They say that history repeats itself, and in the case of the Amazon rainforest, this statement is confirmed in a sad and brutal manner. Six years ago I signed a petition created by Avaaz destined to the Brazilian president of that time in which millions of people asked her intervention against a proposed law that would have allowed land owners to resort to massive deforestation, and in that case the petition worked, proving that the voice of each person matters when it comes to defending a right cause, but that was only a temporary victory.
A few days ago I received
another e-mail from Avaaz whose content dealt with the Amazon once again, but this time the situation is even more dramatic than it was in 2011 because unfortunately the biggest enemy of the Amazon rainforest is no other than the current Brazilian president, Michel Temer, the man who should in theory be the leading force of the efforts to preserve this vast region of huge importance for the entire world. Unfortunately, this man is on the wrong side of the barricade, as he’s doing his best to help pass some bills that will allow farming and mining in large swaths of territory that have been protected so far.Under the pretext of revitalizing the Brazilian economy, the president is trying to gain more power and support from politicians and businessmen who will definitely gain immense financial benefits from exploiting the resources of the Amazon. These individuals definitely don’t care about the havoc that the deforestation of massive areas of still pristine forest will cause; as long as they make as much money from their business, it doesn’t matter to them that the deforestation will lead to the extinction of many species of animals, or that the indigenous people who have been living for thousands of years in harmony with the rainforest will be forced to abandon their ancestral homes, or that many of those unfortunate people might be persecuted or even killed by miners and illegal loggers, and it certainly doesn’t matter to them that by destroying the Amazon rainforest they are guilty of contributing decisively to the acceleration of the climate change. Let’s not forget that Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the oxygen on our planet; if that amount is drastically reduced the consequences will be tragic not only for the Amazon, for the global ecosystem!
If politicians don’t care about the terrible effects that their recklessness and greed can inflict upon the world, ordinary people can still try to open their eyes and make them change their minds and give up their destructive plans, and this is where an organization like Avaaz can make a huge difference, therefore once again I signed the petition joining the voices of millions of citizens of the world who are trying to save this living miracle called the Amazon. I’m confident that all those voices will be heard by Brazilian politicians, including the president, and the Amazon rainforest, or rather what’s left of it and its native people after decades of exploitation, will be preserved as much as possible. Mister president and Brazilian politicians, stop killing the Amazon, its preservation is infinitely more important than your political ambitions!
You can sign this petition here.
