The Amazon

The Amazon jungle has earned itself the nickname of "Lungs of the Planet" and this is for very good reason. Will all of its vast expanse of lush vegetation, we know that it provides a great deal of the planets oxygen, which is why it's so incredibly disturbing to hear the latest news about what's been going on in the region. As I'm sure you've probably heard, the Amazon rainforest has been in flames and if you aren't troubled by this, there's something seriously wrong with you. The Amazon isn't just the "Lungs of the Planet", it's also home to some of the widest range of biodiversity on the planet. There are estimated to be countless species we haven't even discovered yet, still roaming about within the region and the thought that some of those creatures could be lost forever worries me to my core. The Amazon isn't just some scenic piece of beauty, it's something that's captured the hearts and imagination of humanity since we first discovered it. Countless pieces of literature, film, music, and poetry have been inspired by the rainforest. Throughout history, explorers have sought to explore and map it, but still to this day, we haven't seen every corner of it. I'm also aware that there are a number of uncontacted tribes living within the rainforest, making it not only something that needs to be protected for its natural value, but a place possessing anthropological value as well. Sadly, while certainly a source of inspiration, the Amazon has also been seen by many as a source of profit. Both individuals and corporations have gotten their hooks into the region and, if left unchecked, will milk it for everything that it's worth, leaving it as a hollow shell of the majesty that it once was. That scenario is simply unacceptable. The issues of exploitation and deforestation have been a problem for a long time, but what's with the current uptick in wildfires that have drawn public attention back to the Amazon? Well, after reading up on the matter, I found, to no surprise at all, that the reason is without a doubt deforestation. While most people think wildfires are always a horrible thing, they're actually not. Wildfires are a normal occurrence and are typically a good thing for forests since they remove debris covering the forest floor allowing for new vegetation to grow. However, the scale of these recent fires is an entirely different matter. Normal fires are typically no more than a few inches off the ground and cause virtually no harm to the large trees, but these fires are wreaking absolute havoc and it's quickly spiraling out of control. Not surprisingly, rising global temperatures are also a prominent factor, which makes the whole debacle a difficult and multifaceted issue to tackle. Without a doubt local governments are doing what they can to combat the disaster, but it's a problem that falls on all of us, not just on them. I hate to say it, but the nations that encompass the Amazon aren't doing spectacularly on their economic front, making money coming from large corporations quite appealing. I wish I had the solution to fix all this, but unfortunately, I only know about as much as most individuals. I believe that the vast majority of the worlds population doesn't want to see the rainforests gone, I believe that they want to be able to give a healthy and beautiful planet to their children, but the problem is with the other portion of the population that doesn't like to think about the long term effects of their actions. I'm not even talking about individuals who don't recycle or shop at whole foods either (although they certainly aren't helping the situation). No, they're just a drop in the bucket. The real environmental devastation is coming from powerful industrialists that are able to cause damage on a much larger scale. As depressing as all of that is, I haven't given up hope yet because every single day I see and hear of people that aren't willing to just sit back and do nothing. There are countless swaths of people that are taking action and refuse to give up without a fight. Corporations see them as a nuisance, but without them, sooner or later, the flow of money shareholders see will end because the resources, the means of their profit, will be gone and will never return. Not only that, but the best this world has to offer will be lost. The Amazon rainforest is a thing of true power, majesty, and beauty. It's one of the things in this world that makes me thing that God might actually exist, since I can't wrap my head around the idea that something so incredible just happens to exist for no reason. That's also where I've come to find the silence from many in the religious community on the matter particularly upsetting. According to the bible, God made man kind the stewards of the Earth. He entrusted us to protect and maintain the health of everything he created, and allowing it to be drained and destroyed so someone can make a buck seems like a pretty shitty way to pay him back. I count myself truly blessed to be alive while the Amazon still stands, but at the same time, I'm all too aware of the fact that future generations might not be so lucky. I don't want to imagine kids generations from now, looking at pictures of something so incredible in history books, while the real thing has been gone for years, and if everyone sits back on this, that's going to be the case. I know this is grim, but it's a necessary reminder. I've said it a million times and I'll say it a million times more; this is our one chance, let's make it count.