Paul Bibby
Members of the Byron Shire’s Brazilian community are organising a silent protest to express their distress and anger over the devastating fires raging in the Amazon rainforest.
As the destruction of the world’s largest single supplier of oxygen continues virtually unabated, local Brazilians are calling on all residents to come together at 11.11am on Sunday outside the Mercato shopping centre for a silent march to the beach.
‘Right now people are dying in the fire, especially the indigenous population and the quality of the air across Brazil is unbearable,’ one of the protest organisers Lilian Alkmim said.
‘There is also a massive destruction of flora and fauna.
‘We’re essentially at risk of losing the Amazon.’
‘We are calling on the government to ensure that we keep the protection of these areas.’
Brazil has had more than 72,000 fires this year, an 84 per cent increase on the same period in 2018, says the country’s National Institute for Space Research. More than half were in the Amazon.
There was a sharp rise in deforestation during July, which has been followed by extensive burning in August.
Local newspapers say farmers in some regions are organising “fire days” to take advantage of weaker enforcement by the authorities.
Brazil’s right wing President Jair Bolsonaro has so far angrily resisted calls from the international community to undertake effective measures to protect the Amazon, which supplies 20 per cent of the world’s oxygen.
Local Brazilians are in Brazil.
It is Byron local Brazilians.
Nothing to see here Brazilians. Stay home your just agitating for agitations sake.
” fire area.
Conclusion: Amazonian fires, using very current NASA data, show a decline over the record, and are nowhere close to a record so far in 2019.
Postscript 1: As Willis often says, if you disagree with something I said, quote exactly what I said, and why it is wrong.
Postscript 2: This might be a good Reference Page. Have a “Fires” page, with the MODIS charts embedded. Charles, Anthony?
Postscript 3: The NY Times claims 2019 fires are way up, over 2018. That is correct. What they don’t say, is that about 1/2 the years BEFORE 2019 are higher, and about 1/2 are lower. Cherry picking of the first order.
Postscript 4: Nick Stokes points out that one province is at record levels of fires. True, its just under record levels today. But that means that the rest of the entire region must be UNDER average (2003-present). Looking at each region in the Amazon Basin, that is indeed true. Santa Cruz and Amazonas are above average, the rest are at or well below average. Result? The entire region is very nearly at the MODIS average for this time of year.
The other serious issue with sustaining the earths oxygen supplies is the impacts of global warming and increasing acidification of our oceans on ocean algae, where the annual spawning of algae provides 50% of the earths annual oxygen supply.
If people weren’t Brazilian & Byron locals
they’d be in Brazil. It does not matter where
they are coming from just be aware they are
rightly worried about the abnormal fires.
The Amazon is crucial due to its 20%
oxygen world rate.
They wouldn’t be the same Brazilians sleeping in vans evreywhere, camping illegally in the national parks, and leaving rubbish lying around? I’m glad the environment is a priority for them.
No, I can vouch for them, know them personally and they don’t match your description in any way.