A surge in illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest led to a five-year high in forest fires in August, Time reported.
A surge in illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest led to a five-year high in forest fires in August, Time reported.
Satellite sensors detected 33,116 fires in August, the area’s dry season. The fires most often are a result of attempts to improve cattle pasture or burn felled trees once they are dry. “Often the fires burn out of control and spread into pristine areas of the forest,” Time reported.
Under the tenure of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon surged to a 15-year high. Bolsonaro pledged earlier this year to end illegal deforestation by 2028.