Amazon rainforest fires are an international crisis
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Fires are burning in the Amazon rainforest at an alarming rate. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the record number of fires is now an "international crisis". There has been an 85 per cent increase in fires in the Amazon this year. Mr Macron said urgent action needed to be taken. He said the fires needed to be on top of the agenda at the G7 summit of world leaders in Biarritz. Macron tweeted about how serious he thought the fires were. He wrote: "Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon rain forest - the lungs which produce 20% of our planet's oxygen - is on fire. It is an international crisis. Members of the G7 Summit, let's discuss this emergency in two days."
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Other leaders agreed that they should discuss the fires. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the fires an "acute emergency". She said they were "shocking". She added that the fires didn't only threaten Brazil and its neighboring countries, but also affected the whole world. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the fires "not only heartbreaking," but "an international crisis". He added: "We stand ready to provide whatever help we can to bring them under control and help protect one of Earth's greatest wonders." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "In the midst of the global climate crisis, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity. The Amazon must be protected."
Sources:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49443389
- https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/458399-fires-in-the-amazon-the-planet-at-risk
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49450495
