In Brazil, an inferno continues to tear through the Amazon rainforest, ravaging the ecosystem and the source of 20 percent of the Earth's oxygen. As the fires continue to grow, the blaze is gaining more and more attention, from international political leaders reaching out with pleas for greater attention to eco-focused celebrities helping to bring the story to the masses. Environments allege that the fires were started by humans, whether intentional or not. Nevertheless, the fires have created devastating damage, and are on track to decimate more acres of land in the days ahead.
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research report that the Amazon has seen over an 80 percent increase in fires in the last year, with approximately 14 percent of this year's fires reported coming in within the last week. The European Union has even reported that the fires have gotten so extensive that they are now visible from space. The severity of the tragedy in the Amazon has prompted a slew of celebrities to reach out voicing their support and inquiring where donations can be sent to fight the blaze. Figures like Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna, and Lil Nas X have hit social media to send their support and condolences.
While celebrity reaction can help move the dial, the pressure remains on Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who continues to be his own lightning rod for controversy. After alleging that the fires were started by NGOs, he recently chimed in to say that countries sending money were doing so to "interfere with [Brazil's] sovereignty," before saying that the country doesn't have the resources to fight the blaze on its own. One thing is certain though—independently or collectively, the world needs to fight the tragedy in Brazil before the damage is irreparable.
Justin Kirkland is a Brooklyn-based writer who covers culture, food, and the South. Along with Esquire, his work has appeared in NYLON, Vulture, and USA Today.
