One of the most known, important rain forests in the world has been continually burning and has attracted worldwide attention. The Amazon rain forest mostly covers Brazil in South America. According to Greenmatters.com, the amazon rain forest gives off 20% of the earth’s oxygen. More than 90,000 fires have occurred in Brazil this year and to emphasize the effects of ascending deforestation in the region, the fires are destroying homes, darkening the skies, and even increasing carbon dioxide outflow.  

These fires are caused by farmers burning land to make room for more crops and livestock.  This is called slash-and-burn agriculture. All in all, the number of fires from January to September has increased 43% higher than the same duration last year. Many critics blame Brazilian President  Jair Bolsonaro for the increase in deforestation and fires. According to the Washington Post, “He rejected a multi-million dollar aid package offered by the Group of Seven as an assault on Brazil’s sovereignty.” It seems President Bolsonaro did not take on any offers from other countries because he thought it would make them look weak financially. 

The fire has been a huge subject to talk about this past year.To many, it gave such a negative outlook on how we treat our planet. When the fires started spreading faster and faster this became more of a global issue. People all around the world have been donating money and trying to help raise awareness for all the indigenous people who have been affected by these tragic fires.