Danny Becker P1 Ottman

AOW #2 “The Destruction of the Amazon, Explained”

Summary:
One thing I believe is seen most commonly in the article is the name Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro wants to benefit from the resources of the Amazon and blaming its’ burning on
anarchists and those who are politically against his ideals and beliefs. At the beginning of the
article, it is stated that over 90% of the forest fires are at fault of loggers and ranchers. Bolsonaro
is promoting agriculture on Amazon land and the soil is wasted after a few seasons, so the
workers move on to cut and burn more trees down. The most important detail to me is that since
Bolsonaro took office, the fires have risen a total of 84%. His term will end much later in 2023.
Questions:
The Amazon fires could have been prevented and could still have been ended. Bolsonaro
refused to accept help from foreign countries as it “imposes on Brazilian sovereignty”. When
your country is in crisis, you are obviously doing something wrong. In the article, Francisco
Umanari, an Apurinã chief, is quoted stating, “It’s a matter of life and death.” This statement is
very true as the fact of the matter is that the world will suffer from the loss of the Amazon. One
man’s greed has become everyone else’s burden. I like to be informed about many topics like the
Amazon and other world related topics. The author has made it very clear and easy to understand
the information given.
Research:
The fires of the Amazon didn’t just “start” out of nowhere. Wildfires in the Amazon are
not unheard of in the dry season. This year, the rates have been noticeably worse than other years
as the rate has jumped up 84% compared to last year’s burning rate. The most known difference
between last year and this year is the election of Jair Bolsonaro in late 2018. Since his election,
the fires have only gotten worse each day. Many sources state that it is common to have dry trees
and plants in the dry season, however, the flames are started by human interference, whether that
be intentionally done or accidental. Many accuse Bolsanaro to be at fault of the fires since he has
made many questionable actions such as firing members of agencies that protect environmental
laws that protect the Amazon.
Source: Henden, Amalie. “Amazon rainforest fire: How did the Amazon fire start? How
long has it been on fire?” express.co.uk, 27 Aug. 2019, web.