Record wildfires in
Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest highlight growing concerns over deforestation and
development of the Amazon. Fires there are often intentionally set for
agricultural purposes but sometimes escape their intended boundaries. The
wildfires in 2019 and 2020 are particularly intense, with over eighty thousand
fires reported and more than three million hectares burned, an area larger than
the state of Massachusetts. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who critics say
has allowed increased deforestation, initially refused global aid but later
accepts $12 million from the United Kingdom. Many experts blame the beef and
soy industries for much of the deforestation; some estimates show cattle
ranching is responsible for up to 80 percent of rainforest loss. Brazilian
conglomerate JBS S.A., the largest meat processor in the world, pledges to
improve its cattle-purchasing practices after investigations link some of its
suppliers to illegal deforestation.
0 Comments