Since January, a massive 121,000 fires were broken out across Brazil – and more than half of those fires were taking place in the Amazon, according to the country’s National Institute for Space Research.

The Amazon – four times the size of Alaska – is a cosmic sink for storing carbon dioxide and a vital factor of any plan to control climate changes. 

Any increase in deforestation there would speed up global warming as well as smash up an essential sanctuary for biodiversity.

Reasons- What caused the Amazon Burn?

Alike the United States and Canada – where wildfires usually are caused by humans – the fires in the Amazon are nearly all human-made.

These fires, however, are often intentionally set as part of slash-and-burn agriculture – a method of growing food in which farmers and cattle ranchers purposely cut down and burn forestland to clear it for livestock and crops.  

Slash-and-burn agriculture is a standard process in the tropics during the dry season in the western Brazilian Amazon, which runs from June- August.

After a major reduction in a forest clearing in the Brazilian Amazon from 2004- 2012, both fires and deforestation are on the rise. The rate of lights-fires in Amazon has risen by more than 85% since last year alone.

Why is this a big deal?

Everyone on the habitat profits from the elements of the Amazon. As its trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, the Amazon plays a vast role in providing planet-warming greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. 

Without it, climate change speeds up. But as the world’s largest rainforest is swallowed away by mining, logging, and agri-business, it may not be able to host the same buffer.

What’s all the talk about ‘FAKE’ pictures posted on social media platforms?

Several viral images were circulated on media which were

not actually from this year but earlier years.

For example, Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, whose organization or foundation works on rainforest conservation, added a photo that was discovered from a stock photo catalog taken as long agoin2003.

Greta Thunberg and Macron, the Swedish student climate activist, used the same photo. Soccer star Christiano Ronaldo posted a different picture from the previous year 2018.

But some only saw those errors as evidence of the long-running problem. After posting an image from August 19, 2019, one reader tweeted, “They’re still burning!!!”

Who would want to harm the Amazon?

The most prominent economic interest groups eating away at the Amazon are cattle soybean growers and grazers. “Instantly after deforestation, mostly what we see is pasture. Later, soybean growers increase by taking over pasture lands.

Scientists are working to determine how many of the fires are burning on the border of deforested land that had been before cleared to make way for growing crops, cattle grazing, or especially soybeans.

Is this year’s rush in fires unusual?

In the initial 8 months of the year, the number of fires in the Amazon has mounted to 156,000, the highest number since 2010, according to the Global Forest Watch.

Before that, some years were danger than the existing one. 

The Global Forest Watch’s stats go back to 2001, and the number of fires was higher in 2002-05 and 2007. 

That is why international attempts – led by significant donors Norway and Germany – pressured Brazil to change its policies.

Brazil’s government took action in 2004 in 2012 to discourage runaway deforestation – and in large part, it succeeded.

How are the fires being fought?

After weeks of internal and international pressure, Bolsonaro-Brazilian president deployed the military sending 44,000 troops to six states-to battle the fires on August 24.

Reuters reported the latter-day that warplanes were putting off the flames.

Paulo- Committee of the National League of Military Firefighters Corps in Brazil and Chairman of the national forest fire management claimed that- Though the troops can’t reach some of the innermost areas but are trying their best to make the Amazon Habitat. A better, cleaner, and healthier for more than half of the world’s estimated 10 million species of animals, plants, and insects living in the tropical rainforests.  Until we come up with a brand-new topic next week, Keep Reading and Sharing Debongo!!