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80% Increase in Brazilian Wildfires This Year


OverSword

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WILDFIRES ARE CURRENTLY burning so intensely in the Amazon rainforest that smoke from the blaze has covered nearby cities in a dark haze.

Multiple news outlets are reporting that Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported a record 72,843 fires this year, an 80 percent increase from last year. More than 9,000 of those fires have been spotted in the past week.

The size of the fires is still unclear, but they spread over several large Amazon states in northwest Brazil. On August 11, NASA noted that the fires were large enough that they could be spotted from space.

“This is without any question one of only two times that there have been fires like this,” in the Amazon, says Thomas Lovejoy, an ecologist and National Geographic Explorer-at-Large.

“There’s no question that it’s a consequence of the recent uptick in deforestation,“ he says.

 

National Geographic

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Its people setting all the fires. You can have a rain forest or you can have a lot of people, but you can't have both.

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7 hours ago, OverSword said:

“There’s no question that it’s a consequence of the recent uptick in deforestation,“ he says.

and slash and burn farmers coming right behind the loggers then not being able to control their ****. :hmm:

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Presently, in case you haven't heard, there are over 2500 fires burning out of control in the Amazon Rainforest.  The loss in terms of species diversity is incalculable, who knows how many medicines we will never have the opportunity to discover now? The threat goes so much further than may immediately be apparent.  There are 120 billion tons of CO2 stored in the timbers of the Amazon, and right now, they are being released in a rapid and uncontrolled rate, as smoke, into the atmosphere.  This may well tip us over the 2% increase CO2 that meteorologists and ecologists have been warning everybody about.  This will cause rises in temperature that will cause droughts, that will in turn create further forest fires.  Droughts will also cause crop failures around the world, and marginal agricultural areas will begin to fail and become dust bowls, driving desertification.  The growing lack of fresh water caused by droughts will make increasing numbers of cities uninhabitable, and that will force people to become ecological refugees.  This in turn will cause the global economy to contract, and potentially crash as too much stress is placed upon it.  The +2Celcius rise will also badly impact the ocean planktons we rely on to do the bulk of our oxygen recycling.  That critical system will fail altogether when we hit +6Celcius, leading to the gradual extinction of all oxygen breathing life forms, including you and me. 

I strongly urge you to become well informed on this issue and to contact your representatives to insist that measures be taken to stop the unfolding disaster.  Obviously the fires need to be put out.  With the present loss of trees from the Amazon, we will need to engage in a worldwide program to reforest a lot of land, because nature simply cannot do it fast enough on its own.  

A few articles to get you started:

BBC Link: The Amazon is on fire - how bad is it?

Major forests around the world have been burning way too fast due to droughts

Snopes fact checking

Edited by Alchopwn
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Time for the Paris Accord nations to put their money where their mouths are and invade Brazil to secure the rainforest.

Im mostly kidding....I think.......

Edited by Farmer77
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Jeeze!!! 

Every country who can should be getting their helicopters out and putting that fire out.

Politics can wait.

Those poor animals whom home it was, heartbreaking.

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  • The title was changed to Amazon rainforest catastrophe in progress
3 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

Presently, in case you haven't heard, there are over 2500 fires burning out of control in the Amazon Rainforest.  The loss in terms of species diversity is incalculable, who knows how many medicines we will never have the opportunity to discover now? The threat goes so much further than may immediately be apparent.  There are 120 billion tons of CO2 stored in the timbers of the Amazon, and right now, they are being released in a rapid and uncontrolled rate, as smoke, into the atmosphere.  This may well tip us over the 2% increase CO2 that meteorologists and ecologists have been warning everybody about.  This will cause rises in temperature that will cause droughts, that will in turn create further forest fires.  Droughts will also cause crop failures around the world, and marginal agricultural areas will begin to fail and become dust bowls, driving desertification.  The growing lack of fresh water caused by droughts will make increasing numbers of cities uninhabitable, and that will force people to become ecological refugees.  This in turn will cause the global economy to contract, and potentially crash as too much stress is placed upon it.  The +2Celcius rise will also badly impact the ocean planktons we rely on to do the bulk of our oxygen recycling.  That critical system will fail altogether when we hit +6Celcius, leading to the gradual extinction of all oxygen breathing life forms, including you and me. 

