Amazon Rainforest Ravaged<br />by Deforestation Fires in Brazil.<br />Massive forest fires have been burning in<br />the Amazon region of Brazil for over three<br />weeks now, with little sign of slowing down. .<br />According to NASA researcher Santiago Gassó,<br />the fires have created a layer of smoke covering<br />an area of about 1.2 million square miles.<br />They are reportedly being intentionally<br />set by farmers, as fire is a common<br />method of illegal deforestation. .<br />Many people are blaming Brazil's<br />president, Jair Bolsonaro, for encouraging<br />the destruction of the Amazon. .<br />Bolsonaro has worked to weaken<br />government agencies responsible<br />for the forest's protection since he<br />came to power seven months ago. .<br />The explosion of deforestation can be attributed both to changes in government actions...and from the rhetoric from President Bolsonaro…This has created a climate of impunity under the assumption that there will be no consequences for ignoring environmental regulations. , Philip Fearnside, Brazil's National Institute<br />of Amazonian Research, to 'Newsweek'.<br />The number of fire outbreaks in the country<br />has grown by 70 percent since 2018, with nearly<br />52 percent occurring in the Amazon biome.
