The 

Amazon rainforest also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle,

is a moist broadleaf tropical rainforest  that covers most of the Amazon Jungle of
South America. This basin encompasses 7,000,000 km2 of which
5,500,000 km2 are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory
belonging to nine nations.
The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest,
followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in
Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The Amazon
represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the
largest and most biodiverse tract of tropical rainforest in the world, with an
estimated 390 billion individual trees divided into 16,000 species . To date, an
estimated 438,000 species of plants of economic and social interest have been
registered in the region with many more remaining to be discovered or
catalogued. The total number of tree species in the region is estimated at 16,000.
The green leaf area of plants and trees in the rainforest varies by about 25% as a
result of seasonal changes.
But something happen to our lungs

Thousands of fires are burning across a southern of the Amazon. They belch
smoke and soot, blanketing those who live downwind with thick, dirty
air, hurting wildlife in their path and destroying part of one the most important
carbon storehouses left on the planet. About 76,000 fires were burning across
the Brazilian Amazon at last official count, an increase of over 80 percent over
the same time period last year, according to data from Brazil’s National Institute
for Space Research (INPE). Since then, even more fires have appeared in the
satellite imagery that scientists use to assess the extent and intensity of burning,
and they expect the number to increase over coming months as the dry season
intensifies.

Most fires observed in the region are caused by humans. Many are set in
previously cleared lands in order to quickly remove any excess vegetation that
has popped up. Others are set in land that is still in the process of being cleared,
in order to make more open land for crops or cattle. Farmers and ranchers down
forest earlier in the year and leave the felled trees to dry out. Once the fallen
trees have desiccated, they set them on fire, leaving behind an open swath of
land ready for agricultural activity. But fires have been worse in the past—
because deforestation was more acute.

Amazon deforestation peaked in late 1990s and early 2000s. In the worst phases
of those peak deforestation periods, over 10,000 square miles of forest could be
cut down in a year, much of that cleared area converted directly to cropland for
soy or grazing for cattle. In some years, like in 1998 and 2005, that deforestation
activity coincided with major El Niño droughts, and fires were abundant and
widespread.

How we can save it ?

Let’s start by Change Everyday Habits
 

BE MINDFUL WHEN PURCHASING WOOD AND PAPER

When purchasing paper or wood items, understand the source. For instance, is
the wooden coffee table you’re coveting made from locally sourced wood or
tropical hardwood? As an industry, logging is a major culprit in long term
deforestation. Staying away from Mahogany, Rosewood, and Ebony is particularly
helpful, as they are endangered.

When purchasing paper items, try to select the item with the highest percentage
of recycled material. Did you know there’s even tree-free paper? Made from
agricultural waste, this paper is created without having to cut down any trees.

AVOID PALM OIL

Did you know that one of the main contributors to rainforest forestation is found
in half of the United States’ processed foods? Palm oil is found in tropical
rainforests and the high demand for it causes deforestation and habitat
destruction. By reading labels carefully, you can avoid purchasing food that
contains palm oil. The lower the demand for these products, the more forests
that get saved.

CUT DOWN ON YOUR BEEF CONSUMPTION

For decades environmental groups have been combatting the import of cheap
beef into the United States, as much of it comes from countries that clear
rainforests to graze cattle. Dubbed rainforest beef, this cheap import often finds
its way into frozen hamburger patties and fast food chains. Since the source of the
beef isn’t labeled when it enters the country, the best way to take control is to cut
down on your beef consumption and try to find locally sourced beef if possible.
You can also support initiatives that work with the beef industry in Brazil to help
change harmful practices while maintaining their livelihoods.

SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES

As you are avoiding potentially damaging purchases, be sure to reward companies
that are doing the right things with your business. The Rainforest Alliance has a
list of companies selling sustainable and environmentally certified products.

Use Your Voice

 

GET POLITICAL
Putting your vote behind elected officials who are in a position to influence
environmental policy. You can also reach out to elected officials and make sure
that they know about the issues that are important to you. The more pressure
officials have from their constituents to act, the harder it is for them to stand by
silently. International governments are already putting pressure on Brazil to make
changes to their policies by withholding funding, so change is possible even if you
are across the globe.

 
SIGN A PETITION
Be part of collective action by signing your name to petitions that you feel
strongly about. It’s harder for governments and businesses to ignore the masses.
Gabriel Santos, a lawyer from Brazil, has nearly 3 million signatures on
his Change.org petition asking officials to investigate the real cause of the
fires. Greenpeace is also running a petition that they plan to turn over to the
Brazilian government.

EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Knowledge is power and the more we can do to educate ourselves about what’s
happening, the easier it becomes to take action. Make sure you share these
stories proudly and loudly on social media, as this is how many of our friends and
family discover new information.