I strongly urge you to become well informed on this issue and to contact your representatives to insist that measures be taken to stop the unfolding disaster.  Obviously the fires need to be put out.  With the present loss of trees from the Amazon, we will need to engage in a worldwide program to reforest a lot of land, because nature simply cannot do it fast enough on its own.  

A few articles to get you started:

BBC Link: The Amazon is on fire - how bad is it?

Major forests around the world have been burning way too fast due to droughts

Snopes fact checking

I agree this is a major problem that should be addressed by the United Nations. The countries where the fires are burning state they do not have the resources to fight the fires. I hope other nations including the US send help to stop this disaster. A fact that hasn't been mention by the OP is that the Amazon Rain Forest produces 20% of the worlds Oxygen and this is also a serious problem that the world is facing.

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3 hours ago, Farmer77 said:

Time for the Paris Accord nations to put their money where their mouths are and invade Brazil to secure the rainforest.

Im mostly kidding....I think.......

We should just go on a mission to plant trillions and trillions of trees. Really, that's going to be the only way to combat global warming.

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This is what climate fanatics should be raging about.. But they stare themselves blind at CO2 output, safeguarding the rainforests.. the lungs / CO2 converter of the earth.. not so much. In fact, deafening silence, compared to the 'CO2 demon'. Which is another indication of foul play, double layers in the whole narrative, for all Im concerned.

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25 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

We should just go on a mission to plant trillions and trillions of trees. Really, that's going to be the only way to combat global warming.

That or watch the 2015 Congressional hearing?

B)

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48 minutes ago, Golden Duck said:

I heard 1.5 football fields were burning every 60 seconds

You know what, I've heard this too - but I have a problem with this.  Live trees don't burn so the burning that's occurring could be the underbrush and the deforestation which will regenerate the growth again, making it more lush.  It's like the cycle of life.  That said, the deforestation has to be curbed or we're going to have much bigger problems down the track....

Quote

“The Amazon has this tipping point because it makes half of its own rainfall,” says Lovejoy. That’s why, he says, “the Amazon has to be managed as a system.”

That in itself is incredible. 

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3 minutes ago, pixiii said:

Live trees don't burn 

Live trees most definitely burn.

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4 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

Live trees most definitely burn.

Well yes I'd agree in massive bushfires definitely.  But these fires appear to be a huge number of smaller fires or controlled burns that they do to burn off dead underbrush to ensure it's safer for fire season, preparation that type of thing.  That's what they do here coming into spring/summer.  Do you guys do it over there too?

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3 hours ago, freetoroam said:

Jeeze!!! 

Every country who can should be getting their helicopters out and putting that fire out.

Politics can wait.

Those poor animals whom home it was, heartbreaking.

It's bigger than that. It's the sheer global impact with the scale of the clearing.

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6 minutes ago, pixiii said:

Well yes I'd agree in massive bushfires definitely.  But these fires appear to be a huge number of smaller fires or controlled burns that they do to burn off dead underbrush to ensure it's safer for fire season, preparation that type of thing.  That's what they do here coming into spring/summer.  Do you guys do it over there too?

It sounds like the Brazilian president encouraged a "burn day" to encourage slash and burn farming to boost the Brazilian economy and thats what got out of control. But yes we do control burns over here.   I like living in the desert because I dont have to mess with that stuff LOL

 

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5 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

 I like living in the desert because I dont have to mess with that stuff LOL

Probably a lot safer!  Just gotta make sure you got water where you are! ;) 

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10 minutes ago, pixiii said:

Probably a lot safer!  Just gotta make sure you got water where you are! ;) 

Im not lakeside but am just a five minute drive away. :tu:

 

 

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22 hours ago, Farmer77 said:

Im not lakeside but am just a five minute drive away. :tu:

 

 


:huh: Hmm... Location the desert, but five minutes from a lake..

Doesnt add up. Somehow I dont think youre being completely honest with us here..

