The Amazon forest has suffered greatly in recent times with all of the fires and it seems that lots of issues are still raging on in this area. Illegal logging is still a very prominent and devastating issue in Brazil and things are not looking good for Mother Nature.
Reuters recently reported on this topic and noted that Brazil’s portion of the Amazon has increased in destruction by up to 64 percent as of April. For those who for some reason are unaware the Amazon is our world’s largest tropical rainforest and protecting/preserving it is crucial for tons of different reasons. Right now it is being noted that the military there even amidst this COVID-19 pandemic is preparing to deploy in an effort to help save what remains of the Amazon.
BBC wrote as follows on the topic:
In the first four months of 2020, destruction of the forest by illegal loggers and ranchers rose 55%, it said.
Environmentalists say President Jair Bolsonaro’s policies and rhetoric encourage illegal activity.
Mr. Bolsonaro denies this. Earlier this week he authorized the deployment of armed forces to the region.
The Amazon rainforest is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.
Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research (Inpe) said that more than 405 sq km (156 sq miles) of the Amazon had been deforested last month compared with 248 sq km in April last year.
Because of the pandemic we’ve been facing it has caused fewer and fewer agents to be present to keep these illegal loggers at bay. While this surge was already prominent before all of this, it can be assumed that there is a lot at play here. While armed forces are going to be heading out to combat this issue things are not going to be easy to get under control. It should also be mentioned that dry season is coming and surges usually occur more during dry season which means things could get worse before they get better.
For more information on this check out the video below. While there isn’t much we can do at the moment we do hope that those working against this get it under control. We need the Amazon as preserved as possible and for a long time now we’ve been letting it down drastically.