As Fires Consume The Amazon Rainforest, Here's What You Can Do To Help

Global warming and climate change's catastrophic effects are full on display as our planet's lungs, the Amazon Rainforest, has been witnessing a raging wildfire since the past 21 days now.

The Amazon Rain Forest has been hailed as the key to the entire health of the planet. Its trees produce an estimated 20% of the world's oxygen.

And that's not it. The Amazon forests also hold the prime responsibility of adding water into the atmosphere, crucial at a time when most cities are drying up. Nearly 73,000 wildfires have taken place in the Amazon rain forest in 2019 and we need to take immediate action to stop it.

Reuters

The Amazon wildfires are particularly alarming as scientists have said that trees are the planet¡¯s first line of defense against global warming.

Due to deforestation (which is an entirely man-made activity), scientists estimate that we are near the tipping point where the Amazon can no longer function as a carbon sink. So that is why we all have to come together to save the Amazon forests from suffering from irreversible damage because if not for these forests, this planet will literally not be able to survive.

So, how can you help sitting in your homes without catching a flight to south America? Here's how:

An aerial view of the Amazon Forest burning- Reuters

1. Show your outrage on full display.

Share this atrocity social media. Talk to your friends and family about it. It¡¯s up to all of us to make this socially, economically and politically unacceptable, and to help stop it happening again in the future. The more voices we have, the louder our call for urgent action. Keep sharing updates, demand protests and keep conversing.

2. Make your voice heard.

Aren't you enraged by this by how reckless and careless human activity has accelerated to such an extent that the Amazon rainforest now just might be wiped off this planet? If yes, we all need to come together and make our voices heard. A lawyer from Rio Branco, Brazil has already gotten hundreds of thousands of signatures on his Change.org petition, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has also started a petition that is directly calling the UK government to put the Amazon fire emergency as the top agenda for G7 discussions.

Reuters

3. Donate to organisations that are fighting this fire.

The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organisation working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to make responsible business the new normal. Right now, this organisation is preaching that 100% of your donation will help stop deforestation in Brazil right now. They are working with local groups at the forefront of this fight. Part of the Alliance's work strives to make Brazil's current ranches and farms more productive.

4. Start planting trees and plants.

Please stat planting trees and plants wherever you can. There are several organisations that will plant a tree for you. If you have a business or you¡¯re running a company, a plantation drive through Grow-Trees can be a great CSR activity. 600+ corporates across India have joined hands with the organisation as a part of their CSR programs. All of these measures are a need of the hour.

View of the Amazon Fire from space- Reuters

5. Reduce your consumption and live sustainably.

Collective and individual actions can really help to reduce dependence on rainforests if we refuse to use products sourced from these forests. Things like driving less and carpooling more, reducing paper and wool consumption, and not eating soybean or using palm oil will greatly help the situation.