The Amazon Rainforest Fires: Explained According to the BBC, there are
currently more than 2,500 fires
burning in the Brazilian rainforest. The fires are burning in
several Brazilian states,
including Para, Mato Grosso,
Rondonia and Amazonas. Most of the fires are thought to
have been started by humans
attempting to clear land for farming
and ranching during the dry season. Brazilian right-wing nationalist president
Jair Bolsonaro made claims that the fires
were started by non-governmental
organizations because of reduced funding. He later stated he
made no such claims. The fires could be adding to a vicious cycle of climate
change in which the blazes add to greenhouse gasses. This leads to rising temperatures, which leads to longer
dry seasons, which leads to more devastating fires. Referred to as the "lungs of the earth,"
the rainforests of Brazil generate more
than 20% of all the oxygen in
the world. Smoke from the fires has
traveled about 1,700 miles
and can be seen in Argentina.
The fires are also visible from space. U.S. President Donald Trump
has joined other nations of the
world in offering assistance to
Brazil in putting out the fires. #ActForTheAmazon has been trending
on Twitter. Protests against what has
been viewed as inaction by President
Bolsonaro have sprung up all over the world.