Amazon rainforest fires: Smoke can be seen from space
Smoke from record wildfires raging in the Amazon rainforest blanketed São Paulo on Monday and could be seen from space.
Fires in the Amazon have risen 84% amid growing deforestation, Brazil 's space research agency says. These are external links and will open in a new window. Wildfires often occur in the dry season in Brazil but they are also deliberately started in efforts to illegally deforest land for cattle
More than half are in the Amazon . Around 700 new fires were ignited between Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Institute for Space Research. Several thousand protesters took to the streets in Brazil to express their outrage over the destruction, after demonstrations in Europe.
Hundreds of new fires are raging in the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil, official data showed Saturday, amid growing international pressure on President Jair Bolsonaro to put out the worst blazes in years.
© CARL DE SOUZA A piece of land burns in the Amazon rainforest, about 65 kilometres from Porto Velho in northern Brazil's Rondonia state, on August 23, 2019 The fires in the world's largest rainforest have triggered a global outcry and are dominating the G7 meeting in Biarritz in southern France.
Official figures show 78,383 forest fires were recorded in Brazil so far this year, the highest number of any year since 2013, and experts say the clearing of land during the months-long dry season to make way for crops or grazing has accelerated the deforestation.
Amazon fires caused by humans, environmentalists say
The rainforest protection group Amazon Watch says farmers, emboldened by the government, intentionally set the forest ablaze
The environment minister of Brazil , where wildfires have been sweeping the Amazon rainforest, was booed at a climate event on Wednesday as Salles flew over fires in the Amazon state of Mato Grosso – an agricultural powerhouse – on Wednesday, and told reporters that some of the fires were
Like the fires , the anger has spread. Now, outraged environmentalists around the world have set their + As outrage grows online and overseas, environmental activists are taking to the streets to READ MORE: Amazon rainforest fires : What caused them and why activists are blaming Brazil ’s On Friday, outside the Brazilian embassy in Paris, hundreds of climate activists staged a demonstration.
More than half of the fires are in the Amazon, and some 1,663 new fires were ignited between Thursday and Friday, according to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
The new data came a day after Bolsonaro authorized the deployment of the military to fight the fires and crack down on criminal activities in the region.
In the Amazon region, fires are rare for much of the year because wet weather prevents them from starting and spreading. However, in July and August, activity typically increases due to the arrival of the dry season. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, a federal agency monitoring deforestation and wildfires, said the country has seen a record number of wildfires this year.
Brazil officials call Amazon fire outrage "sensationalist"
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro encouraged development in the Amazon rainforest. Now he's calling global backlash "sensationalist"
The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly
RIO DE JANEIRO — As dozens of fires scorched large swaths of the Amazon , the Brazilian government on Thursday struggled to contain growing global outrage over its environmental policies, which have paved the way for runaway deforestation of the world’s largest rain forest.
(Pictured) Aerial picture showing smoke from a two-kilometre-long stretch of fire billowing from the Amazon rainforest about 65 km from Porto Velho, in the state of Rondonia, on Aug. 23.
Neri dos Santos Silva, center, watches an encroaching fire threat after digging trenches to keep the flames from spreading to the farm he works on, in the Nova Santa Helena municipality, in the state of Mato Grosso, on Aug. 23.
A burning tract of Amazon jungle is seen while as it is being cleared by loggers and farmers in Porto Velho, on Aug. 23.
Trump says he offered Bolsonaro assistance with Amazon rainforest fires
President Trump on Friday said he offered assistance Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro if needed to address wildfires that are engulfing parts of the Amazon Rainforest.Trump tweeted that U.S. has "very exciting" trade prospects with Brazil, and that the relationship between the two countries is "perhaps stronger than ever before.""I told him if the United States can help with the Amazon Rainforest fires, we stand ready to assist!" Trump tweeted. Just spoke with President @JairBolsonaro of Brazil. Our future Trade prospects are very exciting and our relationship is strong, perhaps stronger than ever before.
Brazil ’s far-right president has rejected the international outcry over the fires raging in the Amazon and his stance on the environment. In Brazil , demonstrators were preparing to mobilize for a weekend of protests in cities including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Curitiba, Recife and the Amazon city of Manaus.
