The Amazon rainforest has seen a record number of forest fires this year. During August, there were about 40,000 fires in the Amazon. Although fires in the Amazon are common, these fires are so serious that it affects the whole world. The scale of damage is huge. The area that is burned to the ground is 15 times the size of Seoul. These fires destroyed 20% of the ecosystem in the Amazon. This fire is the biggest fire since August 2010. Actually, half of Brazil is filled with smoke due to fires. ESA(The European Space Agency) showed two satellite photographs on September 9th. The photographs showed that the pollution level of carbon monoxide has changed between July 2019 and August 2019. ESA insisted a large amount of carbon dioxide is released in the air with carbon monoxide, and it has a bad influence on climate change and people’s health.

▲ The satellite photographs, ESA showed on September 9th.

Brazil's fast-growing beef exports over 20 years and China's large-scale imports of soybeans, who have been unable to import U.S. soybeans due to the trade war, have indirectly affected Amazon's tropical forest deforestation, AFP reported on August 25th.

Amazon is called ‘Lung of the Earth’. Amazon is the widest rainforest and has the most variety of animals in the world. A lot of plants and animals that live in Amazon are in danger. Furthermore, Amazon produces about 1/3 of the oxygen produced on the Earth because it has various plants in its large forest. It controls the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen. For this reason, the world is worrying about the Amazon fires.

The fires in the Amazon are so serious and so important to the world. But, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president, is being criticized that he has a passive attitude despite the native fire. On August 26th, foreign presses reported that Leonardo DiCaprio donated 5 million dollars(=6 billion won) through Earth Alliance, an international environmental organization. In Korea, Choi Gang ChangMin, a member of TVXQ, donated 70 million won for the Amazon through Greenpeace, another international environmental organization. In addition, various people from all over the world are donating to restore Amazon.

▲ a picture of the Amazon blazing