The State of the Amazon Rainforest Today
Although the majority of Tristes Tropiques was shot by Mosse in 2020, the Amazon’s situation has not improved. By April of this year, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest had already cleared an area of land almost the size of Los Angeles, or 446 square miles (1,157 square kilometers). Data show that deforestation has been rising in recent months ahead of the annual burning season in the region.
Brazil faces intense political pressure by the U.S. and others to stop the destruction, but it remains to be seen if something will actually be done under the country’s current leadership. All recent signs are not hopeful, though.
As Mosse said, “the writing is on the wall.” The Amazon rainforest is critical to our fight against climate change, and the actions we take now will shape the Amazon of the future. If we don’t move to save it, the world will lose one of its great allies in the climate crisis, and we will be left to face the dangerous consequences.
