The Amazon rainforest is a symbol of life. Not only is it home to 427 mammal species, 1,600 bird species, 378 species of reptiles, and more than 400 species of amphibians, it’s also where you’ll find 40,000 different plants and approximately 2.5 million types of insects. Then there’s the 400-500 indigenous tribes that also inhabit the rainforest. And, not forgetting the small matter of trees – there are four times more trees in the Amazon than stars in the Milky Way (amazonaid.org). If you have ever doubted the importance of the Amazon – this should go some way in explaining.
Fires not only pose a risk to the many forms of life within the rainforest, but it also impacts us – even from the other side of the world. That’s because the combination of trees and plants found in the Amazon release oxygen back into the atmosphere. It’s for that reason the Amazon has been dubbed the lungs of the Earth. “Forests absorb carbon dioxide and they sequester carbon in their deep roots, generating oxygen in the process,” explains agricultural expert and author of Eating Tomorrow, Timothy A. Wise. Sadly, the Amazon is facing the huge threat of deforestation. “Deforestation is a broad term used to describe the cutting down of trees, often to clear land for agricultural activities, but also for timber,” adds Timothy.
After reaching a record low in 2012, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has been rising steadily. Since Jair Bolsonaro became president in January, these rates have continued to increase. In fact, recent data shows deforestation from January to August this year was the highest it’s been for a decade, increasing by 75 per cent relative to the same period in 2018 (news.mongabay.com). Granted, the cutting down of trees is rife – but why is it happening on such a large scale?