Letter to the editor: We need to do more about the Amazon fires
I am very worried about the hundreds of fires that are burning through the Amazon rainforest.
Although Hong Kong is far away from Brazil, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care.
The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and is home to hundreds of thousands of species of plants and animals. Some of these animals are highly endangered, including the uakari monkey and giant otters.
Unfortunately, the fires also pose a serious threat to the native people living in the rainforest. In fact, tribes have lived there for thousands of years. Many of these communities have disappeared completely. We need to protect the rest. Their lives depend on the actions we take to save the Amazon.
Most disturbingly, the forest fires have an impact on global climate change, as they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Here are some suggestions to help fix the situation:
First, we can all make donations to NGOs and charities that are fighting the Amazon fires.
Second, the Brazilian government should invite professionals to regularly monitor the rainforest to prevent fires.
Third, students can learn more about the crisis online and from newspapers, and educate their friends and family about it.
I sincerely hope “the lungs of the Earth” will recover soon. I will be praying for it.
Maggie Yeung, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
The Amazon rainforest fires and Hong Kong: what's our impact and what can we do?
From the Editor
Thanks for your letter, Maggie.
It is indeed a tragedy that very little has been done about the fires raging in the Amazon for the past several months. This worsens pollution and global warming, which has led to melting ice caps and extreme weather.
You have put forward some good ideas but actions speak louder than words, so we, too, can do our bit to save our planet.
Although summer is officially over, this is still a very good time to talk about energy wastage.
During hot weather, just turning the air conditioner down a little – or even off altogether – will make a difference to our environment.
We can also use fewer plastic bags, recycle our rubbish, and switch to energy-efficient light bulbs.
If you or your school are involved in environmentally-friendly projects, we’d love to hear from you.
It’s impossible to ignore the effects of global warming. We need to change our lifestyles and show more respect to our environment.
M. J. Premaratne, Sub-editor