That a worldwide climate emergency! Amazon rainforest that produces 20% of the oxygen on our planet, basically the LUNGS of Earth, the largest and the most biodiverse forest in the world, has been burning for the past three weeks. Two seconds it took you to read this sentence – and a part of jungles the size of two football fields is gone. Another second – another football field. And another. And another. Now count to three weeks.
73,000 fires burning simultaneously on a territory larger than one-third of Australia. The situation is so bad the smoke can be seen from space and Sao Paolo, 2,000 miles away from Amazon rainforest, went dark at 2 pm on Monday because the smoke completely blocked the sun.
And it hasn’t just started three weeks ago. The number of fires had been constantly increasing since 2013. But with 83% more fires than last year, 2019 broke all the possible records.
Why is it happening? I’ll never be able to wrap my head around it, but the vast amount of fires was
70% of the Amazon deforestation in the resent years was caused by cattle ranching and Brazil is the largest beef exporter on the planet.
Take a moment to soak in the fact that the planet will never be the same if we lose the Amazon rainforest. Everything – from the air to daily temperatures to drinking water – will be affected. It only takes 30% to 40% of Amazon rainforest to disappear for the rest of it to dry out by itself and we already took care of 20%.
Take a moment to recall all the dystopia books you’ve read and movies you’ve seen. The scientists were giving us 14 years from now to reach the point of no return in terms of climate change, saying that if we don’t change the way we live and consume and produce food, clothes, energy and everything else, will end up living on a planet of rising seas, severe storms, extreme heat, drought, and fires. Do we now have even less time?
It’s time for all of us to fight for our planet, our only home. It’s time to shake off sleepy mode and sliver hopes someone else will do it for us. If even Brazilian president is said to SUPPORT cruel farmers and loggers, how can we still hope someone else will do it for us?
What can be done to protect Amazon rainforest?
First of all, be VOCAL. Share the news, share photos and videos, don’t scroll past – let the world know! Information is powerful. Knowledge is powerful. Awareness is powerful.
Second option is to donate money to
Amazon watch, that I’ve already mentioned, promises that ‘your donation will go directly to our work with indigenous communities to stop the destruction and defend their rights and homes’. You can donate any amount via PayPal or credit card at amazonwatch.org. There is a lot of useful information on the current state of fires and in-depth reviews of how agriculture and political decisions had been affecting Amazon forests in the last few years.
Rainforest Alliance will redirect 100% of donations to frontline groups in the Brazilian Amazon, working to fight the fires and defend the remaining forest. They also work with international companies in order to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. You can even check whether the companies you’re buying from daily are producing forest-safe, sustainable products on their website. Donate to support their job at rainforest-alliance.org.
Amazon Conservation is a very transparent company that lists exactly where your money goe
Rainforest Trust buys rainforest land to protect it from colonists and industries. They have already saved 23 million acres worldwide and over 6 million acres in the Amazon rainforest! They also reforest areas that were damaged by fires and human activity. Go to Amazon rainforest page at rainforesttrust.org to donate any amount, even $1 will help!
If you want your money to go for saving and protecting
Petitions. This is the third option to make a difference. The more people unite together – the more influence we have on those in power to change the situation.
HERE you can sign the petition to the UK government to put the Amazon emergency on to the top of the G7 agenda
Greenpeace has a petition telling
HERE a lawyer from Rio Branco is trying to force an investigation into who and why is starting these fires and hold the culprits to account.
Be a mindful meat consumer. As simple as that! Remember the main reason behind the current fires? To free more land for farming! While there is a demand for beef in the world – there will be farmers willing to risk
I never was and never will be agitating to go vegan – I think, it’s a personal choice of every person. I don’t eat meat but I don’t judge anyone who does. What I do judge is EXCESSIVE meat consumption. Dietitians agree that we only need up to 150 g of meat per day and only 70 g of it should be red meat! Anything above 70 g is NOT HEALTHY! Average American citizen this day consumes over 330 g meat per day. Our obsession with food is not only unhealthy but is also killing the planet.
Do not support companies that cause Amazon deforestation. Basically, that’s any product that has palm oil as an ingredient. Yes, there are some exceptions of ‘ethically sourced’ (look for RSPO label on the packaging) but way more often than not brand’s
The same with soy, that thrives in rainforest climate. Since
Go paperless! We don’t need to print any documents these days – it’s way more convenient and easy to store them online. You can even sign contracts with services like DocuSign. So much faster than setting up a special meeting! Don’t buy paper books, don’t buy paper straws (why people even need straws, honestly. Did we forget how to drink?). Just don’t. buy. paper.
Here are a few more ideas on how to reduce-recycle-reuse in order to help the planet.
P.S. Thank you so much for reading this article! By simply reading and learning a few new facts about how this world works, you’re already doing something useful. Educate yourself, educate others, make decisions and be pro-active. It’s not too late and no action is too small! In no way do I think of myself as an expert in farming, rainforests, soy products, politics, etc. I just did my research and gathered stats that show where we are at the moment because keeping quiet seemed impossible. I accept that there might be some inaccuracies or I might be making wrong conclusions from the information I’ve read. Please, don’t spend your time pointing out that we need 160 g not 150 g of meat per day or other facts you might know better than I do. Instead, go and share your knowledge with the world in a kind, helpful way that will be beneficial for all. Share this article or any other article you like or direct links to NGOs and organisations that have tools to help. #ActforAmazonia
Featured image: Boudewijn Huysmans / Unsplash
