In September, There Were 19,925 Fires In The Brazilian Amazon, And Plenty More Where Those Came From
The proliferation of fires in the Amazon rainforest drew international attention in August, especially when French President Emmanuel Macron called for urgent action. Since then, the eyes of the world have shifted elsewhere as House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, Hurricane Dorian leveled large swaths of the Bahamas, a Brexit deal was left for dead and revived, and U.S. troops pulled out of northern Syria.
Meanwhile, the Amazon continued to burn. The number of fires decreased by 35% in September, but experts say this is merely a slowdown in a crisis with global repercussions. There were still 19,925 fire outbreaks in September on the Brazilian part of the rainforest, which accounts for nearly 65% of the Amazon basin. Moreover, through the first nine months of the year, the number of fires soared by 41% compared to the same period in 2018, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported.
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Bolsonaro argued in August that the fires were merely part of the yearly queimada, the farmers’ practice of burning old vegetation to prepare the land for the next planting. However, aerial photos demonstrated the fires were linked to deforestation. Observers expect them to resume, pointing out it took an international outcry for Bolsonaro to intervene. The far-right politician came into power in January with the expressed intent of boosting the economy any way possible. “There was an explicit message that started during the campaign and has carried through to the present day that the Amazon was open for business,” said Emilio Bruna, professor of tropical ecology at the University of Florida. “The government was looking to promote mining and ranching in the Amazon.”
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“What we’re going to see next year is more deforestation and more fires,” Bruna said, “and continued government policies, either through omission or direct action, to promote deforestation and create a culture of impunity for those who do deforest or take other kinds of actions that are detrimental for the Amazon.”
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https://desdemonadespair.net/2019/10/the-amazon-hasnt-stopped-burning-there-were-19925-fire-outbreaks-last-month-and-more-fires-are-in-the-future-the-government-is-looking-to-promote-minin.html
