The Amazon Burning: How, Why, And What Can We Do?
A tragedy keeps on unfolding across the Amazon Rainforest. A lot of fires are blazing across the region, eradicating large areas of the forest in Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia. By a lot, we mean, thousands and thousands of fires.
Dissimilar to that of the boreal forests, Amazon rainforest isn’t fully-adjusted to fire. This just means that the burnt forests might take eras to recover the lost wildlife, carbon-storing capacity, and indigenous trees.
In this article, we will discuss the burning of the Amazon forest, how, why, and what we can do to help. Read on to learn more about this!
Video screenshot Amazon Rain Forest fires
What Is Happening In The Amazon?
More than 30,000 fire outbreaks happened in the Amazon this August. A 196% increase compared to that of last year. The land is cleared and is prepared for agriculture through the fires. However, not commonly at this kind of intensity. Furthermore, the existing dry season also adds to the hasty spread of the fires.
With the burning of the Amazon rainforest, it is expected that it will pump alarming sums of carbon in the atmosphere. And this is not a good thing for the health, and for us in general!
Why Does This Happen?
The burning of the amazon actually happens every year. However, some areas have suffered way more than usual. But why did this incident happened? Well, most of these fires are agricultural. Not only that, illegal land-seizers also destroy the trees so that they may increase the price of the land property that they grab hold of.
The fires are man-made and are mostly wary. There is no way that this is caused by lightning or any other natural phenomena.
photo/ annca
Do We Need To Worry About It?
Of course, we should! The amazon rainforest produces 20% of the oxygen that is being inhaled all over the world. But there should be no need to worry about oxygen, as there will be a lot more sources in some other areas of the world. After all, it is just 20% of the oxygen we breathe.
What Can We Do To Help?
There are certainly some things that we can do to help. The most important ones are collective and political. You can join a campaign or party group that makes the sustenance of the forest a priority. Aside from this, you can also donate to various organizations that help in supporting the forest, biodiversity, and forest dwellers.
Furthermore, there are also some websites, which offer help to the cause. If you purchase or use their service, a part of your payment will be donated to the different helping charities. For instance, there are some sites that offer Australian free pokies, and when you use their services and play games, a part of your compensation will be donated.
Final Say
If we join hand-in-hand, we can make a difference! Although our steps may seem so small, we can truly make a change in the world we are living. There is still time for us to push change, stop environmental destruction, and hold our powers into account –yet we need to act fast!
Author: Umer Farooq
