Megan HeidelFounder and Content Creator The Amazon Rainforest covers an area of 2.12 million square miles, blanketing roughly 31% of South America's total land mass. It's lush green vegetation spreads through several countries, including Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Its continued existence is essential to combating climate change, taking in an astounding 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, about a quarter of the total amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by forests annually on a global scale. The Amazon rainforest is what scientists call a carbon sink, a naturally occurring phenomenon in which carbon dioxide is absorbed and stored in the earth, ultimately assisting in lowering the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As one of the world's largest carbon sinks, the Amazon rainforest actually stores more carbon dioxide than it releases, essentially creating a deficit between what it takes in and what it throws out. However, with man-made events such as deforestation and the intentional burning of forest regions to make room for agricultural practices, this deficit is decreasing. Soon, it seems, the Amazon rainforest may reach equilibrium or perhaps worse, expound more carbon from the break down of decomposing trees and animals, then it can take in.
Just one of the essential tools to maintaining climate change below the agreed upon 2 degrees Celsius outlined in the Paris Accords, decimation of the Amazon, whether it be through mining, logging, agriculture, etc., may indicate a failure to stay behind the line of no return. As the detrimental effects of climate change proceed without intervention and protection of our greatest natural allies, the human race will bare witness to increased and prolonged periods of drought, famine, forced migration, refugee crises, flooding, extreme weather patterns and natural disasters, crop failure, armed conflict, increased death rates in times of extreme heat, to name a few. Undoubtably we will see a dwindling of resources and increased competition over said resources, resulting in conflict. In this example of the burning of the Amazon rainforest, as governments turn their heads while fires rage and natural resources are pillaged for personal and economic gain, we must observe their actions as blatant disregard for sustaining human life, human dignity, and therefore human rights. "The Amazon fires number roughly at 80,600, a 79% increase from last year" - CNN This is why the current burning of the Amazon rainforest is concerning, but it is not the only reason. The Amazon rainforest is also home to a vast array of species, estimated to contain one in 10 known species on Earth. (WWF) It is the most biodiverse place on our planet, housing animals such as the jaguar, several species of macaw, the pink river dolphin, the eclectic "stinky bird", famed piranha, giant river otter, and much, much more. It additionally provides 20% of the Earth's oxygen despite making up only 1.1% of the Earth's land mass. It is a real treasure of our planet and so attracts pillagers of its riches. The Amazon is also home to groups of Indigenous Peoples who have lived there for thousands of years. According to the Indigenous Rights Group, Survival International, 1 million Indigenous Peoples currently live in the Amazon and call this place their ancestral home. The population is divided into about 400 tribes. Such peoples rely on the resources of the Amazon to maintain their harmonious lifestyles with the land around them. As an essential component to their culture and traditions, the degradation and destruction of the Amazon is an existential threat to these groups and arguably an infringement on their social and cultural rights as protected in multiple international human rights frameworks such as the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But Amazon deforestation and the violation of the rights of groups that rely on the region for their livelihoods and cultural practices is nothing new. The recent burning of the Amazon region is being internationally talked about, attracting activists from our personal hero Leonardo Dicaprio, to fashion brands and grass roots organizations. International pressure has also mounted against Brazil and the Bolsonaro government, eventually leading to his reluctant acceptance of international aid to stem the fires after the G7 summit in France this August and a storm of negative press. Although the international focus and support of the Amazon rainforest is currently heightened, it is important to note that attacks on the Amazon are not a new trend. In a report released in 2015 in Nature, researchers shared that the Amazon rainforest had decreased carbon absorption by 30% since the 1990s. Although this was not attributed to active deforestation, but rather an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the culprits are still the same; anthropologic factors, aka humans and our consumption habits. Deforestation has also been gradually increasing after a low period between 2006 and 2012 (80% reduction of deforestation). Now, every minute an area of land about the size of three football fields is cut down. Data from the Brasilis Land project, a government body which monitors deforestation in real time, also shows us an overall increase in deforestation. In August of 2018, for example, an area of 1,620.7 square kilometers was downed, while in August of 2019 the entity has reported 3,460.9 square kilometers, almost double the amount from last year. This trend is only expected to continue with what many see as favoritism towards the logging and mining industries by President Bolsonaro. The acceptance of international aid to put out the current fires is a start to tackle this issue, although international aid will be distributed to the Brazilian government for their own organization of mitigation plans. It is important that after these fires are contained international pressure and criticism continue to pressure President Bolsonaro to uphold international standards and protection for the Amazon, the environment, and the peoples that live there. A spotlight must remain focused on the Brazilian government as well as private corporations as we continue towards our final date of restitution with climate change, indicated by the UN to be the year 2030. Comments are closed.
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