The destruction of the Amazon, explained

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The 2019 fires were just the tip of the iceberg.

This is Part 1 of Vox Atlas: The Amazon, a three-part series about the world’s largest rainforest, why it’s in jeopardy, and the people trying to save it. Watch all three parts right here on YouTube.
Part 1: https://youtu.be/SAZAKPUQMw0
Part 2: https://youtu.be/e1_4JseKlO4
Part 3: https://youtu.be/oGjRNbXeRXI

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The Amazon rainforest has been reduced by about 17% since the 1970s. Cattle ranchers, loggers, and farmers are mostly to blame for the deforestation, but the demand driving them comes from all around the world. Brazil’s economy depends on agriculture, especially beef and soy, which is grown on cleared land in the Amazon. Today, president Jair Bolsonaro, is weakening the environmental protections there in order to give agriculture more power. This came to a head when, in summer 2019, more than 30,000 wildfires burned in the Amazon, sparking worldwide outrage.

Here are some sources I found particularly helpful while reporting for this story:

Nepstad, et al. 2014 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/344/6188/1118
Umair Irfan, Vox: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/11/18/20970604/amazon-rainforest-2019-brazil-burning-deforestation-bolsonaro
The Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2019/07/06/brazil-amazon-rainforest-indigenous-conservation-agribusiness-ranching/

Vox Atlas demonstrates where conflicts occur on a map and the ways in which foreign policy shapes a region. Watch all the episodes here: http://bit.ly/2SThVsf

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what’s really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

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31 Comments

  1. Uma pergunta o que voces fizeram com a floresta de vocês? Vocês não querem o bem da Amazônia vocês querem os bens da Amazônia e se tentarem entrar ñ vão sair mais 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷❤

  2. In the 60's there were documents published that showed the impact of trees on global warming and implications on national security. They found trees changed the tempreture of the air above them by decressing the tempreture by 2-3 degrees. Tree covered land vs barren land had a 10 degree difference in tempreture. One could change the entire countries tempreture by enlargening the countries forests. It estimated that north and south polar ice cap major melts may happen with a 100 meter rise in sea level which will inundate strategic military positions especially nuclear arsenals. It stated the highest chance of mass nuclear war would occur at this point due the advantage it gives Russia over USA because of geography and the 100meter water mark. However USA  having nuclear capabilities all around the globe would naturaly counter. Apart for the obvious effects the nuclear mushroom clouds would disrupt high altitude wind currents and disturb weather patterns globaly. And if nuclear war didn't occur then the new high tempreture, high water levels and lack of tree coverage would cause major damage to top soil and have a high potential of nuclear power facility meltdowns across the globe with food and drinking water becoming scare. I hope this possiblity doesnt happen.
    If your hopefully like me Cauvery Calling is a great charity that plants fruit trees that are taken care of. Two years ago their total tree count was 50million and this year its hit 60million. They aim for 2.4 billion trees and its 80 cents a tree. There's always hope, always even when its dark and gloomy. But its always darkest before the dawn. Anyways all the best.

  3. I remember in 3rd we looked at the Amazon rainforest and saw … well a forest I can’t believe that people are turning a forest into a desert… I’ve officially lost all hope in humanity

  4. I was disappointed to find we industrious humans have already cleared large swaths and planted pollution generating cities smack dab in the middle of the Amazon, and here and there all over it. There is no wild jungle frontier anymore like in the days of Arthur Conan Doyle, its more like a swiss cheese patchwork now. One wishes that there were some great and unusual natural places in the world that could be left as-is, but with 8 billion of us, there's plenty of people everywhere now and they all want theirs.

  5. This is why I'm creating a series takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil because I am so concerning and creating my own franchise more epic and dramatic.

  6. A FRANÇA INVADIO O BRAZIL 16 VEZES E PERDEU TODAS AS GUERRAS,JUNTAMENTE COM A HOLANDA,E INGLATERRA APOIANDO SOLANO LOPES NA GUERRA DO PARAGUAI AO BRAZIL,FOMOS INVADIDOS VÁRIAS VEZES E SEMPRE PREVALECEMOS…NOSSO PROXIMO ADVERSÁRIO SÃO OS EUA.

  7. Turkish forests near sea shores are being destroyed for building new concrete montrosities for the rich foreigners under the veil of forest fires. Hurrah!

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