Amazon Rainforest: Turning into a Savanna?
As a child, you probably thought of the Amazon Rainforest as a magical, mysterious, and untouchable place full of monkeys and lost gold. Because of that, it must pain you to read that in the next few decades, over 40% of the Amazon Rainforest may be lost and be classified as a savanna. (Global Citizen)
The Amazon Rainforest, and all rainforests in general, generate their own rainfall. Rainforests are so massive that they affect their own climate by capturing and releasing their own moisture. But, when enough of the rainforest is destroyed, it cannot self-regulate anymore and makes it susceptible to disasters like wildfires, droughts and other natural disasters. Because of deforestation and the dry season being significantly longer because of deforestation (CNN), the rainforest has lost 17% of its original area (CNN). What is even more concerning, is that scientists determine that the tipping point of the Amazon rainforest would lie in-between a 20-25% decrease in the original area of the Amazon Rainforest.
Deforestation in the rainforest destroyed 1830 square miles, and it has increased by 209% since the Brazillian President, Jair Bolsonaro, took office in 2018. Bolsonaro has been repealing laws that have protected the Amazon Rainforest and the overall environment in Brazil (New York Times). The wildfires in the Amazonas were the worst in a decade, says The Guardian. There was a 60% increase of Fire Hotspots from last year (The Guardian). These fires were mostly set by, who CNN call, “land-grabbers and wildcat ranchers”: people who set the woods ablaze to quickly clear land to set up agricultural businesses, which is illegal.
If you would like to support the Amazon Rainforest, take a look at these organizations: Amazon Watch, Amazon Conservation Team, Amazon Conservation Association, Survival International, Rainforest Trust, Rainforest Action Network. (Organizations found on Global Citizen)
By: Caroline Adle
Sources:
