WORLD
DNA Web Team | Aug 22, 2019, 07:42 PM IST
1.Support outrage against inaction, donate to climate change organisations for a change
Sunlight is seen over the lake of Samuel Hydroelectric Dam in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, Brazil August 21, 2019. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)
Even as the Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro blames NGOs for the fire, social media is ablaze with the hashtags #PrayforAmazonas and #AmazonRainforest. Activists are rallying across the world to bring to attention the immediate crisis, and the media's objective phlegm in covering it, that is inching the world towards its death every single day. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been issuing repeated notifications regarding the gravity of the situation.
There was worldwide outcry when the Notre Dame cathedral was on fire. Why is there not the same level of outrage for the fires destroying the #AmazonRainforest? pic.twitter.com/VbSda5PYAK
— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) August 21, 2019
When the President of Brazil himself has been accused of inaction and encouraging deforestation, it is unlikely that you're one of the people who can actually fly to Latin America and help douse the flames. However, there still are a few ways in which you can help.
Firstly, donate. Donate whatever you can to the only few organisations working positively towards climate change, without necessarily having to go out of the way. Cut down a bit on frivolous spendings and contribute towards the world for a change.
You can donate to the Rainforest Action Network, that will help protect as much as an acre of the Amazonian rainforests.
Donate to the Rainforest Trust, which helps them buy land in the rainforest and maintain it. The organisation has, in this way, saved over 23 million acres of the forests since 1998.
2.Cut down on wood and paper consumption, double-check your products
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured these images of several fires burning in the states of Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, and Mato Grosso on August 11. (NASA Earth Observatory)
The smell is of barbecue, of wood charcoal up in flames. During the day the sun, usually so fierce in these parts, is obscured by thick gray smoke.
For the last seven days, Reuters has repeatedly driven a 30-kilometer (18.6 miles) stretch from Humaita towards Labrea along the Trans-Amazonian highway, watching a fire eat its way through the jungle.
At first, on Wednesday of last week the raging fire stood just a few yards (meters) off the roadway, the yellow flames engulfing trees and lighting up the sky. By the weekend the fire had receded into the distance but cast an orange glow several stories high. Wildfires have surged 83% so far this year when compared to the same period in 2018, according to Brazil's space research agency INPE. The government agency has registered 72,843 fires, the highest number since records began in 2013. More than 9,500 have been spotted by satellites since last Thursday alone.
Real change begins at home. If these images concern you, immediately start cutting down on your paper and wood consumption. Here's a handy resource in case you're confused - Check with the Rainforest Alliance to ensure that whatever you're buying is rainforest-safe. The alliance also lists other rainforest-safe products for sale at their site. Explore the World Wide Fund for Nature, it keeps a regular check on the conservation efforts being carried out for countless species in the Amazon and around the world. Use a different search engine for a change - Ecosia.org plants a tree for every 45 searches you run, and has a live counter to display the number of trees planted by Ecosia users.
3.Defend indigenous rights, support petitions investigating corporate exploitation of the rainforest
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured these images of several fires burning in the states of Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, and Mato Grosso on August 13. (NASA Earth Observatory)
In the Amazon region, fires are rare for much of the year because wet weather prevents them from starting and spreading. However, in July and August, the activity typically increases due to the arrival of the dry season.
On Wednesday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro enraged environmentalists by making unfounded claims that non-governmental organizations were starting the fires out of anger after he cut their funding. Reuters observed plumes of smoke billowing from the forest, reaching hundreds of feet (dozens of meters) into the air, during a weeklong trip to southern Amazonas and northern Rondonia states.
Explore Change.org petitions. According to reports, a lawyer in Rio Branco has accumulated over 77,000 of his 150,000 signature goal to mobilise an investigation into the Amazonian fires, which is the need of the day. Whose fault is it, really? Working towards answering this question is the Amazon Watch, an organisation protecting rainforests, defending indigenous rights, and working to address climate change in general. Contribute. Supporting Amazon Watch is a critical way to stop oil development, dirty dams, deforestation, and other harmful developments by defending indigenous rights.
4.Plant trees, sponsor education, help protect habitats for millions of species
The lake of Samuel Hydroelectric Dam from another angle in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, Brazil August 21, 2019. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)
"All you can see is smoke," said Thiago Parintintin, who lives in an indigenous reserve just off the Trans-Amazonian highway, pointing to the horizon. A yellow truck bearing the logo of Brazil's forest firefighters had just rushed past. "It didn't use to be like this," Parintintin added. A 22-year-old trained indigenous environmental agent, Parintintin blames the increasing development of the Amazon for bringing agriculture and deforestation, resulting in rising temperatures during the dry season.
To provide a scope of how the authorities are reacting to lives being destroyed, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that the government lacks the resources to fight wildfires in the Amazon rainforest after satellite images showed a record number of burning spots this year. In a speech broadcast live on Facebook, the President said the government is investigating the fires. He also said he never claimed non-governmental organizations were starting fires in the forest, saying he was only talking of his suspicions.
Contact the Amazon Conservation Association and the Amazon Conservation Team, fighting for climate change, protecting the Amazon, and empowering indigenous people. The organisation accepts donations, which can be tax-deductible, and lists exactly what the money goes toward for transparency. Contributors can help plant trees, sponsor education for the indigenous tribes, protect habitats for the millions of species in the rainforest, and more.
