The Amazon Rain Forest is on fire... and no one is talking about it.

brianlux

How is it possible the major media is ignoring this?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/22/brazilian-minister-booed-at-climate-event-as-outcry-grows-over-amazon-fires

brianlux

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1164194194229014529?s=20

brianlux

Old photo edited out.  No more fake photos world, please!

But the problem is real.

"Terrifying to think that the Amazon is the largest rain forest on the planet, creating 20% of the earth’s oxygen, basically the lungs of the world, has been on fire and burning for the last 16 days running, with literally NO media coverage whatsoever! Why?"

-Leonardo DiCaprio

pearljammr78

The world right now is in a sad state of affairs. How anyone can still deny climate change and not be ousted out of office is beyond me. Big money is the obvious reason for their denial but how the masses are letting it happen is beyond me. And to think. This is just the beginning. Glad I’m half way through life but I really feel for my daughter and all the kids who are going to have to deal with this madness. Hopefully they get off their computer games and other forms of distraction and start making stands and legislation that matters. I’m talking world wide because we and they are all in this apocalypse that is just starting. Thanks for starting this thread. Hopefully it opens People’s eyes and kicks some asses into movement. 

brianlux

pearljammr78 said:

The world right now is in a sad state of affairs. How anyone can still deny climate change and not be ousted out of office is beyond me. Big money is the obvious reason for their denial but how the masses are letting it happen is beyond me. And to think. This is just the beginning. Glad I’m half way through life but I really feel for my daughter and all the kids who are going to have to deal with this madness. Hopefully they get off their computer games and other forms of distraction and start making stands and legislation that matters. I’m talking world wide because we and they are all in this apocalypse that is just starting. Thanks for starting this thread. Hopefully it opens People’s eyes and kicks some asses into movement. 

Thanks for your wisdom regarding the situation, pj78.  It is truly a world-wide problem of huge proportions.

jeffbr

I've been horrified at the stories I've seen. It has actually been covered, but certainly not to the degree that it deserves to be. Here's the latest from CNN:

Blame humans for starting the Amazon fires, environmentalists say

It sounds like the farmers and cattle ranchers are to blame. Brazil's Environmental Minister tried to blame the dry weather but CNN's meteorologist is pretty sure that 99% of it is human actions. It should also be highlighted that 20% of the Earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rain forest, so this should be a big deal for everyone. It is tragic.

bootlegger10

Dumb question, but are the rainforests technically more important in absorbing carbon dioxide versus producing oxygen?  I thought I had read that the oxygen produced in the Amazon doesn't really impact the rest of the world that much.   

Anyway, I was watching a documentary on climate change, or reading an article and came across an interesting point.  Basically, the people in power to make changes are going to be the last to recognize that climate change is a problem.  They will be the last ones to feel the effects of climate change.  The price of food goes up.  They'll be able to afford it.  THe waters rise.  They can afford to move.   It gets hotter.  They can afford the air conditioning.   Their world (our world) hasn't been impacted too much. Meanwhile, people in other parts of the world that are more 2nd/3rd world are experiencing drought and famine due to climate change and can't do anything about it.  They can't just dip into the piggy bank.   

It is almost like the "they came for" saying where the wealthy/powerful will have no one left to help them when climate change hits them.

jeffbr

Good point on the carbon dioxide. I think both the carbon cleansing and oxygen production are important. It sounds like the rain forest produces 20% of the earth's oxygen, but also absorbs 25% of the planet's carbon. Pretty damned important to the health of the planet.
Here's another interesting article from HuffPost today:

What You Should Know About The Fires Raging In The Amazon

Renfield

Thanks for bringing this up brianlux.

I was made aware of the fires 2 days by a friend on FB. Then I googled Amazon fire and got 2 pages of Amazon Fire Stick before I found an article about the rainforest burning! Chris Cuomo did mention it last night on CNN.

I also just learned there are raging forest fires in Siberia that have already consumed 30 MILLION acres. And that too is not news?! 

brianlux

bootlegger10 said:

Dumb question, but are the rainforests technically more important in absorbing carbon dioxide versus producing oxygen?  I thought I had read that the oxygen produced in the Amazon doesn't really impact the rest of the world that much.   