Forest fires are surging in Brazil , with thousands being recorded this week alone. Scientist Carlos Nobre from Sao Paolo University says politics is to So I think it would be very bad for the future of the Amazon if we — Amazonian countries, in particular Brazil — lose that support from other countries
Trucks drive alongside scorched fields on the BR 163 highway in the Nova Santa Helena municipality, in the state of Mato Grosso, on Aug. 23.
A charred trunk is seen on a tract of Amazon jungle that was recently burned by loggers and farmers in Porto Velho, on Aug. 23.
Brazil rejects G7 aid to fight Amazon fires: govt
Brazil on Monday rejected aid from G7 countries to fight wildfires in the Amazon, with a top official telling French President Emmanuel Macron to take care of "his home and his colonies." © REUTERS/Adriano Machado Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during a Soldier's Day ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil August 23, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado "We appreciate (the offer), but maybe those resources are more relevant to reforest Europe," Onyx Lorenzoni, chief of staff to President Jair Bolsonaro, told the G1 news website.
Global outrage over the fires has spurred calls to boycott Brazilian products and led European leaders to threaten to walk away from a trade agreement As Mr. Bolsonaro promised Friday to start to rein in the fires , many of Brazil ’s embassies were mobbed by protesters. In Buenos Aires, hundreds of
Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro has accused NGOs of burning down the Amazon rainforest to hurt With global awareness growing , Bolsonaro's comments risk creating a spiraling crisis for his They said farmers clearing land were responsible for the uptick in fires . "This is a sick statement, a pitiful
Virgin jungle stands next to an area that was burnt recently near Porto Velho, on Aug. 23.
Aerial picture showing a fire raging in the Amazon rain forest about 65 km from Porto Velho, in the state of Rondonia, in northern Brazil, on Aug. 23.
A handout picture provided by Porto Velho's Firefighters shows a fire at the Brazilian Amazonia, in Porto Velho, capital of Rondonia, Brazil, on Aug. 18.
A handout picture made available by Rio Branco Firemen shows the fight against the fire in Rio Branco, Amazonian State of Acre, Brazil, on Aug. 17.
Active fires, represented by red dots, are pictured from space over Bolivia, captured by the Suomi NPP weather satellite on Aug. 22. The city lights of Santa Cruz, Bolivia's largest city, are visible as the bright, white glow in the left-center of the image.
Bolivian soldiers work during a forest wildfire near Robore, Santa Cruz region, eastern Bolivia on Aug. 22.
Brazil's former Environment Minister (2003-2008), Marina Silva, speaks during a conference at a university in Bogota on Aug. 22. Silva said that the situation in the Brazilian Amazon, plagued by severe fires and deforestation, is "out of control." The environmental leader does not hesitate to point at the government of far-right Jair Bolsonaro to have led to "unbridled action" in one of the world's vital ecosystem.
This TV grab shows wildfire near Robore, Santa Cruz region, eastern Bolivia on Aug. 21. Up to now, wildfires in Bolivia have devastated about 745,000 hectares of forests and pasturelands. Neighboring Peru, which contains much of the Amazon basin, announced it was "on alert" for wildfires spreading from the rainforest in Brazil and Bolivia.
A tract of Amazon jungle burns as it is being cleared by loggers and farmers on Aug. 21 in Novo Airao, Amazonas state, Brazil.
A bird is seen perching on a tree devastated by a fire during the dry season on Aug. 21 in Brasilia, Brazil.
A view of the devastation caused by a fire during the dry season on Aug. 21 in Brasilia, Brazil.
A man works in a burning tract of Amazon jungle as it is being cleared by loggers and farmers on Aug. 20 in Iranduba, Amazonas state, Brazil.
Smoke rises from the forest in a region of the Amazon in Brazil near the Colombian border, on Aug. 21
Amazon tribe warns future of the rainforest could be in jeopardy
While humans are largely to blame for the destruction of the rainforest, some have managed to maintain it
A record number of fires are destroying the Amazon rainforest but there are ways we can help. The Amazon Rainforest has been on fire for weeks and is increasingly destroying tress, killing wildlife and unconscionably contributing to climate change.
