Imagine if there were fires burning in Letchworth State Park; the Geneseo community would be in an uproar. That is how much of the world is feeling about the ongoing fires in the Amazon rainforest.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist, has weakened Amazon rainforest protections in the past by encouraging deforestation and many fires had been set to help clear the land, according to CBS News. These actions are potentially devastating, especially if the fires get out of control and spread faster than they can be contained.
While Bolsonaro has finally begun shifting his policies by banning the deliberate burning of the Amazon on Saturday Aug. 31, there have still been more than 4,000 fires set, according to the Independent.
Although deliberate fires in the Amazon are a contributing factor to the widespread attacks, the rainforest is also prone to forest fires during the dry season. It has had more than 87,000 fires since the start of the year, which is the highest number of fires since 2010, according to BBC News.
The indifference Bolsonaro has shown about protecting the forest is disappointing, as many of the fires could have possibly been prevented—especially if they are spreading as a result of his actions condoning deforestation. Nothing can be done about dry brush fires, but there could have been bans earlier in order to better protect the Amazon.
While there will inevitably be fires due to dry brush fires, there needs to be direct efforts made to put the fires out. Military officials have deployed cargo planes with firefighting tools and are discussing how best to deploy the 44,000 troops stationed in the Amazon area, according to The New York Times.
While efforts are being made, Bolsonaro has not been doing enough to put an end to the burning rainforest. Bolsonaro has already rejected an offer of $22 million from the G-7 summit because French President Emmanuel Macron had reportedly offended him and the country, according to NPR.
Bolsonaro should put his belief that Macron is belittling him aside and accept the money that had been raised to help combat the fires. Whether or not Macron’s interview intentionally put down Bolsonaro and Brazil, there is an offer to help and it has been denied.
It is important that efforts continue to be made to put the fires out. Although the Amazon does not produce nearly as much oxygen as some media publications have claimed, it still absorbs a significant amount of carbon dioxide, stabilizes rainfall cycles, houses indigenous people and remains one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, according to National Geographic.
The world is burning, and the planet is losing its diversity as a result. There should be more action taken to put an end to the fires and protect the Amazon rainforest.
Rebecca Williamson is an English creative writing and communications double major junior who can probably put her foot behind her head.