The Amazon Rainforest is ablaze – and you can help.

The very concept of a rainforest evokes images of a wet, humid climate and part of the world many of us wish to see/ visit and experience. The rainforest does have a dry season in July and August that's also the forest's fire season. But it is hard to comprehend the extremity of conditions that result in such a vast and damaging fire season. This Amazon fire season will leave many deep environmental scars, irrevocably damaging the lungs of the world.

Videos and images of fires raging across the Amazon, which can be seen from space, have been spreading across the internet, showing plumes and long streaks of white and grey. Which is smoke from thousands of wildfires tearing through the undergrowth. 

‘This year's fires are the latest in a long line of bad news for the Amazon rainforest, which has been suffering from deforestation due to logging, farming, ranching and fires’. 

The Amazon rainforest has experienced a record-setting number of fires this year with nearly 73,000 fires in 2019 so far. The National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) says it's satellite data shows an 85% increase from the same time last year. (source: Refinery29)

NASA is keeping an eye on the situation. They say "As of Aug 2016, satellite observations indicated that total fire activity in the Amazon basin was slightly below average in comparison to the past 15 years". But the activity level has ramped up since then. (source: msn)

 'Amazonas, the largest state in Brazil, has declared a state of emergency'.

The Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world; plays a crucial role in reducing the effects off global warming as it absorbs large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. As a result Environmentalists find these numbers concerning, even more so as this massive increase in fires and the destruction of the forests is somewhat due to human activity and consumption.

The Amazon basin - home to about three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people - is crucial to regulating global warming. The forests absorb millions of tonnes of carbon emissions every year. But when trees are cut or burned, the carbon they are storing is released into the atmosphere, and the rainforest's capacity to absorb carbon emissions are reduced.

Plumes of smoke from the fires have spread across the Amazon region and beyond. According to the European Union's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams), the smoke has been travelling as far as the Atlantic coast. It has even caused skies to darken in São Paulo - more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) away. (source: BBC News)

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and a key ally in fighting the climate crisis. It’s meant to absorb carbon, not produce it. The trees in the Amazon contain up to 140 billion tonnes of carbon - a gas that is released when wood is burned. That’s the equivalent of what humans produce in 100 years. Put simply, there’s no way we can fight the climate crisis without stopping the destruction of our forests.  (source: WWF)

‘As consumers, campaigners and supporters, we can make a difference to the future of the rainforests’.

There are many different ways to help, but if we all get involved; it may cause a vast difference to the life of the Amazon.

Thank you to Refinery29 for sharing these support charities and organisations.

Reduce your own consumption.

While some argue against the belief that personal responsibility can make a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change; experts say there is much individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprint.

Make a small impact by reducing your contribution to deforestation - reduce your paper and wood consumption, and address your use of soybeans and widely-used palm oil. If we all work to making this small change; it WILL make a difference.

Check with the Rainforest Alliance to make sure you're buying forest-safe, sustainable products. You can even purchase certified eco-friendly products directly from their website.

Bonus: When you search for environmentally friendly products to buy, use Ecosia.org as your search engine, which plants a tree for every 45 searches. Ecosia has committed to planting 1 million trees in Brazil over a span of six months

Donate to organisations working to protect the Amazon.

Amazon Aid Foundation: This organisation raises awareness on the need to preserve the Amazon through the arts, science, and other projects.

Thank you to Refinery29 for sharing these support charities and organisations.

Amazon Conservation Association: This nonprofit organisation has worked to protect the western Amazon for nearly 20 years. It tells you exactly what your donation will go towards such as; planting trees, protecting animals' habitats, supporting research, etc.

Amazon Conservation Team: This group partners with indigenous and local communities to protect tropical forests, fight climate change, and "strengthen traditional culture."

Amazon Watch: Founded over 20 years ago, this nonprofit was created to protect the rainforest and defend indigenous populations in the Amazon Basin. It partners with other indigenous and environmental groups to campaign for human rights, corporate accountability, and preservation of the Amazon's ecosystems.

Rainforest Trust: This organisation takes donations to help buy land in the rainforest. Since 1988, it has saved more than 23 million acres of rainforest.

Rainforest Action Network: You can donate to the Rainforest Action Network to protect an acre of the rainforest. The organisation works to protect forests, fight climate change, and uphold human rights.

World Wide Fund for Nature: The WWF helps protect animal species living in the Amazon and countless species across the globe. The organisation is collecting donations to offer emergency relief where it's needed, raise awareness, and advocate for stronger environmental protections in Brazil.