The Future We Want!

Trees are one of the most important parts of the forest ecology, they are known to be part of the world’s most efficient repository of carbon monoxide: the greenhouse gas known for the increase in the planet’s temperature and the source of climate change. When a tree is fell, it’s canopy which blocks the sun rays during the day and retains heat at night can no longer serve its purpose.

Through the last months, a couple of forests including the Amazonian forest in Brazil has been caught up with record-breaking fires. In Brazil alone, there have been more than 80,000 fires so far this year.

Researchers say, this is mainly caused by deforestation and a kind of bush burning method called the slash and burn. This happens when people cut down trees or forest areas, and then the area is left to dry out, after which it is set ablaze. The aim is to make room for agriculture or other development projects. It is also a means of replenishing the soil and provide food for cattle. This practice has long existed in almost every part of the world and it is a concern because Brazil has the largest forest in the world and also the World’s top exporter of beef.

In one of our previous articles: Let our trees live, we spoke about law enforcement and surveillance that prohibited people from felling trees illegally. Unfortunately, with the present government of Jair Bolsonaro, things have become even more unfavorable. He has rendered powerless the environmentalist agency by attacking the conservation NGOs and sadly encouraging mining, farming and logging access of the Amazon.

Why should you be worried? For the future we want, we should all be worried because the Amazonian trees play a major role in pulling greenhouses gases out of the atmosphere. Without this, climate change continually speeds up making our planet less inhabitable.

International environmentalists and all civil society must be apt in fighting to protect our biodiversity. The most important campaign is the consciousness of individuals. Governments should be made reinstate laws that make forests priorities, frowns at deforestations and most importantly encourage afforestation.

References:

1. Let our tress live 
2. The Guardian 
3. The Verge