest?
At 3 pm on Monday, the largest city in Brazil, the S ã about Paolo , plunged into darkness as a result of smoke from ongoing fires destroying rainforests Amazonki- thousands of miles away. Brazil has seen a record number of wildfires this year. And the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, said that the country’s government lacks the resources to extinguish these fires, which raises great concern over the damage to rainforests and the devastation of lands belonging to indigenous peoples.
But what exactly was the cause of these fires? This is a fairly simple and predictable source of controversy between environmentalists and one politician.
What is causing these fires?
Technogenic deforestation. According to CNN , both environmental groups and researchers agree that local pastoralists, farmers and loggers are deliberately lighting bonfires to clear land for livestock (and have been motivated by a pro-business Brazilian president who is skeptical of climate).
In a statement to the New York Times, the government agency said more than 1,330 square miles of forest cover had been cleared since the beginning of 2019 (up 39 percent from last year). Typically, these fires are related to Brazil’s dependence on beef production; the country provides nearly 20 percent of the world’s beef exports .
Meanwhile, Bolsanaro has blamed nonprofit groups, claiming they lit fires to ” embarrass ” the government after he cut their funding earlier this year (he has yet to provide evidence to support these claims).
As far as the arguments for a role of climate change in fires are concerned, this certainly does not help, but it is unlikely that there is any connection (although it could exacerbate fires and create hotter and drier conditions in general).
How many fires are there now?
As of last week, there have been about 9,000 wildfires. Brazil saw a record number of wildfires as early as 2019, according to the BBC , with over 75,000 recorded so far (up from 40,000 in the same period last year, which is still a lot). July and August also mark the start of a drier season in the Amazon, making it more vulnerable to fires than in the wetter months.
Why should I be worried?
The Amazon rainforest is considered the “lungs” of our planet. It absorbs millions of tons of carbon emissions . Scientists estimate that it produces 6 to 9 percent of the world’s oxygen. Worse, it emits smoke and carbon into the surrounding areas and endangers the plants, animals and indigenous people living in its basin.
How can I help?
While there really is nothing you can do to stop the current fires, there are several things you can do to help prevent fires and conserve the rainforest in the future:
- First, you can donate to Rainforest Action Network’s Protect-an-Acre program. The money will go to organizations that work to protect tropical rainforest areas and indigenous peoples.
- You can also donate to Amazon Watch , a non-profit organization that also preserves rainforests and indigenous people.
- Alternatively, fund the Rainforest Trust , which includes saving indigenous lands in the Amazon.
And of course, eating less beef together doesn’t hurt either, since it was the demand for beef that created this situation. Replace the hamburger with the impossible hamburger if you like, and consider switching to more plant-based foods in your diet.