Amazon fires: Brazilian rainforest burning at record rate, space agency warns

[Judi Lynn]

Source: BBC News


7 minutes ago



REUTERS

Inpe said it had detected more than 72,000 fires so far this year


Brazil's Amazon rainforest has seen a record number of fires this year, according to new data from the country's space research agency.

The National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) said its satellite data showed an 83% increase on the same period in 2018.

It comes weeks after President Jair Bolsonaro fired the head of the agency amid rows over its deforestation data.

Smoke from the fires caused a blackout in the city of Sao Paulo on Monday.

The daytime blackout, which lasted for about an hour during, came after strong winds brought in smoke from forest fires burning in the states of Amazonas and Rondonia, more than 2,700km (1,700 miles) away.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49415973

[Judi Lynn]

1. Brazil fires prompt 'prayers' for Amazon rainforest

By Kris Bramwell
BBC News
7 hours ago



JEFF NASCIMENTO

Darkness descends on Sao Paulo at 16:00 (20:00 GMT) due to smoke from forest fires


A daytime blackout in a Brazilian city has prompted thousands of people to voice their concerns for the welfare of the Amazon rainforest.

Sao Paulo was blackened for around an hour on Monday after strong winds brought in smoke from forest fires burning in the states of Amazonas and Rondonia, more than 2,700km away.The hashtag #prayforamazonia has now emerged as a global Twitter trend with more than 150,000 references to the fires.

Sao Paulo resident Gianvitor Dias told the BBC what it was like in the city during the smoke-filled blackout on Monday afternoon.

"It was as if the day had turned into night," he said. "Everyone here commented, because even on rainy days it doesn't usually get that dark. It was very impressive."

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-49406519

[sandensea]

2. The Bolsonazi effect

Besides the strictly political (Bolso's being an unreconstructed fascist), this is a good example of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

This takes us to the one biggest recent U.S. mistake in Latin America policy:

The encouragement of right-wing "alternatives" to the center-left administrations in office across much of Latin America a decade ago.

The targeted governments were no "commies": most created a veritable business boom - after 20 years of stagnation in most of these countries - with 4%+ growth for 10 years (2003-13).

The most prominent victim of this policy - instigated by neo-con elements in State and the intelligence agencies - was Brazil's Worker's Party.

First, by helping the right-wing majority in Brazil's Congress mount a parliamenary coup against Dilma Rousseff in 2016 - and then by helping Moro and Dallagnol (a far-right judge and prosecutor) railroad Lula da Silva in 2018.

For those less familiar with Brazil's recent turmoil, putting Lula da Silva in jail put Bolsonazi in power.

Had da Silva been allowed to run, he would've mopped the floor with Bolso (up 20%+ in most polls) - and the Amazon wouldn't be going through this onslaught right now.

Thanks for keeping up with this, Judi - and Latin America in general. There's so much going on.

[The_jackalope]

3. It's been quite a year for eco-catastrophes

From the Arctic to the Amazon, things are several sigmas out of whack. Almost like we'd hit a tipping point...

[Ghost Dog]

6. Yep. nt

[Evolve Dammit]

4. Mother Earth weeps.

[ancianita]

5. Goodbye, lungs of Earth. I hope Brazilians come to their senses any minute now.

[sakabatou]

7. And our planet dies of greed

[Coventina]

8. If the Amazon goes, the planet is well and truly fucked. As in life as we know it is over.

Glad I'm not a young person.

At this rate, I doubt I will live to be elderly, though.



I'm not sorry to see our species go, we're thoroughly horrible.

I'm just sorry we'll be taking so many others with us.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Kick

[Judi Lynn]

10. Bolsonaro says Brazil lacks resources to fight Amazon fires

AUGUST 22, 2019 / 6:51 AM / UPDATED 11 MINUTES AGO

Anthony Boadle, Stephen Eisenhammer
4 MIN READ

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - The Brazilian government lacks the resources to fight a record number of wildfires burning in the Amazon rainforest, President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday, weeks after telling donors he did not need their money.

“The Amazon is bigger than Europe, how will you fight criminal fires in such an area?,” he asked reporters as he left the presidential residence. “We do not have the resources for that.”

Fires in the Amazon have surged 83% so far this year compared with the same period a year earlier, government figures show, destroying vast swathes of a forest considered a vital bulwark against climate change.

Although fires are a regular and natural occurrence during the regular dry season at this time of year, environmentalists blamed the sharp rise on farmers setting the forest alight to clear land for pasture.

Federal prosecutors in Brazil said on Thursday they are investigating a spike in deforestation and wildfires raging in the Amazon state of Pará to determine whether there has been reduced monitoring and enforcement of environmental protections there.

Prosecutors also said they will investigate an ad reportedly published by a local newspaper last week encouraging farmers to participate in a “Fire Day,” in which they would burn large areas of forest “to show Bolsonaro their willingness to work.”

More:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-politics/bolsonaro-says-brazil-lacks-resources-to-fight-amazon-fires-idUKKCN1VC1AT

[Judi Lynn]

11. Are farmers setting the Amazon ablaze in support of Bolsonaro?

On Monday, smoke turned day to night in Sao Paulo. Residents of the city recently reported black rain. Photo by Andre Lucas / picture alliance via Getty Images
DIA DO FOGO


By Nathanael Johnson on Aug 22, 2019 at 3:35 pm

Farmers are reportedly setting fire to the Amazon rainforest to show support for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s policy of opening up protected areas to private ownership. According to a widely disseminated article in a small newspaper, Folha do Progresso, the organizers of this “Day of Fire” are hoping that 2019 sets a record for burning.

Ranchers and farmers routinely use fire in tropical agriculture to clear land for planting and cattle pastures, but the practice had slowed before Bolsonaro took office in January. Brazil’s space research agency reported this week that fires have increased 84 percent this year compared to the dry season last year. On Monday, smoke from rampant fires plunged Sao Paulo into darkness in the afternoon.

Many news outlets have said the 74,000 fires Brazil has seen this year sets a record, but that’s based on statistics that only date back to 2013. And deforestation is actually down from its peak in the 1980s. The real, undisputable news here is that there’s been a spike in fires and deforestation under Bolsonaro. And given the Amazon rainforest’s important role in capturing carbon emissions, the stakes seem much higher.

Christian Poirier, a program director for the nonprofit Amazon Watch, said that farmers were clearly emboldened by Bolsonaro to burn forests. “The fires currently ravaging the Amazon are directly related to President Bolsonaro’s anti-environmental rhetoric, in which he errantly frames forests and forest protections as impediments to Brazil’s economic growth. Farmers and ranchers understand the president’s message as a license to commit arson with wanton impunity, in order to aggressively expand their operations into the rainforest.”

More:
https://grist.org/article/are-farmers-setting-day-of-fire-amazon-ablaze-to-support-bolsonaro/