Many of The Viral Amazon Photos Aren’t Actually From Recent Fires Or From Amazon
Tags: opinion
As we have been reporting this week, the Amazon rainforest is burning at an alarming rate. Images of the burning forest have shocked the world and sparked global outrage, but unfortunately, many of the photos that have gone viral are actually fake, or at the very least not properly attributed. It is very true that there are unprecedented fires in the Amazon, but there are very few verified photos of what is taking place on the ground.
One of the most popular photos shared on social media was an image of a fire that occurred in the Amazon more than 20 years ago. The photo was shared by celebrities like Jaden Smith and Logan Paul and quickly became the face of the recent disaster.
amazon rainforest: how can i help? need advice on how i can actually make a change here; these pictures are breaking my heart… this is one of the most important ecosystems on earth. is there a fundraiser, a call to action, anything i can leverage my audience for on this? pic.twitter.com/s3RcbZbMr0
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) August 21, 2019
Another photo, shared by Leonardo DiCaprio on Instagram showed another massive fire in the Amazon, but CNN discovered that this photo was initially published in 2018. The same photo was posted by French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the situation an “international crisis.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1b_JNIF1kg/?utm_source=ig_embed
Actor David Licauco shared four photos in a Tweet with the hashtag #PrayforAmazonia, but none of the images actually showed the current devastation of the forest.
Only found out on twitter that Amazon rainforest, ‘the earth’s lungs’ has been burning for 3 weeks?! Why is there no media coverage about it? HEARTBREAKING. #PrayforAmazonia 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/JYwWnAPmom
— David Licauco (@davidlicauco) August 21, 2019
The two photos on the left were taken during previous Amazon fires, while the two on the right were taken years ago in Sweden and Montana.
Blogger Nathalie Muñoz posted many of the same viral photos as everyone else, but also included shots of animals in horrific situations. These photos were also old and taken in an entirely different location.
This is ALARMING you guys…
THE AMAZON rainforest has been on fire for THREE weeks and we’re just finding out about this 🙏🏽 #AmazonFire #PrayForTheAmazon pic.twitter.com/2XQnSDK5K9— Nathalie Muñoz (@NathalieMunozx3) August 21, 2019
We can be sure that animals in the Amazon are currently facing a similar fate, and it is important to raise awareness, but these types of mistakes could cause some people to lose trust in activists, environmentalists, and independent media sources.
NASA scientists have released satellite imagery showing the extent of the damage. In the images, smoke can be seen covering a large portion of Brazil.
NEW: NOAA’s #GOES16 gives this fresh look at the #smoke from the #AmazonRainforest #fires this morning. The smoke is flowing across #Brazil, #Bolivia and #Paraguay. pic.twitter.com/DLxo7M0492
— NOAA Satellites – Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) August 22, 2019
In the past week, since August 15, over 9,500 new forest fires were reported in Brazil, most of them spread across the Amazon basin.
Over 5000 people have downloaded our free ebook “Growth Hacking Tips And Rituals For Optimal Living” CLICK HERE to get your free copy now
According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, over 74,000 forest fires were started in Brazil this year, which is nearly double the 40,000 fires that were recorded in 2018. This represents an 83 percent increase in wildfires when compared to the same time last year, making it the most fires recorded in a single year since the Brazilian government started tracking such matters.
The video below shows a recent report from Reuters which features new footage of the Amazon fires.
https://www.facebook.com/TheStraitsTimes/videos/2540935142792748/
Leave Comment: