Rainforests such as the Amazon are huge stores of carbon, and as such are vitally important in the fight against climate change. Organisations in Brazil are aware of this and are trying to protect the trees from fires that not only destroy the trees and habitat for wildlife, but also release tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the same time.
Unfortunately, it seems that although Brazil's government have made agreements to protect the Amazon, not enough has been done on the ground to prevent these fires from being started. Many people, both local villages and large scale companies, are keen to burn vegetation to make way for farmland as this is much more profitable. However, it will take far too long for the trees to grow back into the complex network they were once in, and for the wildlife and ecosystem processes to return. Many believe that with a changing climate, the rainforest may end up lost forever with only dry or temperate grasslands in its place.
To find out more and how to help, click here:
🌳 BBC news report
🌳 WWF - Things you can do to help the Amazon
🌳 Greenpeace