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7 minutes ago, Phaeton80 said:


:huh: Hmm... Location the desert, but five minutes from a lake..

Doesnt add up. Somehow I dont think youre being completely honest with us here..

LOL I get that............... I like being vague about where I live for a variety of reasons but ill say its in this area around the river

 800px-Colorado_river_dams.jpg

 

This is kinda my neighborhood

war_3358.jpg

Edited by Farmer77
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I was just pulling your pinky there Farmer.. :P

On a more serious note; beautiful area mate, Im pretty jealous in that sense.. Shame you have such a raging ret*rd as a president.

I used to dream of visiting the states, absolutely fascinated from childhood.. Now, not so much. Also, I'd probably get the enemy combatant treatment (ie. all body cavities rudely violated) for all the critical comments I seed 'round here.


Btw, this is kinda my neck of the woods:

Amsterdam-4K.jpg&f=1

If you look closely, you can actually see me standing behind the window 3rd house form the right, 2nd level..

Edited by Phaeton80
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36 minutes ago, Phaeton80 said:

I was just pulling your pinky there Farmer.. :P

On a more serious note; beautiful area mate, Im pretty jealous in that sense.. Shame you have such a raging ret*rd as a president.

I used to dream of visiting the states, absolutely fascinated from childhood.. Now, not so much. Also, I'd probably get the enemy combatant treatment (ie. all body cavities rudely violated) for all the critical comments I seed 'round here.

Oh please!  Amsterdam is absolutely beautiful!  What better place to be than there?  Oh wait, Vienna apparently :P  I was disappointed when Melbourne lost it's 7 year run of Best City to Live in in the World last year :lol:  https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2018-08-14/vienna-named-worlds-most-liveable-city-over-melbourne-in-eiu-ranking  

But seriously @Farmer77 the desert looks lovely there - a bit different to the outback here.  I spent 3 years as a young paramedic in the outback with aboriginals.  Never again.  Way too hot for me and not a drop of water in sight.  I think that's why that pic of the desert looks so lovely with the contrast of the blue water against a dry desert backdrop.  Beautiful colours!

Edited by pixiii
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42 minutes ago, Phaeton80 said:

I was just pulling your pinky there Farmer.. :P

On a more serious note; beautiful area mate, Im pretty jealous in that sense.. Shame you have such a raging ret*rd as a president.

I used to dream of visiting the states, absolutely fascinated from childhood.. Now, not so much. Also, I'd probably get the enemy combatant treatment (ie. all body cavities rudely violated) for all the critical comments I seed 'round here.


Btw, this is kinda my neck of the woods:

Amsterdam-4K.jpg&f=1

If you look closely, you can actually see me standing behind the window 3rd house form the right, 2nd level..

I can see you!  You're the one holding the blunt! :lol:

Beautiful canals and architecture there <3  

Edited by pixiii
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9 minutes ago, pixiii said:

Oh please!  Amsterdam is absolutely beautiful!  What better place to be than there?  Oh wait, Vienna apparently :P  I was disappointed when Melbourne lost it's 7 year run of Best City to Live in in the World last year :lol:  https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2018-08-14/vienna-named-worlds-most-liveable-city-over-melbourne-in-eiu-ranking 

True, true.. But Im a bit of a nature buff.. Love fishing, hunting, hiking.. Though Europe supplies in a lot, geography, flora & fauna wise.. the US & Canada are king. I especially like the Colorado and Oregon area.

I might go to Canada to quench my thirst, theres not so much crazy over there, it seems.

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17 hours ago, Phaeton80 said:

True, true.. But Im a bit of a nature buff.. Love fishing, hunting, hiking.. Though Europe supplies in a lot, geography, flora & fauna wise.. the US & Canada are king. I especially like the Colorado and Oregon area.

I don't know the last time you were in Oregon but we have had more than our share of fires here in the last few years.  Lots of the trails I hiked on have been closed, even parts of the Pacific Crest were closed over the last several summers.  Nothing to compare to the Amazon, but it gets dark and smoky and hard to breathe even in the Willamette Valley.

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