From thousands of miles away, NASA satellite images show the devastating view of the Amazon Rainforest from space. The images show a number of red spots, demonstrating the vast number of fires and thermal anomalies in the region. Wildfires continue to ravage one of the most important ecosystems on Earth, with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announcing on Friday there will be military intervention to help tackle the blazes.
Mr Bolsonaro could visit the Amazon region this week, as his country faces a major environmental crisis.
However, President Bolsonaro’s policy over the Amazon Rainforest has been the subject of significant criticism.
Accusations have been made suggesting Mr Bolsonaro has encouraged the increased deforestation of the rainforest, allowing farmers to burn the land to make way for cattle farming.
The shocking images come after the G7 countries made an £18million offer to tackle the Amazon fires yesterday.
However, the Brazilian President has rejected the aid offer, with a top official telling President Emmanuel Macron to take care of “his home and his colonies”.
The Brazilian leader was also accused of being rude to the French President when he became embroiled in an online spat as Mr Macron’s expense.
A supporter of Mr Bolsonaro posted a comparison of Mr Bolsonaro’s wife Michelle and Mr Macron’s wife Brigitte in a Facebook post with the caption: “Now you understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro?”
Mr Bolsonaro commented (in Portuguese): “Do not humiliate (him)… man, ha ha.
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Mr Macron defended his wife, and said the comments were “extraordinarily rude”.
Previously, Mr Bolsonaro also suggested NGO’s could be responsible for starting the Amazon Rainforest fires.
According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) satellite data, there has been an 84 percent increase in wildfires from the same period in 2018.
Since the beginning of this year, 80,000 forest fires have broken out in Brazil since the beginning of 2019.
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Half of these fires have occurred in the Amazon basin.
The Amazon Rainforest spans cover some 5.5 million square kilometres and, if it was a country, it would rank 9th in size.
The Amazon Rainforest is also thought to produce some 20 percent of the planet’s oxygen.
It is home to 427 mammal species, 1,300 bird species, 378 species of reptiles ad more than 400 species of amphibians.
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