September 10, 2019

The Importance Of The Amazon Rainforest Fires

Listen Later

2 minutes

The Amazon rainforest covers extensive parts of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and small parts of six other countries. It is the largest rainforest in the world and is instrumental in driving the weather and climate in South America.

The raging wildfires in the Amazon rainforest are a source of great

concern. The Amazon is always prone to

wildfires during the dry season in South America, but the extent and number of

fires this year cannot be attributed simply to drought. The surge in fires has come from illegal

deforestation by loggers and farmers, who are using the cleared-out land for

cattle ranching.

Rainforests produce consistently high amounts of rainfall throughout

the year by pulling water from the soil and then releasing it into the

atmosphere. The Amazon rainforest

essentially makes it rain in South America.

Over time, the forest plays a crucial role in cycling carbon out of the

atmosphere by turning it into biomass.

The Amazon jungle sucks up as much as a quarter of the planet’s

atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Pristine rainforest burns less frequently and less intensely than

cleared and recovering forest. As more

and more of the Amazon rainforest is deforested, it becomes more likely to burn

each year.

The major disruption of the water dynamics in South America has the

potential to not only drive the weather in South American countries but even

potentially influence natural resources like snow packs in the Northern

Hemisphere.

The skies of Sāo Paulo, Brazil’s financial hub have been dark at

midday because of the Amazon fires. This

is like having a fire in California and seeing the smoke in Boston. The Amazon rainforest fires are a big problem

for the whole world.

**********

Web Links

The Amazon Rainforest has been burning for weeks. Here’s why that matters.

Photo, posted August 21, 2019, courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more

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Earth Wise

By Randy Simon

4.7

1515 ratings

September 10, 2019

The Importance Of The Amazon Rainforest Fires

Listen Later

2 minutes

The Amazon rainforest covers extensive parts of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and small parts of six other countries. It is the largest rainforest in the world and is instrumental in driving the weather and climate in South America.

The raging wildfires in the Amazon rainforest are a source of great

concern. The Amazon is always prone to

wildfires during the dry season in South America, but the extent and number of

fires this year cannot be attributed simply to drought. The surge in fires has come from illegal

deforestation by loggers and farmers, who are using the cleared-out land for

cattle ranching.

Rainforests produce consistently high amounts of rainfall throughout

the year by pulling water from the soil and then releasing it into the

atmosphere. The Amazon rainforest

essentially makes it rain in South America.

Over time, the forest plays a crucial role in cycling carbon out of the

atmosphere by turning it into biomass.

The Amazon jungle sucks up as much as a quarter of the planet’s

atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Pristine rainforest burns less frequently and less intensely than

cleared and recovering forest. As more

and more of the Amazon rainforest is deforested, it becomes more likely to burn

each year.

The major disruption of the water dynamics in South America has the

potential to not only drive the weather in South American countries but even

potentially influence natural resources like snow packs in the Northern

Hemisphere.

The skies of Sāo Paulo, Brazil’s financial hub have been dark at

midday because of the Amazon fires. This

is like having a fire in California and seeing the smoke in Boston. The Amazon rainforest fires are a big problem

for the whole world.

**********

Web Links

The Amazon Rainforest has been burning for weeks. Here’s why that matters.

Photo, posted August 21, 2019, courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more