Adding Insult to Injury to the Brazilian Rain Forest
The Brazilian Amazon is still on fire. The fires that decimated the forest in the past year were no accident. Most of the land in the area has been cleared to create land for agriculture. With the forest occupying nine nations, deforestation rates are increasing. The agribusiness sector is the primary beneficiary of the deforestation. However, although the Americans and Europeans were outraged by these acts, their own consumers fueled this development.
The forest has recorded an increase in temperatures over the past century. Additionally, there has been an increase in the duration of the dry season. Since 2006, the forest has been hit by severe droughts, a trend which is shifting the vegetation.
While the Amazon is the largest rainforest, more than 6 million square kilometers have been cleared in Brazil since 1970. Although the country was praised for reducing the forest loss, political turmoil and economic recession have resulted in a rise in deforestation. The surge in deforestation has been linked to Jair Bolsonaro’s, Brazil’s President, anti-environmentalists and racism rhetoric.
The Amazon forest plays a massive role in normalizing the global climate. In the past two decades, the Amazon has released more carbon than it could absorb. Such emissions are weakening the environment. Not only the Amazon that is threatened but also the world.
In the wake of increasing deforestation and forest fires, people are becoming more worried about the future of the Amazon. According to scientists, the future of the forest will get to a tipping point and may become a dry scrubland. However, there is no evidence on the forecasts being reached at on the health of the forest.
A Science Panel for the Amazon has been set to report on the state of the forest. The researchers will give their feedback and assessment at the United Nations conference in Glasgow, UK. The forest is responsible for maintaining life by generating rainfall. Recycling water to provide rain will reduce once to many trees are damaged. Eventually, the Amazon will be like the Savannah, but diverse.
The creation of the Amazon Council is set to protect, defend and sustain the Amazon, a move many scientists are skeptical about. However, it is a sign of hope on the protection of the Amazon.