The Amazon rainforests provide protection and shelter for approximately 10 percent of the plants and animal species around the globe according to World Wildlife Fund (2018), while regulating ecosystems and our carbon cycle (Leman, 2019). In addition to being a key for human survival, the Amazon rainforest is the leading export for several natural resources such as coffee, sugar, and soy products (News, 2020). However, with the significant role these rainforests play in the state of our health and the planet, there is a sensitive balance that must be kept restoring the ecosystems around us. There have been disastrous examples of when the rainforests were altered that had permanent outcomes. Examples such as landslides, extinction of species, and forest fires…(Woudon, 2019). As the dry season begins to approach, the possibility for the Amazon to burn also surfaces. Nonetheless, the wettest rainforests in the world cannot catch on fire unless humans have continued to conduct their deforestation activities upon the trees residing there (Carvalho, 2019).
Deforestation is not a new environmental issue and it has continued to increase in pace, reaching rates that have exceeded 94 percent since August 2019 (Carvalho, 2019). Several factors explain the great spike in rates, regarding economic, social, and political status. According to World Wildlife Fund, deforestation occurs most in densely populated regions in South America where the opportunity for oil fields, agricultural expansion, and urbanization arises (2018). From the late 1970s, approximately one million square kilometers of rainforest within the Amazon basin have been fragmented (Butler, 2020). The amounts of low forest coverage in certain areas of the Amazon create favorable conditions for forest fires to arise.
As the Amazon rainforest burned in 2019, more than 319,000 acres of forest were destroyed and have yet to recover (Mendes, 2019). Tragically, the statistics from the fires lead to almost 17 percent of forestry perished, according to scientists, 25 percent of damage would have led to irreversible damage (Irfan, 2019). However, fires are intentionally set within the Amazon Basin, especially after completing the labor of harvesting trees, a method utilized for efficiently clearing land (Bolsonaro, 2020). Even so, in most cases such as the one in 2019, these fires grow out of control. Additionally, by solely investigating the carbon released within the year of the large fires, it is estimated to reach 228 megatonnes (Webb, 2019). This approximation is the equivalent to the release of carbon from 48 million passenger cars being driven over a year (Webb, 2019). However, this research does not include the number of pollutants released from the fires and the impacts it has caused around the globe. These fires affected an alarming number of species of plants, animals, and the communities of the Indigenous Peoples. Scientists hypothesized that over 2.3 million animals were killed throughout the region of Bolivia and Chiquitania, which is mostly a tropical savanna area (Funes, 2019). By simply observing the smoke emitted from the Amazon fires, there were connections made from the pollutants to diseases such as, respiratory, and cardiovascular (Bolsonaro, 2020).
As a society, how can we help those affected by these tragic fires that took place? It is not abnormal to assume that environmental crises that occur in other parts of the world do not affect us, especially if our daily routines remain untouched. However, simply being knowledgeable of the worldwide events taking place is the first step in the right direction. Educating yourself, and others around us can create noticeable impacts as we begin our realization of our daily actions and contributions to Planet Earth. Understanding the interconnectedness humans have with the environment is essential in putting a halt to these environmental issues as we identify the natural sources seen in our kitchens, grocery stores, and community. For example, the coffee and chocolate we consume have a high chance of being imported from South America. Secondly, signing petitions seen on media platforms is an important action when aiding the protection of forests or other factors, it would also be beneficial to share the links with family, friends, and acquaintances. Lastly, donating to organizations to support the act of conservation may be a solution as the majority of teams are non-profit. An example of organizations in the fight for change are Amazon Watch, Rainforest Action Network, and Rainforest Trust.
Stopping a human activity that has been ongoing for centuries will not be easy, however, if deforestation continues, the rainforests will disappear entirely taking all its resources and the natural regulation of our oxygen. To solve the issue of deforestation, strict policies and governmental regulations must be established to protect the lands and Indigenous communities. The rainforest needs our help, and organizations are unable to save them on their own.
Citations
Bolsonaro. (2020, October 28). Brazil: Amazon FIRES affect health of thousands. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/26/brazil-amazon-fires-affect-health-thousands#
Carvalho, B. (2020, May 27). The amazon will soon burn again. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/opinion/amazon-bolsonaro-deforestation.html
Funes, Y. (2019, September 26). Bolivia’s forest fires have left more than 2 million ANIMALS DEAD. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://earther.gizmodo.com/bolvias-forest-fires-have-left-more-than-2-million-anim-1838492071#:~:text=Scientists%20told%20AFP%20that%20more,Chiquitania%20region%20in%20eastern%20Bolivia.
Irfan, U. (2019, November 18). Brazil’s Amazon rainforest destruction is at its highest rate in more than a decade. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/11/18/20970604/amazon-rainforest-2019-brazil-burning-deforestation-bolsonaro
Leman, J. (2019, September 05). 4 reasons why we desperately need the Amazon rainforest. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a28910396/amazon-rainforest-importance/
News, R. (2020). How important is the Amazon rainforest for the brazilian economy? Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-important-amazon-rainforest-brazilian-economy#:~:text=Brazil%20is%20the%20No.,ports%20on%20the%20Amazon%20River
Webb, J. (2019, December 12). Three critical consequences of the AMAZON Fires: Biodiversity Loss, climate change and health. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.amazonfrontlines.org/chronicles/three-critical-consequences-of-the-amazon-fires/
World Wildlife Fund. (2018). Deforestation and forest degradation. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation
Woudon, J. (2019, November 22). Natural disasters in the rainforests. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://sciencing.com/natural-disasters-rainforests-8241443.html
