The Amazon isn't "Burning" - It's Being Burned

This is a thing that is happening right now, and (taking a page from the global warming playbook) a think I've been hearing from Bolsonaro's supporters is, "Who even knows how bad it is...deforestation is actually down."

It's so sad to watch us play with words and numbers when the reality is obvious to anyone with eyes. "Deforestation" is down because when you don't count burning, and we don't know how much land has been burned because it's still burning and determining the extent of a forest fire is extremely labor intensive. It takes time to do these surveys. But what we do know for sure is that the number of fires is up all over the Amazon.

And we also know that Bolsonaro's government had decreased inspections dramatically, put military officials in charge of environmental organizations, and fired every scientist who publicly disagrees with him.

There has never been a greater reminder that nationalism is a disaster of an ideology, and that how we imagine the world and who we end up voting for matters. A lot.