1 We’ve seen lots of articles, posts & tweets, comparing the horrible and devastating #Australia wildfires — to the #AmazonFires. We’ve gotten questions & come across some misinformation about how they are the same & how they are different. Let’s get into it.
A thread.
A thread.
2 The #AmazonFires were not WILDFIRES, they were intentional. The fires were set by people (mainly men) to clear the Amazon for agribusiness and other extractive industries. Last year saw the highest level of #AmazonDeforestation over the past 11 years.
3 Wildfires are not natural in the Amazon, due to the moist, tropical climate. #Science BUT with increased #deforestation, we run the risk of having parts of the Amazon rainforest turn into a dry savannah. Which COULD increase the potential for wildfires. #TippingPoint
4 The #Australia fires are man-made in a VERY different way. #Drought and rising temperatures, as a result of #ClimateChange, have increased the risk of #wildfires and created the conditions that we see now: a fire that is taking everything in its path. voanews.com/east-asia-paci…
5 We are horrified at the extent that our Earth has been scorched so quickly. We are deeply concerned about all the forms of life that have been affected and lost. If we do not take #ClimateActionNow, both Australia and the Amazon might NEVER be the same.
6 BOTH of these tragedies demand our increased awareness for interconnected, but distinct reasons. We must hold complicit businesses, governments, politicians, and global leaders accountable. If you want to help #Australia: refinery29.com/en-us/2020/01/…
7 & to learn more about the #AmazonFires, that are unfortunately still happening in one of the most biodiverse areas of the planet: amazonwatch.org/news/2019/1227…
