Amazon Rainforest Fires: Everything You Need To Know And How You Can Help

ICYMI, a record number of fires have been raging in the Amazon rainforest for the past three weeks, threatening life as we know it on earth.

These fires are burning so intensely that local cities are completely engulfed in a dark haze. Meanwhile, NASA has reported that the fires are so large, they can be seen from space.

In fact, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has reported around 73,000 fires in the rainforest so far this year. Over 9,000 of these fires have occurred in the past week.

If that crazy high number of fires wasn’t alarming enough the INPE has reposted that this is an
80 % increase on the number of fires in the Amazon rainforest at the same time last year.

This is a serious matter, and we need to make sure we’re well informed on it.

So, we’re breaking down exactly what’s caused the Amazon wildfires, and the things you can do to help save the Amazon, and our planet.

NOTE: Below is a quick Q&A, please scroll down for more details!

How Did The Amazon Fires Start?

The Amazon Rainforest is typically humid and wet. But, it has a dry season which starts around July/August, hits its peak around September and stops by around mid-November.

However, the dry season itself is not what causes the fires. 

According to the INPE, while the dry season creates favorable conditions for wildfires in the Amazon, starting a fire is always the work of humans. 

The fires are largely caused by deforestation where small fires are started to clear trees for farming, mining or drilling, but these fires often get out of control quickly.

Why Are The Amazon Fires A Problem?

Global warming is a real threat to our planet, and trees are the first line of defense against this threat.

The Amazon is considered to the the key player in the fight against global warming because of its ability to absorb carbon from the air. 

In fact, more than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon rainforest.

Deforestation is pushing earth towards its tipping point, where the Amazon will no longer be able to function as a giant carbon sink.

If Deforestation Is The Biggest Cause Of The Wildfires, Why Doesn’t The Brazilian Government Ban It?

This is where things get interesting.

There has reportedly been an 88% increase in the deforestation rate in the Amazon rainforest.

Why? Because Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, has been encouraging logging and farming in the Amazon and is increasingly opening up more of the rainforest to further encourage these activities.

But things get even more interesting. Bolsonaro has been seeking increased US investment in Brazil and is leveraging the Amazon to do so.

Bolsonaro, and many US based corporations, are already benefitting from increased deforestation in the Amazon as it enables the expansion of the largest forest-risk commodities like soy and beef. 

The more land that is available, the more these companies can invest in and financially gain from the Amazon.

What’s worse is that Bolsonaro is pushing for a Free Trade Agreement with the US which would basically give him and his business partners free license to keep damaging the Amazon.

Even if environmental safeguards were included in an agreement, these would not be likely to deter involved parties away from deforestation.

Which US Companies Are Involved?

We managed to track down a few (with their Twitter accounts linked in case you’d like to call them out), including:

Banks – Bank of America and JPMorganChase

Investment Managers – Vanguard, Fidelity and BlackRock

Large Commodity Traders – Bunge, Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland

Companies Using Amazon Palm Oil for Products: Johnson & Johnson, Pepsi Co., Colgate-Palmolive

….and of course we can’t help but to include the Twitter handle of Brasil who is encouraging deforestation, Jair Bolsonaro

What You Can Do To Help the Amazon Rainforest Fires

While the situation is dire, and a little bit complicated, you can still do your part to help save the Amazon Rainforest! We’ve rounded up different ways that you can help:

Call the situation out

• Make your voice heard by signing a petition.
• Explore Change.org petitions. A lawyer in Rio Branco has accumulated over 77,000 of his 150,000 signature goal to mobilize an investigation into the Amazonian fires. 
• Contact your elected officials and make your voice heard. 
• Tweet the corporations that are fuelling the fire (we helpfully linked to their twitter accounts above!)

Donate

• Amazon Watch is an organization that protects the rainforest, defends indigenous rights and works to address climate change. 
• The Amazon Conservation Team works to fight climate change, protect the Amazon and empower indigenous peoples. 
• Donate to Rainforest Action Network and protect an acre of the Amazonian rainforest.
• Donating to the Rainforest Trust will help buy land in the rainforest. Since 1988, the organization has saved over 23 million acres.
• Help protect animals living in the jungle with WWF.
• Ecosia.org is a search engine that plants a tree for every 45 searches you run.  

Reduce

• Reduce your beef consumption. Rainforest beef is usually found in fast-food hamburgers or processed beef products.
• Reduce your paper and wood consumption. Double-check with Rainforest Alliance that what you’re buying is rainforest-safe. You can also purchase rainforest safe products from the alliance’s site. 

Every action, no matter how big or small, will go towards saving the Amazon rainforest.