Destruction of the Amazon rainforest hurts the whole planet

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The Amazon is burning. That’s hugely troubling for all of us.

The vast South American rainforest is our planet’s lungs. Its estimated 390 billion trees produce 20 percent of the world’s oxygen and suck immense amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. Besides being critical in the fight against climate change, the Amazon is home to indigenous people, incredible biodiversity and a vast array of known and still-unknown plant sources for drugs and other medications.

The horrific destruction in Brazil in particular — more than 41,000 fires have destroyed 4.6 million acres, 62 percent more than last year — is made worse by that government’s complicity. President Jair Bolsonaro, a hard-right populist who took office in January, has prioritized the desire of industries like mining and logging to milk the protected Amazon. And he has encouraged deforestation, which is up sharply this year. To clear land, farmers and ranchers illegally set fires, knowing they can break Brazil’s tough environmental laws, which are no longer enforced under Bolsonaro.

Put pressure on Brazil

Global outrage and anger at home finally forced Bolsonaro to announce plans to send in 44,000 soldiers to help fight the fires. The world, too, has been rallying, with special firefighting planes and a $20 million pledge from the G-7 countries announced Mondayat the conclusion of the group’s meetings in France.

But as the fight against the flames continues, the larger mission — persuading Brazil to stop destroying the rainforest — must be renewed. Between 2004 and 2012, deforestation was cut by 80 percent thanks to programs like the Amazon Fund, which was fueled by outside donations, primarily from the governments of Norway ($1.2 billion) and Germany ($68 million). Now both countries, upset that deforestation has risen sharply under Bolsonaro, have decided to cut back. This is unfortunate, though understandable. The Amazon Fund, or some similar successor, needs to shift its focus from rewarding Brazil for past successes to incentivizing more efforts to stop deforestation.

Pressure also could be applied by the European Union, via its new trade agreement with Brazil, by reducing purchases of beef and soybeans. The United States could act similarly. But our nation’s leaders, engaged in environmental attacks of their own at home, have been silent on the rape of the Amazon.

Trump the environmentalist?

The G-7 leaders announced another agreement with other countries in the Amazon basin on long-term forest protection and reforestation, and said it might be presented to the UN next month. That’s a good step. But the two deals were unveiled after a session on climate change that was skipped by President Donald Trump, the only world leader at the summit not to attend. Afterward, Trump insisted he was an environmentalist, a claim defied by his own actions and those of his administration. Our nation and the world would benefit if he matched his words with deeds.

The Amazon is too valuable to lose or shrink. It gives us air we breathe and medicines that keep us healthy, and absorbs carbon that’s overheating the Earth. We all have a stake in keeping it alive.