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Amazon wildfire smoke darkens Brazilian sky, as Bolsonaro compares himself to Emperor Nero

bolsonaro wildfireThe wave of fires that have affected Amazon rainforest in the interior of Brazil is already being felt in the sky of São Paulo. In the middle of the afternoon, the capital of Brazil darkened from the wind-borne smoke that has been emitted from the interior of the country, says Marcelo Pinheiro, from Clima Tempo.

The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) admits that the giant smoke cloud has advanced towards south-central Brazil and reached São Paulo, but has not assured the public that this is the main cause for the darkness that is felt as early as 3 pm, claiming it is partially due to bad weather, although several experts warned of this phenomenon a few days ago.

MetSul, a southern Brazilian meteorological company, published on Saturday a photograph on its Twitter of the orange moon, seen from Livramento, on the Uruguayan border, justifying the orange tint given off as an optical effect generated by the particles in the atmosphere from the fires in the north of the country.

The number of fires in Brazil has grown by 70% this year compared to the same period last year, with the country having recorded 66,900 outbreaks so far, with the Amazon being the most affected region, according to the Brazilian press, which cites data from INPE's "Burn Program".

51.9% of Brazilian fires occur in this region.

In early August, the local Government in charge of the Amazon decreed an emergency in the south of the state and in the Manaus Metropolitan Region due to the "negative impact of illegal deforestation and unauthorized burning". "From January to July this year, the Amazon recorded 1,699 hot spots (satellite-recorded hot spots above 47 ° C, which indicate the possibility of fire). Of these, 80% were recorded in July, the month that the drought period began, ", stated the Amazon state on its website.

The number of fire outbreaks in the country is already the highest in the last seven years.

The INPE (National Institute for Space Research) is the Brazilian government body that collects data on deforestation and fires throughout the country.

The institute has been the target of recent criticism by the Brazilian President, who accused them of being at the service of some non-governmental organizations for disclosing data pointing to increased deforestation of the Amazon. Jair Bolsonaro expressed irony, stating that he went from "deforestation chainsaw captain" to "Nero", alluding to the Roman emperor that history accuses of burning Rome so that he could bypass the senate and rebuild the city to his liking.

"Now I'm being accused of setting fire to the Amazon. Nero! I’m Nero setting fire to the Amazon," he jested.

Recent INPE disclosures indicate that Amazon deforestation grew 88% in June and 278% in July, compared with the same period last year. However, the Brazilian Government denies this data. Bolsonaro’s government has been a target of much criticism over the last few days due to the perceived inaction in responding to this devastating state of affairs.

The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world and has the largest recorded of any area of ​​the planet. It is about five and a half million square kilometres and includes territories from Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (territory belonging to France).

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Comments  

0 #11 AL 2019-08-25 10:10
Worth noting about this non-story that, fires in the Amazon rain forest happen every year in the dry season. According to Nasa's Earth Observatory this years fires are "close to average in comparison to the past 15 years". In the mean time there are more fires now burning in Angola and Congo than in the Amazon, which no one is talking about it. So why is the press going mad about the fires in the Amazon? My guess it's all a political chess game because Bolsonaro thinks global warming aka climate change aka climate emergency is a hoax to convince people to part with their money towards a new CO2 tax.
+2 #10 TT 2019-08-23 23:20
Quoting Richard 2:
Quoting Megan:
Bolsonaro, Trump, Putin, Kim Jong-un, Duterte, Orban, Johnson et al, the world is ruled by lumatics!

... and the people who elected them?


C'mon, if voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.
0 #9 Darcy 2019-08-23 17:12
Quoting Jack Reacher:
Portugal & Brazil are as bad as each other. Incompotent Governments, corruption, zero environmental regulations, arsonists..so many similarities.


You could also make this comment about Britain, a government that allows fracking to take place in their country, are thinking only of profit and not people or the environment.
+1 #8 Richard 2 2019-08-23 12:22
Quoting Megan:
Bolsonaro, Trump, Putin, Kim Jong-un, Duterte, Orban, Johnson et al, the world is ruled by lumatics!

... and the people who elected them?
-2 #7 Jack Reacher 2019-08-23 09:06
Portugal & Brazil are as bad as each other. Incompotent Governments, corruption, zero environmental regulations, arsonists..so many similarities.
+1 #6 ADN Ed 2019-08-22 16:25
Quoting AL:
The capital of Brazil is not São Paulo!


Hi AL, it doesn't say São Paulo is the capital, it says the smoke reached the capital (which I believe is Brasilia) by mid-afternoon. :-)
-1 #5 AL 2019-08-22 15:32
The capital of Brazil is not São Paulo!
I guess we'll have to wait for the rain forest to do what it claims to do and rain.
Dierdre doesn't miss any opportunity to take a jab at Portuguese culture even if it is from a country that gain it's independence from Portugal nearly 200 years ago.
+2 #4 dw 2019-08-22 12:01
Climate Armageddon approaching faster than expected?
+6 #3 Peter Booker 2019-08-22 10:00
I thought that the smoke drift last year in Portugal was remarkable. The smoke must have travelled 300km from its source in central Portugal to reach the Algarve. But in Brazil, the smoke is travelling 1700km and more to reach the great cities of the south and the Uruguayan border. These Brazilian fires and the consequent loss of rainforest threaten all of us.
+5 #2 Megan 2019-08-22 09:20
Bolsonaro, Trump, Putin, Kim Jong-un, Duterte, Orban, Johnson et al, the world is ruled by lumatics!

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