The Earth's lungs are being destroyed. How did this happen and what is being done to stop it?
The Amazon rainforest is at least 55 million years old. One half of all the planet's animal and plant species call the Amazon their home (that's about 10 million different species)- including certain groups of indigenous people. This rainforest is not only a home to others, but also helps in keeping the rest of the world healthy. Through scientific studies, links have been found between rainforest health and planet earth. How does the Amazon effect the health of the world? Let me tell you...
The excessive amount of carbon dioxide that is polluting the atmosphere from fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, and coal is taken in by plants and replaced with carbon and oxygen through photosynthesis. Being the producer of more than 20% of the Earth's oxygen has earned this rainforest the title of "Lungs of our Planet". Lowering pollutant levels is not the only key role the Amazon has when it comes to our planet's health though. The Amazon rainforest also has an effect on both local and global climates due to the exchange of water and energy. The plants and insects within the rainforest are also used for cures to diseases, yet there is still much to learn. "Scientists believe that less than half of 1% of flowering plant species have been studied in detail for their medicinal potential" (Cox and Balick, 1994 in Kricher 1997). Even though there is still much to learn, 25% of Western pharmaceuticals already have ingredients derived from rainforest plants. The U.S. National Cancer Institute had also already discovered 3000 different plants that have shown to be active against cancer cells, and 70% of these discovered plants come from, you guessed it, the rainforest. In fact, the strongest drug against cancer today, vincristine, comes from periwinkle, which is a rainforest plant. I could go on and on about all the amazing, and vital, impacts the Amazon has on planet earth. Sadly though, over the past century, mankind has led us down a suicide path.
"The inner dynamics of a tropical rainforest is an intricate and fragile system. Everything is so interdependent that upsetting one part can lead to unknown damage or even destruction...Sadly, it has taken only a century of human intervention to destroy what nature designed to last forever" (raintree.com). It had taken less than 50 years for over half of the world's tropical rainforests to become victims of deforestation, and this destructive path is not slowing down.
Studies have shown that there is a loss of more than 150 acres every minute, every day. The Amazon is continuously being burned by farmers, and these fires have reached a record rate as studies show an 84% increase this year compared to last year. As forests are burned down for cattle-ranching, the atmosphere is polluted even more with not just smoke but also with carbon matter from trees, CO2. Water is being polluted, there's soil erosion, malaria epidemics, the loss of homes and biodiversity, and so much more all due to deforestation.
On August 11, the state of Amazonas declared a state of emergency due to all the conflagrations that were set, illegally, by farmers to clear out land. By August 13, NASA shared that the smoke was visible from space. On August 20, São Paulo went from daytime to nighttime at just 2pm due to the smoke. Concerning amounts of carbon dioxide was also detected being spread over surrounding countries. The fires were called "a tragedy" by the Bishops Conference for Latin America on August 22, "and called on the United Nations, the international community and governments of Amazon countries, to 'take serious measures to save the world's lungs'" (Wikipedia). Now, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, are urging the Group of Seven (G7), to discuss the fires, which have now become an international crisis, during the 45th G7 summit set for this weekend. Meanwhile though, as these flames continue to burn and destroy the Amazon rainforest, not only are the homes of all the living creatures being consumed, but also our futures. Here is what you can do to help:
1) lower your paper use
2) reduce oil consumption
3) reduce beef consumption
4) recycle
5) become more aware of business practices and hold them accountable
6) donate to and support organizations such as the
Rainforest Action Network
7) sign
this petition to get the Amazon fires put as number 1 on the G7 agenda
8) share and teach others about the importance of rainforests (don't forget to practice what you preach!)
Rainforests are remarkably resilient, so as long as we all do our part in preserving not just the rainforest, but also our entire planet, there is hope for a better future.
XOXO,
Louisa
“2019 Brazil Wildfires.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Aug. 2019, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Brazil_wildfires.
“Amazon Emergency Petition.” WWF, www.wwf.org.uk/save-the-amazon.
Facts and Information on the Amazon Rainforest, www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm.
Letcher, Susan. “Good News on Rain Forests: They Bounce Back Strong, Storing More Carbon than Thought.” The Conversation, 26 June 2019, theconversation.com/good-news-on-rain-forests-they-bounce-back-strong-storing-more-carbon-than-thought-49189.
Phillips, Tom. “Amazon Rainforest Fires: Macron Calls for 'International Crisis' to Lead G7 Discussions.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 Aug. 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/23/amazon-rainforest-fires-macron-calls-for-international-crisis-to-lead-g7-discussions.
Watts, Jonathan. “Amazon Rainforest Fires: Global Leaders Urged to Divert Brazil from 'Suicide' Path.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 Aug. 2019, www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/23/amazon-fires-global-leaders-urged-divert-brazil-suicide-path.
“Why Is the Amazon Rainforest Important?” WWF, wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/why_amazon_important/.
Yeung, Jessie. “Brazil's Amazon Rainforest Is Burning at a Record Rate.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Aug. 2019, edition.cnn.com/2019/08/21/americas/amazon-rainforest-fire-intl-hnk-trnd/index.html.
By Phil P Harris. - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=717267
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