GARCIA, Eriane Miguel M.

2018101516

Burning of forests (environmental issue)

The Amazon rainforest has been on fire in the past months, and the country of Brazil has
declared a state of emergency in accordance to the problem. The fires are destroying the homes
of indigenous tribes and threatening millions of animal species. One tribal chief described the
halting response of Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, regarding the fires, along with his support
for deforestation, as a form of extermination.
According to statistics, the number of fires in Brazil this year is the highest on record since
2013 and is up by 85% from last year alone. So far this year, more than 80,000 fires in the country
have been detected by Brazil's space research. The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration or commonly called as NASA predicted that “the Amazon rainforest is typically
wet and humid, July and August the onset of the dry season are the region's driest months, with
activity typically peaking by early September and stopping by mid-November.”
But in my own perspective, these fire is caused by human in which it is used for clearing
out lands for farming, reaching, and other human made activities. But in the reading it is said that
their no solid evidence on what did the fire cause, so the president of Brazil Mr. Bolsanoro
suggested that the fires were set by nongovernmental organizations in retaliation to funding cuts.
Through this constant forest fires, I believe that it’s not just destroying our beautiful environment
but also it contributes in increasing climate change. In which, as the number of fires increase,
greenhouse gas emissions do too, that brings imbalance of temperature causing destructive
phenomenon experience through time. In addition to that, increasing emissions, deforestation
contributes directly to a change in rainfall patterns in the affected region, extending the length
of the dry season, further affecting forests, biodiversity, agriculture and human health.
To sum up, it is really a sad image to see a forest burning to ashes. Looking at the
devastation caused by human-started forest fires, it’s important to imagine how huge of a role
prevention plays. If everyone took the necessary steps to prevent wildfires, the rates of
devastation would drop significantly. I believe that it is a vital for all people to take responsibility
for preventing wildfires in Virginia and all across the continent. Forests can take dozens if not
hundreds of years to recover from the damage done by fires. That why, following and knowing
some tips on how to prevent forest fires such as, know your local regulations or go to seminars
to gain knowledge on to and not to do when in a forest.
Caring for the environment is the only the key for the human race to survive. Because it
is where all the food that we ate, the water that we drink, and the materials that we use to make
shelter. Keep in mind that the environment can survive without us but we human cannot survive
without the environment. So let start caring to mother earth by doing things that complements
our responsibility not just as humans but also as a protector of Earth