Earth Alliance, an environmental initiative backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, has committed $5 million toward the preservation of the Amazon rain forest following the recent surge in wildfires.
Environmental group say donation will help ‘focus critical resources’
Earth Alliance, an environmental group co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio, announced over the weekend that it will donate $5m to help combat the fires currently ravaging the Amazon rainforest. – reported The Guardian
The initial monetary commitment will help “focus critical resources on the key protections needed to maintain the ‘lungs of the planet’”, Earth Alliance explained in a post, encouraging members of the public to donate as well.
“These funds will be distributed directly to local partners and the indigenous communities protecting the Amazon, the incredible diversity of wildlife that lives there, and the health of the planet overall,” the group said.
DiCaprio announced the aid package on Instagram and said: “The lungs of the Earth are in flames. The Brazilian Amazon – home to 1 million Indigenous people and 3 million species – has been burning for more than two weeks straight.”
DiCaprio helped set up Earth Alliance with the billionaires Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth.
Why the Forest Fund is so important
The Amazon rainforest is on fire, with more than 9,000 wildfires scorching delicate, irreplaceable landscapes across Brazil this week — year to date, more than 72,000 fires have been reported by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This is a significant increase from the 40,000 fires in Brazil at this point last year.
Why is this happening?
An unprecedented surge in deforestation, which leads to a drier overall region. This means less rain and dry grasslands that, once they start burning, result in fires that are nearly impossible to control.
How does this start?
Large-scale cattle operations and feed crops — much of it illegal — along with some impacts from logging, are the primary drivers of this deforestation.
What does this mean for the planet?
The destruction of the Amazon rainforest is rapidly releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, destroying an ecosystem that absorbs millions of tons of carbon emissions every year and is one of the planet’s best defenses against the climate crisis.
In addition, indigenous peoples’ land covers about 110 million hectares of the Brazilian Amazon, making the region critical not just for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, but also for the cultural survival, self-determination, and wellbeing of the Amazon’s indigenous peoples.
Source: EarthAlliance
The Earth Alliance commitment, and how you can help
Earth Alliance has formed an emergency Amazon Forest Fund with an initial commitment of $5 million to focus critical resources on the key protections needed to maintain the ‘lungs of the planet.’
These funds will be distributed directly to local partners and the indigenous communities protecting the Amazon, the incredible diversity of wildlife that lives there, and the health of the planet overall.
Earth Alliance are proud to support the following local organisations combating the fires, protecting indigenous lands, and providing relief to the communities impacted:
- Instituto Associacao Floresta Protegida (Kayapo)
- Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB)
- Instituto Kabu (Kayapo)
- Instituto Raoni (Kayapo)
- Instituto Socioambiental (ISA)
Earth Alliance hope you will join them however you can. Preventing these fires requires protecting the forests, so help Earth Alliance fight deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by making a donation to the Amazon Forest Fund today.
Source: EarthAlliance
EARTH ALLIANCE AMAZON FOREST FUND: 100% OF DONATIONS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO PROTECTING THE AMAZON
We hope you will join us however you can. Preventing these fires requires protecting the forests, so help Earth Alliance fight deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by making a donation to the Amazon Forest Fund today.