Amazon fires trap farmers into poverty – and into setting more fires

Fires that burn the forest burn crops and pastures alike. But farmers in the eastern Amazon are left with few good options.

Rachael Garrett, Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich • conversation
Aug. 17, 2020 • ~7 min

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is devastating indigenous lands, with the world distracted

A repeat of 2019's disastrous fire season is possible in 2020, and it would have dire consequences.

Mauricio Torres, Professor in Human Geography, Federal University of Pará • conversation
May 30, 2020 • ~6 min

Dung beetles help rainforests regrow – but extreme drought and wildfires in the Amazon are killing them off

A new study finds 70% of Amazonian dung beetles were killed by the severe fire and droughts of 2015 to 2016. By spreading seeds and poop, dung beetles fertilize forests and aid regrowth of vegetation.

Joice Ferreira, Researcher in Ecology, Federal University of Pará • conversation
March 9, 2020 • ~6 min

/

1