The Amazon Rain Forest Is Officially The Worst Disaster In History

The Amazon Rainforest fire is being called the worst environmental disaster in history. But this environmental disaster was caused by humans, humans who are illegally setting fires to the forest to make way for cattle ranching.


On Tuesday, the skies of so paolo went completely dark in the middle of the day. It wasn’t due to a solar eclipse, the sky went dark because of the thick blanket of smoke that almost entirely blocked out the sun. If you have seen our previous coverage on this topic, check out the Previous article. But basically, the amazon is burning at a record rate, the smoke from the blazes can be seen from space.

Smoke from wildfires in the #AmazonRainforest spreads across several Brazilian states in this natural-color image taken by a @NASAEarth instrument on the Suomi NPP satellite. Although it is fire season in Brazil, the number of fires may be record-setting: https://t.co/NVQrffzntr pic.twitter.com/4JTcBz9C8f

— NASA (@NASA) August 21, 2019

The smoke has covered nearby cities in a thick dark haze. In the past week alone, 9 thousand fires have been spotted out of the 72 thousand that have been reported this year. As per Thomas Lovejoy scientists and national geographic traveler, this is with no inquiry one of just multiple times that there have been flames this way. He also said, there is no question that it’s a consequence of the recent uptick in deforestation. The amazon rainforest is often called the lungs of the planet, and experts are saying that the fires could have huge climate impacts.

Many critics are blaming this disaster on far-right Brazilian president Jair bolsonaro, who’s done his best to deregulate the amazon and open it up for the agriculture business, mining, and logging. Since he was elected in 2018, environmentalists have been warning of the consequences of deforestation. In 2019 alone, brazil lost more than 13 hundred square miles of forest cover. According to data released by the INPE released this month, more forest has been cleared in brazil this past summer alone than in the last 3 years combined, and the summer isn’t even over yet. This isn’t entirely the president of Brazil's fault, a lot of his supporters wanted to open up the Amazon for business.

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

The agriculture industry is huge in Brazil, and so are the logging and mining industries. Amazon trees are cleared away to make way for soy plants or cattle pastures. And fire, the slash, and burn technique are used to clear forest quickly and cheaply. But just like what happens when wildfires are started in California, a large chunk of these fires spiral out of control. The rainforest makes its own rain. Half of its own rain to be exact. Cut down the rainforest, the rain will not fall, the land will be dryer and much more susceptible to fires.

Jair Bolsonaro has responded to the massive uproar of criticism. He responded quite defensively. And he thinks that the fires in brazil were started by know Government organizations who want to weaken his administration and brazil’s image. When he responded to a reporter's question, Who do could be responsible for starting the fires, he said, the Indians, do you want me to blame the Indians, do you want me to blame the Martians. Show the screenshots editors. He went on, There are strong indications that people from NGO’s Lost the money. He did not provide any proof. President bolsonaro also blamed a lack of funding. He said I quote, there aren’t the resources. The chaos has arrived. That is all I have for you on this one, for now.