DEVASTATING FIRES are raging in the AMAZON. (RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK)

 

URGENT : Devastating fires in the Amazon rainforest

Dear friend, The Amazon rainforest is on fire, but it’s not getting the media attention it deserves. Years of deforestation, severe drought, and the increasing intensity of seasonal storms have pushed the world’s largest rainforest to the brink. Now, the fires in the Amazon have creeped into more remote regions of the primary forest and they’re devastating the biodiversity. It’s never been more critical to preserve the Amazon rainforest. It’s not an accident that the Amazon is facing extreme fires. Banks are driving this crisis by funneling billions of dollars into destructive industries like beef and soy that are destroying our forests and cooking our climate. It’s never been more urgent for banks to end their financing of agricultural clients that violate Indigenous Peoples’ rights, drive deforestation, or fail to reduce their toxic emissions. Will you make an urgent donation to help us keep fighting these corporate giants and end the destruction of these critical forests?

Urgent: Help us Expand our Work in the Amazon These fires are having a devastating impact on Indigenous communities : right now, 60% of Brazil’s territory is covered in dangerous smoke, and there’s been a 39% increase in fires on Indigenous lands, while in Peru, the fires have affected more than 80 Indigenous territories. So why isn’t this story getting the media coverage it deserves ? In just the first seven months of the year, there was a 76% increase in the number of fire hotspots, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research in the Brazilian Amazon. It’s the highest count since 2005. In July alone, there were over 11,000 fires across the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The Amazon is facing a triple threat : Deforestation by giant agribusiness corporations for beef and soy that’s left the Amazon more vulnerable and adds pressure to the biodiversity crisis Intentional fires being set to clear land, often in Indigenous Territories, in an effort to expand agribusiness The climate emergency has dried out this tropical rainforest, causing record-breaking drought and leaving the Amazon susceptible to fire Drier forests, record-breaking summer heat, and lower river levels are making it more difficult for firefighters to keep up. Communities are being stranded as rivers used for local transportation dry up. And the lack of potable water is contributing to the spread of disease. This is an emergency, friend. The Amazon rainforest, our planet's largest and most vital tropical forest, needs your help. The climate and biodiversity crises and deforestation have driven the Amazon close to a tipping point. Corporations like JBS Foods and Cargill continue to tip the scales through their irresponsible business practices that threaten forests and communities. Why do they keep getting financed ? Help us raise global awareness and hold corporations accountable for the fires and drought in the Amazon. Where is the outrage as this irreplaceable rainforest — with its communities, habitats, and vulnerable species — burns ? We need to ring the fire alarm and take action — before it’s too late. We urgently need you to join us as we confront the corporations behind deforestation and fossil fuel expansion. Help us fight to protect the future of the communities, wildlife, and plants that depend on the Amazon. Help Expand Our Work in the Amazon The Amazon rainforest is in crisis. Will you join us as we fight to protect the world’s rainforests and support Indigenous rights by holding corporations accountable? Steph Dowlen Forests & Finance Campaigner Rainforest Action Network

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