The Amazon rainforest catastrophe
Everything from understanding rainforests to dirty politics at play.
Hello! Welcome to The Green Letter, where we talk about the environment, sustainability, and how we can all learn about and make this world a better place.
The world is *literally* burning right now! The Amazon rainforest fires are a natural disaster of a gargantuan scale. It has pained my heart to see the greenest part of Earth suffer. That’s why I’d like to focus this first edition on the rainforest, the disaster, the reasons, and explore how we can avoid these in the future.
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved ”
- Jane Goodall, Anthropologist
First of firsts!
What are rainforests ?
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall.
They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface.
Rainforests thrive on every continent except Antarctica. The largest rainforests on Earth surround the Amazon River in South America and the Congo River in Africa. The tropical islands of Southeast Asia and parts of Australia support dense rainforest habitats. Even the cool evergreen forests of North America’s Pacific Northwest and Northern Europe are a type of rainforest.
How can a wet rainforest burn?
“Normally fire-proof, rainforests have become flammable due to…(what?)” said the researchers.
Here’s an excerpt from CNN,
Fire is often used to clear out the land for farming or ranching. For that reason, a vast majority of the fires can be attributed to humans, Christian Poirier, program director of the nonprofit Amazon Watch, told CNN.
This year's fires fit with an established seasonal agricultural pattern, said CNN meteorologist Haley Brink. "It's the best time to burn because the vegetation is dry. (Farmers) wait for the dry season and they start burning and clearing the areas so that their cattle can graze. And that's what we're suspecting is going on down there."
"The vast majority of these fires are human-lit," said Poirier, who explained that even during dry seasons, the rainforest cannot catch fire easily, unlike, say, the dry bushlands of California or Australia.
Alberto Setzer, a senior scientist at INPE, believes 99% of the fires result from human actions "either on purpose or by accident." Fires are caused by small-scale agricultural practices or mechanized and modern agribusiness projects, Setzer told CNN by email.
Back in 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established after a variety of factors had pushed the greenhouse effect into spotlight. That year there was severe drought and heat in the United States and vast fires in the Amazon rain forest and in Yellowstone National Park.
And it has not stopped since then.
That political angle!
Often called the “Trump of Tropics”, the President of Brazil has stirred controversies by promising economic development using Amazon’s potential.
Here’s an interesting visual story by Washington Post.
Geo-political standstill - EU trade deal at risk
After 20 years of negotiation, the EU and South American economic bloc Mercosur have won the biggest trade deal. But France and Ireland say they will not ratify a huge trade deal with South American nations unless Brazil does more to fight fires in the Amazon. Read more..
Also read, EU and Mercosur agree huge trade deal after 20-year talks by BBC.
Check out the satellite images of Amazon rainforest fire !
Also read, Ten readers' questions answered by BBC.
Think of helping, contributing to the cause? check these out:
And for the creative ones :)
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU !
I’d love to hear your feedback. Send me your thoughts, criticism and ideas at sayhellotothegreenletter@gmail.com