Amazon Rainforest Fires

The Amazon Rainforest has been burning for over three weeks, going viral on social media platforms.

How did the fire start?
This year in Brazil, there have been more than 74,000 rainforest fires. Most fires start due to farmers clearing trees to grow crops or rear cattle. These choices some people have made, have caused a very essential part of our planet to be destroyed.

Why is it such a big issue?
According to National Geographic and BBC, the Amazon rainforest provides around 6% of Earth’s total oxygen. Currently, with the amount of pollution that the planet contains, the burning of the rainforest can lead to the shortenening of the Earth’s lifespan

After the news of the fires blew up on social media, Twitter started to overflow with tweets and hashtags, such as #letsprayfortheamazon. Huge celebrities, such as Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith, and Maddona, spread the word about the fires, trying to raise awareness. Some people also referenced the fires at Notre Dame, talking about how society does not have its priorities straight. Twitter user @francismaxwell tweeted, “When Notre Dame was burning the world stopped. Billionaires and politicians emptied their pockets to help rebuild. Meanwhile, the Amazon has been burning for three weeks. The difference is, we don’t get to build a new earth. When it’s gone, it’s gone. #PrayforAmazonas.”

Mr. Gomes, who is Brazillian, has some thoughts on the matter at hand, saying that “Brazilians know that every year between around July and October we have fires in the forest, just like the fire seasons in the US (California), Angola, Congo, and Russia, to mention a few. It’s the drier season. The amount of fires in 2019 [is] similar or less than many previous years, for the last 20 years or so.”

He then explains his concern for the environment, “I am 100% sure that a lot of people have a genuine concern for the environment. Even though some posted pictures from fires in other forests or even events that did not happen in Brazil, alongside with the hashtag #letsprayfortheamazon. There is only one Earth and we need to preserve it. Carl Sagan was absolutely right when he first spoke about it. I think this idea is fundamental and I do what I can on a personal level to support it. After all, to change the world we need to start changing what is around us. This includes simple things such as turning off the lights before leaving my apartment, closing the tap as I brush my teeth and many other measures. At AISG, I notice that we used to use plastic spoons to stir the coffee at the teacher’s room. Now we moved on to wooden spoons and this is much better for the environment. ”

People have to start taking action to save the environment; if everyone does something small, the world will be a much cleaner place.