Anyway, I was watching a documentary on climate change, or reading an article and came across an interesting point.  Basically, the people in power to make changes are going to be the last to recognize that climate change is a problem.  They will be the last ones to feel the effects of climate change.  The price of food goes up.  They'll be able to afford it.  THe waters rise.  They can afford to move.   It gets hotter.  They can afford the air conditioning.   Their world (our world) hasn't been impacted too much. Meanwhile, people in other parts of the world that are more 2nd/3rd world are experiencing drought and famine due to climate change and can't do anything about it.  They can't just dip into the piggy bank.   

It is almost like the "they came for" saying where the wealthy/powerful will have no one left to help them when climate change hits them.

jeffbr said:

Good point on the carbon dioxide. I think both the carbon cleansing and oxygen production are important. It sounds like the rain forest produces 20% of the earth's oxygen, but also absorbs 25% of the planet's carbon. Pretty damned important to the health of the planet.
Here's another interesting article from HuffPost today:

What You Should Know About The Fires Raging In The Amazon

Good question bootlegger, thanks.  And great point about those in power being able to avoid the worse consequences (For a time.  Sooner or later Mother Nature bats last).

And thanks for the good answer Jeff.  I hadn't thought of it, but it makes sense that both are important. 

rhanishane

It has actually consumed my facebook thread and has been covered by the news here in Australia quite a bit the last 2 days. If only it was covered more extensively and the millionaires and billionaires started chipping in like did for the Notre dame cathedral. 

brianlux

rhanishane said:

It has actually consumed my facebook thread and has been covered by the news here in Australia quite a bit the last 2 days. If only it was covered more extensively and the millionaires and billionaires started chipping in like did for the Notre dame cathedral. 

The story itself is catching fire.  Bad pun but true.

Here is yesterday's fire map.  Not sure how much it's grown but, oh man...

brianlux

Here the article and a clearer map:

Article to go with map above:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fires-satellite-images-map-of-rainforest-blazes-2019-8?utm_content=bufferbc39d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&fbclid=IwAR2JsHPRAPKN8Ni4MbJtn4zFFE1zbYerE7obXACyddZQDWmUkit5wrGm0AM

pearljammr78

That’s unreal. 

bbiggs

Sad and alarming to say the least. 

brianlux

One thing that is very problematic about this issue is that some of the photos circulating on social media are not from the current fires. That this is happening is absolutely lame because the fact remains: fires in the Amazon are up 80% this year and people are the cause of most of the fires, and it's a serious situation. So why the fake photos? Do we really need to sensationalize something that is already seriously problematic? And don't these fake photos get people interested and then later, when they are shown to be old photos, turn people off and get them to think it's all a hoax? Why falsify a real problem? It's like saying, "The house is on fire!" and then giving the wrong address, even when, in fact, a house is on fire. Why do people do this?

What a weird world this is.

Meltdown99

It's alarming.  There is nothing that can be done. Brazil is a sovereign country whose president does not believe in global warming and has encouraged the clear-cutting of the rain forest.  The sad part is that South America much like NA are not being run by the rightful occupants, but more importantly, the rightful occupants are just 2nd class citizens on their lands while this asshole stands idly by...The US is not the only country with a very fucked leader.

The G& is being held ... the G& needs to call the dickhead to a meeting to account.  If he cannot justify Brazil's action, then vote to kick Brazil from the G7 and suspend all trade deals with BBrazil and slap 100% tariffs on any the is produced that is leading to the destruction of the rain forest.

The world knows what needs to be done.  Instead of real action they will hold another climate conference or 3 and fly there on their luxury planes and pat themselves on the back about what a great conference and look...new target that the world will never meet...Humans are a fucking joke.

HughFreakingDillon

I've been reading about it, and it's been reported that the fires are being set deliberately by the regime in power to make more room for raising cattle. 

brianlux

HughFreakingDillon said:

I've been reading about it, and it's been reported that the fires are being set deliberately by the regime in power to make more room for raising cattle. 

I've read that also.  I'm also under the impression that a lot of beef used by places like McDonalds comes from South America. 

HughFreakingDillon

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

I've been reading about it, and it's been reported that the fires are being set deliberately by the regime in power to make more room for raising cattle. 

I've read that also.  I'm also under the impression that a lot of beef used by places like McDonalds comes from South America. 

that too. so there won't be any big corporate pressure from the US to get this under control. unless there is some backlash or #boycottmcdonaldsbeef starts trending on twitter. 

Meltdown99

However bad that it is.  Do many countries have the right to complain...pretty sure before the arrival of the Europeans to Canada and States has lead to massive deforestation in both countries...all this farmland was created by the European invaders...it's not like we have a great environmental record.