Earth is probably facing one of the worst-case scenarios humanity has ever witnessed. It is unfortunate, wrong, and so loud.
Currently, wildfires are highly increasing, and the smoky emissions can bring havoc to public health. Only in South America, for example, fires cause approximately 17,000 deaths annually.
The fire frequency in the Amazon basin is the culprit, and it has been linked to climate change, and direct human action, including deforestation.
Here is what you need to know.
Deforestation and Wildfires Are Out of Control
A new study aims to raise awareness about Amazon’s current situation. Deforestation is a major issue, and it can trigger some of the most terrible wildfires. And smoke emissions from those fires can reach the clouds and the Sun, resulting in less rainfall.
That phenomenon can create some dry, fire-prone conditions, making everything worse.
Fires vs. deforestation
In the Brazil Legal Amazon, the number of fires, including fire-driven air pollution, has now overpassed the deforestation rate in the last 20 years. How’s that possible?
In the recent study, researchers modeled the year 2019 under various deforestation scenarios. Their goal: to determine the connection between those events in the forest and human health.
What researchers discovered is genuinely intriguing yet shocking.
The Findings: what to expect?
Researchers found that if 2019 had equaled the year in the past 20 years with minimum deforestation, the regional air pollution would have been significantly lower that year.
It would also result in 3,400 fewer premature deaths across South America.
But, if the deforestation rate in 2019 had met those of the early 2000s and before government regulations triggered the rates to reach lower levels, the number of fires would have grown by 130 %.
On the other hand, the number of premature deaths would have more than doubled, reaching a shocking number of 7,900.
Such models show the connection between deforestation (human action) and environmental dangers and, consequently, public health. We can also use new data to come up with better environmental protections.
