Social media outrage over global response to Amazon forest fire
When a fire destroyed the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, the world knew in three minutes. But this most recent disaster has divided the internet.
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When a fire tore through Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris earlier this year, donations poured in across the world at such a rapid rate, more than one billion was raised in just two days.
The world was made aware of the catastrophe within three minutes of the first flame.
In fact, the amount of money pledged by celebrities, billionaires and other generous donors far surpassed the amount needed to make the dramatic structural repairs.
The wave of goodwill, however, has generated a new wave of backlash on social media more than four months after the tragedy.
Why? Well, another horrific fire is burning in one of the world’s most crucial natural landmarks — but it’s taken three weeks for the world to really take note.
The world hasn’t stopped. In fact, it’s only just started to get some attention, despite more than one-and-a-half soccer fields’ being destroyed every minute.
For three whole weeks, the single largest tropical rainforest in the world is being destroyed.
The Amazon is often referred to as the planet’s lungs, producing 20 per cent of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere. As the largest rainforest on the planet, it is considered a vital instrument in slowing global warming.
The fires are so prominent that they can now be seen from space, with satellites tracking a record number of wildfires burning across the Brazilian rainforest.
With such a catastrophe taking place for weeks on end, social media users have been quick to question why the tragedy at Notre-Dame surpassed what’s currently unfolding in the Amazon.
And cap wants to talk about Jill stien ? RT @Y2SHAF: a reminder that the amazon forest has been on fire for 3 weeks now and because of the lack of media coverage people don’t know about it. this is one of most important ecosystems on earth pic.twitter.com/JERjoKbWjE
— John Cusack (@johncusack) August 21, 2019
Why the hell did people care more about a single building with historical significance to a single faith than they do about the Amazon? The role it plays on our planet is a ton more significant than Notre Dame. #AmazonRainforest #AmazonFire pic.twitter.com/1mks1K7aqB
— Cam (@The_CAMusic) August 21, 2019
The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.
— Robyn O'Brien (@RobynOBrienUSA) August 21, 2019
Mother Nature (MN Inc) is issuing another quarterly earnings report. These are getting more serious & more severe each time.
When Notre Dame was burning, the world was swift to respond.
Now what?
Let us set the record straight.
— bok Orly (@orlyoboza) August 22, 2019
When the Church of NOTRE DAME is burning, media coverage was all over the place in a few hours.
The RAINFOREST of AMAZON in Brazil is burning for 3 weeks but no media coverage.#PrayforAmazonia#ClimateJUSTICE pic.twitter.com/H3enNUWa8n
Images of fires purportedly devouring sections of the world’s largest rainforest have gone viral on Twitter, prompting the backlash and trending hashtag #PrayforAmazonas, which has now received more than 249,000 tweets.
“I would rather see Notre Dame totally destroyed and see the Amazon forest protected forever,” one person said.
“There’s no point in preserving history if we’re just gonna watch the future of our planet slip away.”
Another added that when Notre Dame burned, the world stopped.
“Billionaires emptied their pockets to help rebuild,” he said. “Meanwhile the Amazon has been burning for 3 weeks. The difference is, we don’t get to build a new earth. When it’s gone, it’s gone.”
When the Notre Dame was burning, the media reported it within 3 minutes. The Amazon has been burning for 3 weeks, and the news has only just started to cover the story. #PrayforAmazonas pic.twitter.com/HwSCWTHsrs
— Ciara Connick (@ciaraconnick1) August 21, 2019
When Notre Dame was burning the world stopped. Billionaires and politicians emptied their pockets to help rebuild. Meanwhile the amazon has been burning for three weeks. The difference is, we don't get to build a new earth. When it's gone, it's gone. #PrayforAmazonas pic.twitter.com/o3GC59PHLu
— Francis Maxwell (@francismmaxwell) August 21, 2019
While it was not possible to measure the size of the area affected by fires, thick smoke in recent days has blanketed several cities, including Sao Paulo, and caused a commercial flight to be diverted.
Official figures show nearly 73,000 forest fires were recorded in Brazil in the first eight months of the year — the highest number for any year since 2013.
Most were in the Amazon.
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Originally published as Social media outrage over global response to Amazon forest fire