SALVADOR, Brazil — Photos purportedly showing fires devouring the Amazon in northern Brazil in recent weeks have flooded social media, but an AFP fact check Wednesday found most of the images are decades old or not even in the country. Under the hashtag #PrayforAmazonas
This satellite image provided by NASA shows the fires in Brazil on Aug. 20. As fires raged in the Amazon rainforest, the Brazilian government on Thursday denounced international critics who say President Jair Bolsonaro is not doing.
In this Aug. 20 drone photo released by the Corpo de Bombeiros de Mato Grosso, brush fires burn in Guaranta do Norte municipality, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.
The darkened sky at Sao Paulo on Aug. 19 in Brazil. Residents recently reported black rain. Studies by two universities confirmed that the rainwater contains fire residues
Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rain forest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil, on Aug. 17.
In this Aug. 15 satellite image, fires burn in the State of Rondonia, Brazil, in the upper Amazon River basin.
Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rain forest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil, on Aug. 14.
A handout photo made available by NASA of a satellite image showing several fires burning in the Brazilian states of Amazonas (top C-L), Para (top R), Mato Grosso (bottom R) and Rondonia (bottom C), on Aug. 13.
Trump did not agree to G7 aid package for Amazon fires
President Donald Trump did not commit to a $20 million package proposed at the G7 to help Brazil fight fires in the Amazon, a Trump administration spokesman said Wednesday. © Bruno Kelly/ReutersFrench President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that G7 nations had agreed to fund a $20 million package to help combat raging forest fires in the Amazon and said the US was on board with the proposal despite Trump's absence at a leaders meeting on the environment. require(["medianetNativeAdOnArticle"], function (medianetNativeAdOnArticle)
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+ Amid global concern about raging Amazon fires , Brazil on Thursday said it was the target of a smear campaign by critics who contend President Jair Bolsonaro is not doing enough to curb widespread deforestation.
Brazil 's climate change-denying officials call outrage over Amazon fires "sensationalist". Brazil is struggling economically, and the potential provided by Amazonian land has grown more alluring The decision follows the suspension of hundreds of thousands of Twitter and Facebook accounts tied to
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The blazes have stirred outrage globally, with thousands protesting in Brazil and Europe on Friday.
Earlier this week, Bolsonaro blamed the fires on non-government organizations, suggesting they deliberately started them after their funding was cut.
The growing crisis threatens to torpedo a blockbuster trade deal between the European Union and South American countries, including Brazil, that took 20 years to negotiate.
EU Council president Donald Tusk told reporters at the G7 on Saturday that it was hard to imagine European countries ratifying a trade pact with the Mercosur bloc as long as Brazil fails to curb the fires ravaging the Amazon, which is considered to be the "lungs of the planet" and crucial to keeping climate change in check.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has taken the lead in piling pressure on Bolsonaro over the fires, had earlier accused the far-right leader Bolsonaro of lying to him about Brazil's stance on climate change.
Environmental specialists say the fires have been accompanied by increasing deforestation in the Amazon region, which in July quadrupled compared to the same month in 2018, according to data from INPE.
Bolsonaro has previously attacked the institute, describing its data as lies and instigating the sacking of its head.
On Friday, he insisted that the fires should not be used as an excuse to punish Brazil.
"There are forest fires all over the world, and this cannot be used as a pretext for possible international sanctions," Bolsonaro said.
Ranchers blamed for deforestation in Brazil rely on a booming business.
By some estimates, about 80% of deforestation in the Amazon has been to make way for cattle ranches . Assuero Veronez, president of the area's Agricultural Federation, is in lockstep with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who wants to open more of the Amazon for business. He argues that fires are normal during the dry season and that the current outrage around the world is politically motivated. But scientists call that view dangerously misguided. If nothing changes, they said the balance between human activity and protecting the Amazon is rapidly tipping against the rainforest.
Ranchers blamed for deforestation in Brazil rely on a booming... 
