We have had the right trying co-opt and rebrand what ecoterrorism is. This is what it is. The intentional burning of the lungs of the earth over some hamburgers. Nearly a doubling of the rate of forest fires this year over last, coinciding with a ‘day of fire’ from Bolsonaro supporters and the new Brasilian governments lack of comment to enforcing environmental protections. Native people are having their land destroyed. Sao Paulo, half a nation away, plunged into midday darkness. Satellite imagery showing the continent enshrouded in smoke. These are among the most bio diverse areas on Earth. Scientists have wondered if the cure for certain deadly diseases resides in the fauna. We are losing that and our planet for hamburger meat. HAMBURGERS! Worth the trade? When does the military intervene? At what point does this require international boots on the ground to correct?
But I would certainly call it abuse. In my opinion the focus of all the greenhouse-gas activism should really be put on the loss of so much global flora. And it has always been my understanding that tropical rain forests were the most important factor in the absorption of CO2 (and conversion of that to O2) on the planet. The loss of rain forest over the last 100 years has been staggering, and much of that loss has been concentrated in the last 30 years or so.
They are intentionally fires to motivate political action in Brasilia. There were protections in place for the forest and the indigenous inhabitants thereof and we are seeing the evidence of those persons being burned from their homes. The Brasilian regime has actively sought to remove their protections. And now, rather than take action, Bolsonaro appears to be blaming NGOs for the fire and is telling interested nations to essentially ■■■■ off.
The rainforests are shared resources of the entire planet though are centralized in arbitrary borders. If a value to those resources is to be assigned an compensation to be rendered for the protection of the forest, so be it. Permanent destruction has dire consequences. These events will not be stopped until everything is gone.
All of the O2 produced in the Amazon is used up in the Amazon with the rapid degradation of plant and animal material.
Northern Boreal forests produce more oxygen due to the colder temps that slow the breakdown of organic matter.
However, Phytoplankton are the true lungs of our planet. They produce 50 to 85 percent of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere. Every time a chunk of Antarctica falls into the ocean, Earth gets a net boost in O2 levels.
And the uptake in CO2 produced by human kind burning through historic carbon stores by the oceans is leading to levels of acidification impacting plankton. Not only are we attacking the oxygen producers and carbon stores, but the very fabric of the foodweb itself.
74,000 fires this year. An anti science, anti life President doing nothing other assisting the destruction and inventing theories for the smoke screen enveloping Sao Paulo from fires 1500 miles distant.
But it’s gross negligence at destroying our planet. The problem is what can be done about It? I suppose economic sanctions? Unlikely to succeed. Force? No way we would (nor should!) invade Brazil.
Unfortunately we’re ruining our planet and people just don’t care. For all we hear about saddling our future generations with debt, etc, we hear nary a peep about ensuring we leave them a clean, healthy earth to live on.
The fact that decomposing plants consume the oxygen created by the rain forest doesn’t mean that the rain forest doesn’t produce oxygen. So yes, it’s an oxygen generator.
You failed to address my post, of course. The rain forest is a lot more valuable than the oxygen it produces.
