The IPCC’s New “CODE RED” Climate Report – Second Thought

Brazil forest fire season begins with concerns of mass destruction

The season of Brazilian forest fires has begun, and early data plus severe drought is sparking concern that nationwide destruction in 2021 will stay at the high levels recorded in the past two years, despite efforts to tamp down the blazes. The government space agency that uses satellites to monitor fires reported more area burned in the

Climate tipping points are now imminent, scientists warn

Around 13,000 researchers have called for urgent action to slow down the climate emergency as extreme weather patterns shock the world. They listed three core measures. Thousands of scientists reiterated calls for immediate action over the climate crisis in an article published Wednesday in the journal BioScience.  “The extreme climate events and patterns that we’ve witnessed over the

‘Biggest Story in the World Right Now’: Humanity Has Flipped Amazon From Carbon Sink to Source

The findings, said one expert, “show that the uncertain future is happening now.” Following years of warnings and mounting fears among scientists, “terrifying” research revealed Wednesday that climate change and deforestation have turned parts of the Amazon basin, a crucial “sink,” into a source of planet-heating carbon dioxide. Though recent research has elevated concerns about the Amazon putting more CO2

Worst June for Brazil Amazon forest fires since 2007

The Brazilian Amazon has suffered its worst June for forest fires since 2007, official data showed Thursday, indicating another devastating dry season for the world’s largest rainforest. The INPE research institute said its satellites detected 2,308 fires last month, an increase of 2.3 percent from June 2020. The previous record for the month of June

Thousands of Peru’s indigenous people exposed to toxic substances: report

Thousands of Peruvian indigenous people living near major mining projects face a health crisis after testing positive for high levels of metals and toxic substances, Amnesty International said in a report published Tuesday. It accused Peru’s government of “failing” in its health obligations towards the K’ana indigenous people in southeast Espinar province, in the Cusco

Pictures from outer space reveal the extent of illegal gold mining in Peru

In the Madre de Dios region of Peru, a human-made wasteland brushes up against the border of the Amazonian rainforest. Over the past decade, small-scale illegal gold miners have transformed the landscape from tree-covered marshlands to a desert pockmarked with polluted ponds, leaking mercury into the local food web. Multiple government crackdowns have tried to

Destruction of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest speeds up for 2nd straight month

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest rose 43% in April from the same month a year ago, preliminary government data showed on Friday, the second consecutive monthly rise as destruction picked up ahead of the annual burning season. In the first four months of 2021, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon totaled 1,157 square kilometers, an area

The Amazon Rainforest Now Emits More Greenhouse Gases Than It Absorbs

Climate change and deforestation have transformed the ecosystem into a net source of planet-warming gases instead of a carbon sink The Amazon rainforest may now emit more greenhouse gases than the famously lush ecosystem absorbs, according to new research. Long considered to be a bulwark against climate change because of its capacity to absorb carbon

Amazon rainforest plots sold via Facebook Marketplace ads

Parts of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest are being illegally sold on Facebook, the BBC has discovered. The protected areas include national forests and land reserved for indigenous peoples. Some of the plots listed via Facebook’s classified ads service are as large as 1,000 football pitches. Facebook said it was “ready to work with local authorities”, but