Scientists have established as a fact that the Amazon rain forest equates to the "lungs" of our planet. The trees there are the world's largest carbon dioxide recycling facility and responsible for the majority of our planet's climate control. That they provide a vital function to our planetary ecosystem is an established fact not debated even by those who deny climate change. Yet here we are, talking about the rain forests much like we were in the 80's: as something in critical danger of disappearing forever.
It may seem a bit of a non-sequitur to talk about the Amazon rain forest on a blog that is meant to be predominantly about writing. These two things have seemingly limited connections. Books are made from paper, paper from trees, and the rain forest is made up of trees. Therefore, books are made from the rain forest. Considering the manufacture of books is a far more complicated process than that and there is ample data proving otherwise, tearing this thin connection apart takes very little work on anyone's part.
It is important to discuss, however, for the impact writers can have on a topic like this. Simply by discussing it, bringing attention to it, and reminding people it is a very important part of our global climate, writers can have a direct impact on the issue. Sometimes just by calling attention to an issue writers can focus the global narrative on something enough to get major support behind fixing it. At the recent G7 summit, the French president managed to convince other countries to help to the sum of $20 million. Celebrities in the US also pledged financial support and discussed the topic with their social media communities, drawing attention to it from their followers.
There is sufficient evidence to suspect that the fires currently raging in Brazil are man-made and intentional rather than caused by nature or accidental. CNN even published an article about that very subject on the 23rd of August citing Brazil's own research into the topic. Every year, sections of the rain forest burn, and while this is not the worst year for fires on record, it's worth noting the fire season in the Amazon is really only getting started. Unfortunately, there also seems to be a concerted effort from Brazil's president to discredit and deny the causes of these fires. He claims the data is being misrepresented by his own agency in an effort to smear his presidency, according to an article by BBC News. Whether or not one believes his arguments, it illustrates a growing conflict between political powers and those who report on their doings.
We see it every day, in the constant battles between political leadership and media corporations to convince the world that a particular vision is "true", "unbiased", and "correct". There is no way to completely avoid bias of some kind, simply because human beings are inherently incapable of representing things without a frame of reference. Journalists in particular have a duty to try to remove as much of that bias as possible from their reporting and provide only verifiable facts. For the most part, individual journalists accomplish this fairly well.
At issue, however, is not whether or not the data is being properly represented. What is at issue is the fact that the rain forest is burning, and we need to do everything in our power to stop it. For individuals looking to help, this article from CNBC gives some information on how to do so. If, however, you are a writer, a journalist, a blogger, a vlogger, an avid-Twitter user, an influencer, or really anyone with a platform to reach an audience, you can help by spreading the word. Brazil's president is focused on who is at fault, and while it is important to know why these fires start, it doesn't do any good to know why if we all suffocate while trying to figure it out.
Keep talking about the rain forest. Keep reminding people we need it more than we need more space for cows. It's worth giving up a burger to keep the world breathing.