Environment Watch

A burning question
A burning question

A burning question

This week the world’s attention has turned to Brazil and the bonfire being made of the Amazon rainforest. While the destruction of the lungs of the world make headlines, less attention is paid to the science driving conservation. The IPCC Report issued in August lists many causes of land degradation, including wildfires, and shows how forest burning adds to climate change. Wildfires have been a problem in Namibia, but the introduction of controlled early burning has reduced the likelihood of large, hot fires.

Two articles published this week give a sense of the crisis facing the world. ‘Bolsanaro’s legal bonfire’ from the Climate News Network includes several links to scientific informatioon about forest fires and climate change, while Brazilian jounalist Eliane Brum makes an impassioned plea to stop the devastation.

In a statement, “WWF shares the concern of civil society and calls on government leaders to take a stand in this problem. In this regard, WWF strongly rejects the statements of President Jair Bolsonaro, who attributes the responsibility to NGOs, delegitimizing the debate proposed by public opinion and civil society, and diverting the focus of attention from what really matters: the well-being of nature and the people of the Amazon.”

Find more news stories on these themes: