The Amazon is consumed in flames, fires destroy the planet's lung
Brazil has in its territory a large part of what is considered the largest lung on the planet, the Amazon forest. Although the Amazon encompasses many countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia or Ecuador, the vast majority of it is in Brazil precisely because of the size of the territory of the South American giant and today, that important forest is being consumed in flames.
The announcement that incidents of this type this year has reached a record number of more than 72,000 fires so far in Brazil. An alarming figure if we consider that each fire usually consumes hundreds or thousands of hectares, that many species that are already in danger are exposed by them and that this fact affects the entire world.
Bolsonaro tries to blame NGOs
In a somewhat desperate situation, the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, found himself losing key aid from strong countries such as Germany, precisely because of the impunity with which companies that cause this damage to the forest operate, perhaps for this reason he chose to fire Ricardo Galvao, director of the National Institute that made the announcement of the increase in fires of 80% this year and later the fault of the NGOs that oppose him as causing the fires has appeared, although the reports speak of negligence and permissiveness towards private companies that they operate in the Amazon forest.
Bolsonaro's dismissal of Ricardo Galvao was on August 2, he accused him of falsifying numbers, but the fires have been a reality check that has proved Galvao right and got Bolsonaro in trouble.
The last 9,507 fires detected by satellite images are concentrated in the Amazon basin, that is why the alarm is real, and today we have in danger the main natural shield of humanity to counteract global warming and maintain a certain balance in the planet's environment.
A forest 10 times bigger than Spain
Just to understand the magnitude of the fires, you can take a map and easily notice that the green zone of the Amazon forest is 10 times the size of Spain and that most of that forest, in Brazil, is being consumed in flames in thousands of points different at the same time.
Several countries are expected to send aid, planes and equipment to fight an event that affects the entire planet. Some states of Brazil declared an environmental emergency, areas have had to be evacuated since breathing is difficult and could cause diseases or respiratory complications, likewise the flight of aircraft finds in the smoke and flames a dangerous obstacle.
More than 60 areas protected as nature reserves within the Amazon have been affected by fires in the last week alone.
Notre Dame Cathedral entered the discussion
In social networks the alarm was quickly set off, not only because of concern about a fact that with more than 2 weeks in progress was "silenced", but also some annoyance due to the fact that unlike the fire in Notre-Dame, there is now a great international community mobilizing and donating money and equipment, adding strength to save the lungs of the planet. The users of the networks did not wait for authorities and right now the HT #PrayForAmazonas, is positioned worldwide, representing the desperate cry of the planet and humanity.
