The United Kingdom, the Group of 7 countries, and Leonardo Dicaprio were among the first to come forward and pledged millions of pesos in the latest attempt to ramp up fight against the Amazon wildfires. There have been 41,000 fires in the Amazon regions so far this year and the tragedy continues to ravage the "Lungs of the World."
The United Kingdom, through Prime Minister Boris Johnson, announced a pledge of $12.3 million. He said the amount should help in restoring the Amazon rainforest. Johnson added that the amount would be available immediately.
At the same time, the G7 countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. - pledged a total of $22 million funds for the same cause. It was not immediately clear from reports whether the $12.3 billion from the U.K. was included in this. The group also intended to start a long-term project to protect the rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the funding as his country hosts this year's G7 meeting.
Meanwhile, award-winning actor and anti-climate change advocate DiCaprio pledged $5 million through Earth Alliance, environmental philanthropy that he co-chairs. He announced this through an Instagram post where he also specified the intended allocation for the money.
"... for indigenous communities and other local partners working to protect the life-sustaining biodiversity of the Amazon against the surge of fires currently burning across the region," his post reads.
Further, the actor also encouraged his more than 34 million followers to do the same in whatever amount they can. Those who wished to participate can course their donation through Earth Alliance which promised that all money raised will be allocated entirely to Amazon preservation.
Other celebrities have also encouraged their fans to join the fight. These celebrities include Madonna, Jaden Smith, rapper Lil Nas, and supermodel Cara Delevingne.
The Amazon wildfires have become a global concern. While there has yet an official estimate as to how much impact it brought the world economy, experts said 25 percent of the pharmaceuticals sold in the U.S. are made from 40 different Amazon plants. At the same time, 40 percent of U.S. drugs sold are made from the Amazonian flora.
While blames were cast upon farmers and cattle ranchers who allegedly use slash-and-burn to clear lands in the Amazon, environmentalists placed the blame on Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro.
In his election campaign, Bolsonaro included in his economic platform plans of exploring the Amazon. This may have inadvertently paved the way for lax environmental laws and encouraging deforestation. The biggest drive, however, was his move to cut the budget of the nation's environmental enforcement agency by $23 million.
