On Aug. 19, Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a blackout due to extreme amounts of smoke produced by the fires in the Amazon rainforest. Earlier this year, a fire destroyed the majority of France\u2019s historic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, which got an immediate reaction of mourning from global media.
\nHowever, there was no immediate widespread media attention brought to the Amazon fires, which led people to storm social media with messages full of anger and concern. Once Brazil officially announced the news of the fires to the public, BBC News released an article covering the severity of the fires. Afterward, many other news outlets followed suit.
\nAccording to outspoken activists and political figures, the cause of the fires are the a result of policies not being enforced by Brazil\u2019s President, Jair Bolsanaro. Since Bolsanaro became president of Brazil in January, the rate of deforestation has increased. BBC News discovered a \u201csharp drop in fines being handed out for environmental violations.\u201d According to the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, the increase in fires is related to the increase of deforestation.
\nMany of Harding\u2019s own have expressed their concern for the Amazon and the state of the Brazilian government. Jeremy Daggett, director of the Chile-based HULA program, frequently takes students to Brazil where they are able to experience the Amazon firsthand. Daggett said a conversation with his friend from Brazil brought attention to the fact that the main concern is the Brazilian government\u2019s lack of environmental protection policies.
\n\u201cThe existence of the fire is not the main issue, rather it\u2019s the extent to which the fire has been allowed to grow and the government\u2019s lack of response to it, especially in its containment role it normally plays,\u201d Daggett said.
\nDaggett said that the Harding community could help by staying informed and asking questions. Daggett also encouraged students to be aware of how their daily actions and consuming habits affect the environment and to fight for change when they see it is needed.
\nDeforestation has been popular among farmers seeking to clear land for cattle ranches and loggers fueled by the demand for timber products. The World Wide Fund for Nature, an organization seeking to be a voice for the environment, investigated 13 logging companies in the Amazon, 12 of which had broken laws for safe logging practices.
\nBBC News said that Bolsanaro has neglected to enforce an ethical stance on the protection of the environment, allowing loggers and farmers to carry out illegal and reckless deforestation.
\nOn Aug. 28, Bolsanaro announced a 60-day ban on setting fire to any clear land, as reported by CNN. He also accepted the aid of the Chilean government but refused a $22 million offer from French President Emmanuel Macron.
\nStudents from last spring\u2019s HULA trip felt the impact of the disaster happening in Brazil. Junior Madison Thurber spoke of her experience in the Amazon, saying it was \u201cso easy to see God\u2019s hand in its beautiful and complex creation. Everything there is connected to every other thing [which seems] impossible.\u201d
\nHULA student Jade Turner, studied abroad last spring and said, \u201cI never knew how important the Amazon is, not only to the people and animals who live there, but to the entire world.\u201d
\nAccording to BBC News, the Amazon is home to 1 million indigenous people and 3 million types of wild-life and exotic plants, and it will need anywhere from 20-40 to regenerate from the fires.
\nYadvinder Malhi, professor at Oxford University, said with 80% of the Amazon rainforest intact, it is still possible to reform the policies of the Brazilian government and our own habits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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