Amazon wildfires are a wake-up call for the world

Friends of the Earth International asserts that the 2019 Amazon wildfires, particularly in Brazil, are the result of agribusiness, mining, and timber expansion facilitated by President Jair Bolsonaro's government. The organization highlights a significant increase in fires and deforestation, the dismantling of climate laws, and the persecution of Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders. It calls for international condemnation of these policies and criticizes the European Union's pursuit of a trade agreement with MERCOSUR amidst this environmental devastation.

• The 2019 wildfires in the Amazon are attributed to the expansion of agriculture for corporate profit and the neoliberal policies of President Jair Bolsonaro's government, rather than higher temperatures or drought.
• Brazil's National Institute for Aerospace Research (INPE) reported a 83% increase in fires in 2019 compared to the previous year, with over 74,000 fires detected between January and August 2019.
• The Brazilian government has actively undermined environmental governance by cutting the climate policy budget by 95%, dismissing global warming, and weakening oversight bodies to benefit ranchers and agribusiness.
• Deforestation in July 2019 rose by 278% compared to July 2018, with more than 60% of 2019 fires occurring on private properties used by global agribusiness.
• The destruction of Indigenous territories in the Amazon threatens global climate, food systems, and biodiversity, as Indigenous-managed conservation is more effective than officially protected areas.

APA

admin (2019). Amazon wildfires are a wake-up call for the world. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/amazon-wildfires-are-a-wake-up-call-for-the-world/

Chicago

admin. Amazon wildfires are a wake-up call for the world. Friends of the Earth International, 2019. https://www.foei.org/amazon-wildfires-are-a-wake-up-call-for-the-world/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=admin |title=Amazon wildfires are a wake-up call for the world |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=4 September 2019 |url=https://www.foei.org/amazon-wildfires-are-a-wake-up-call-for-the-world/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{admin2019amazon, author = {admin}, title = {{Amazon wildfires are a wake-up call for the world}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://www.foei.org/amazon-wildfires-are-a-wake-up-call-for-the-world/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }