In Jenn’s and Alex’s absence, Zack is joined by Umair Irfan, a climate change reporter at Vox, to talk about the wildfires raging in Siberia, Greenland, and — most worryingly — the Amazon rainforest. They explain why preserving the health of the massive rainforest is vital to addressing climate change, and how the policies of Brazil’s right-wing populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, have helped cause the wildfires and jeopardized the Amazon rainforest’s very survival. Umair tells stories from his recent visit to Brazil, while Zack recalls a sweaty walk to work.

Links!

Here’s Umair’s piece on all the fires raging around the world right now.

Vox’s Jen Kirby explained Bolsonaro 101.

Some background on Bolsonaro’s environmental policy. It’s very bad!

Bolsonaro has gone after indigenous rights since literally the first day of his presidency.

São Paulo’s drought problem has been really serious.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s big new report on land use and climate change.

Information on one of several international initiatives to protect the Amazon.

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