What You Need to Know About the Amazon Rainforest Fires

The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 2,000 animal species and produces 6% of the oxygen in the world. 72,843 fires have plagued the forest this year, which is an 80% increase in fires from the previous year. Over 9,000 fires have occurred during the week of August 16th-August 23rd. These recent fires have been so big that NASA stated that they were visible from space. There are several possible causes of these rampant fires. 

Brazil’s environmental agency, IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), had its budget cut back in 2017, again in April of 2019, and then reinstated to what it was before the cuts in April. The man responsible for these cuts, which resulted in IBAMA not having enough resources for patrolling and enforcement, is Michel Temer, the former president of Brazil.

The current president, President Jair Bolsonaro, is also somewhat to blame for these fires. In mid-July, he said, “The Amazon is ours. We preserve more [rainforest] than anyone. No country in the world has the moral right to talk about the Amazon. You destroyed your own ecosystems.” This statement indicated his willingness to overlook illegal deforestation and land clearing, which has also contributed to these fires. 

Another cause for these forest fires are the logging and cattle ranching industries that require cleared lands to succeed. Cattle ranching actually accounts for 80% of current deforestation rates. A common method is the slash-and-burn method. This method involves cutting down natural vegetation and then burning it. When the plot of land that has been cleared is used up, whoever is using the land will simply move onto the next plot. The deforestation that these actions result in makes land drier. If these industries continue with their ways, it is possible that the Amazon will dry out and resemble a savannah more than a rainforest.

There is no telling when these fires will die out, but there are still ways you can help. You can donate to the Rainforest Action Network to protect an acre of the rainforest, reduce paper and wood consumption, and reduce beef intake as well. Deforestation caused by cattle ranching and logging industries are the main causes of these fires, and simply being mindful of beef and wood consumption may help stop the burning of this 2.1 million square mile rainforest.