The Amazon Forest continues to burn

By MELANIE URIBE

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest rainforest, it is home to over 400 mammals, 350 reptiles and 400 amphibians. This famous rainforest is located in Brazil, but stretches across eight different countries. It is also known for being the lungs of the Earth, producing twenty percent of the world’s oxygen. Although typically humid and moist, the rainforest is known for going through a dry spell during the summer. However, the Amazon rainforest has been experiencing far worse than a dry spell in the past few weeks.

The burning of the Amazon rainforest has recently reached the media’s attention, and for good reason. Environmentalists speculate that the burnings were caused intentionally by humans. Over 2,500 fires have been active, resulting in catastrophic results for the biodiversity of the rainforest. President Donald Trump tweeted about the adversity, saying that “if the United States can help with the Amazon Rainforest fires, we stand ready to assist.” Other nations’ leaders have spoken up about this issue, with the intent to put out the fires.

The Amazon rainforest is a vital component of the ecosystem as it contains twenty percent of the Earth’s freshwater, ten percent of all biomasses and one third of insects. The burning of the Amazon rainforest will have disastrous results on these species, with the rising issue of climate change.

Ever since the rainforest has caught the attention of the media, people have been quick to provide ways for everyone to assist. Some examples include signing the Greenpeace’s petition, which advocates for the Brazilian government to protect the rainforest and the indigneous’ lands; donating to the Amazon Watch, an organization that battles climate change and protects rainforests; and donating to the Rainforest Action Network, which protects the Amazon rainforest. Another way to assist is to simply spread the word via social media or word of mouth in order to spread awareness about the burnings. 

Lee este artículo en español aquí: https://laplaza.press/2019/09/16/la-selva-amazonica-sigue-ardiendo/