5.The sky never goes dark while the Amazon burns
Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, Brazil August 21, 2019. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)
Fires start in the underbrush that has been drying over the dry season. Smoke envelopes still lush patches of fronds and palm trees, as the understory smolders before the upper tiers of vegetation catch fire.
Environmentalists also say farmers set the forest alight to clear land for cattle grazing. The smoke from the resulting fires hangs at the horizon like a fog. Gabriel Albuquerque, a pilot in Rondonia state's capital city of Porto Velho, said that in four years of flying his small propeller plane it has never been this bad. "It is the first time that I've ever seen it like this," he said, as he prepared to go up. From the sky, the fires ranged from small pockets to those bigger than a football field, with the smoke making it impossible to see behind the front line of flames to discern the full extent of the blaze.
Sometimes the smoke appeared so thick the forest itself appeared to have disappeared. This is a biome where more life resides per square meter than anywhere else on the planet. The rain falls incessantly, drops as thick as blueberries, and the collective rattle gorges upon the millions of insects, birds, and mammals that live here. Yet the wet cannot overcome the warm. Today, the fire burns across the million subtle greens, like formidable but disoriented messengers of death. Cancer spreads across the lungs of the planet.
Gujarati is now third most-spoken Indian language in THIS country, not US, UK, Australia, it is...
NASA Alert: Giant 500-foot asteroid, as big as a skyscraper is approaching Earth tomorrow at...
Chinese woman calls Indian food ‘dirty’, changes her mind after..., watch viral video
5-20-30 rule to lose belly fat: Know benefits, risks and a step-by-step guide
ISRO chief reveals launch dates for upcoming missions: Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4 likely in…
J-K: Terrorist hideout busted in Poonch; two grenades, three Pakistani mines recovered
Apple iPhone 16 is now banned in THIS country due to…
'Can fit 20 Empire States inside': World's largest building worth Rs 415000 to come up in…
More than 22000 kilograms cheddar cheese worth Rs 3 crore stolen in major scam from…
Maharashtra: Stampede at Mumbai's Bandra Terminus leaves 9 injured
World’s richest man Elon Musk briefly worked illegally in US after quitting…: Report
Anupamaa actress Nidhi Shah says Rupali Ganguly is insecure: 'Mere saath toh bahut...'
Tata-Airbus Project: PM Modi, Spain PM Sanchez to inaugurate TATA aircraft complex in Gujarat today
Delhi-NCR Pollution: Delhi's air quality hits 'very poor' category, AQI drops to...
Israel versus Iran: Know the current situation in 10 points
4 Indians, including siblings, killed in accident as their Tesla crashes into divider in Canada
Here's why Do Patti actor Shaheer Sheikh is called 'Shah Rukh Khan of Indonesia'
Meet Rachel Gupta who became first Indian to win Miss Grand International, she is from...
Indian girl dances with US man on Bhojpuri song in front of India Gate, VIDEO goes viral
Why Ratan Tata didn’t give anything to brother Noel Tata in his will? Reason is….
Bigg Boss 18: Double elimination in house, Nyra Banerjee's BB journey ends? Here's what we know
Meet IAS officer, who got separated from son, left-high paying job, cracked UPSC with AIR...
ADRE grade 4 exam today, check admit card link, exam day guidelines here
Assam: Mobile internet services to be suspended in state today due to…
Wearing shoes, slippers is banned in this Indian village; know why
EAM Jaishankar slams Canada's targeting of envoy, says, 'we completely reject...'
DNA TV Show: Baba Bageshwar calls for Hindu unity on Social Media
Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024: When and where to watch Sri Lanka A vs Afghanistan A final match?
Telugu actor NT Ramaswamy gets slapped by woman during screening of his film Love Reddy; here’s why
What's Baby Ariha Shah issue between India and Germany, know about 3YO kid
Gujarat: 10 hotels in Rajkot receive bomb threats, police launch investigation
Glenn Maxwell reveals how Virat Kohli saved his career after all-rounder's horror IPL 2020
‘Naa shakal naa surat…’: Veteran actor says Priyanka Chopra refused to kiss him, got upset when he…
Dhanteras 2024: 5 inauspicious things to avoid buying on Dhantrayodashi
Maharashtra Assembly polls: BJP releases second list of 22 candidates
Rama Ekadashi 2024: Know the date, shubh muhurat, rituals and significance
How India can still qualify for WTC final despite losing home series to New Zealand?
EAM Jaishankar praises military, diplomacy for India-China patrolling breakthrough along LAC
Isha Ambani stuns in modern Banarasi saree gown at Fashion Trust Arabia Gala
'Oxford failed me': Indian student claims racial discrimination after removal from...
Gautam Adani faces huge loss after Rs 6189 crore project faces halt in Kenya due to...
Maharashtra assembly polls: Congress makes SHOCKING claim, says two MLAs offered crores to...
Vidya Balan breaks up silence on REJECTING Bhool Bhulaiya 2: 'I told Anees ji that...'
Govt extends ITR filing deadline for corporates, check new date here
Meet woman, from remote Odisha village, who cracked UPSC exam by YouTube videos, secured AIR...
Dhanteras 2024: Gold to silver, 5 auspicious things you should buy for good luck
When Madhuri Dixit met with life-threatening accident on Diwali, her body caught fire, then...
Viral artwork of banana duct-taped could be auctioned for over ₹12 crore, but here's twist
The Essence of Leadership: Insights from Ankur Saini
Mamata Banerjee warns of communal riots and explosion ahead of Diwali, heightens security in Kolkata