by Conscious Reminder
We could be debating as to who is to be blamed for this catastrophic incident that is still ravaging the Amazonia rainforests.
But we will have to look into the mirror after some time and reflect on our role in this too.
#PrayforAmazonia has been trending across the world wide web. The fire refuses to be stopped or curtailed and the entire rainforest is one giant smokescreen.
The Amazon rainforest is its own ecosystem and is often referred to as the lungs of the Earth. So, the devastation occurred is astounding.
To add to the injury, Brazil has already seen a record 74,000 fires in 2019 itself. The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research has reported that this number is double that of last year.
When we see the fire and the devastation that it caused in numbers, we would fully understand the effects.
The Amazon rainforests are responsible for at least 20% of the global oxygen production. With the fire in effect, it would take us centuries to tackle the carbon storage lost in it.
Christian Poirier, one of the activists involved with Amazon Watch, has blamed human activity for the fire.
According to him, the Amazon is too humid, even during the dry seasons, to catch fire naturally.
One of the many reasons could be the cutting down of large tracts of land to establish businesses.
After the land is cut, the area is lit under fire which would completely make it suitable for cattle grazing. Although illegal, the government doesn’t really do much about it.
Nigel Sizer, working for the Rainforest Alliance, states that the President Jair Bolsonaro actively encourages them to conduct more and more of this illegal forest clearings.
Sizer mentions that all these illegal activities have been made possible simply because the government usually turns a blind eye.
In another bizarre move by the government, they have also allowed for the invasion of previously protected indigenous territories that have always been granted special status.
This is in complete contrast to the claims that he had made prior to the elections, claiming that he would make Brazil a ‘flourishing economy’.
Instead, he has started encouraging loggers and farmers to start cutting and slashing one of World’s biggest ecosystems, and indirectly unleashing terrifying fires which can be viewed from miles away into space.
But the blame game has already begun with the President denying all these charges and claiming that the media has been spouting lies in his name. Instead, he puts the blame on the NGOs, stating that they have been short on their funding and were trying to push the blame on him.
Poirier finally mentions that regardless of the blame, we are all moving towards unprecedented destruction. And this isn’t an exaggeration. Either we need to do something fast or we have to brace ourselves for a terrible impact.
For now, let’s #PrayforAmazonia and hope this fire dies soon.
Picture via Vaaju
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