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Fire consumes an area in Altamira, Brazil Leo Correa via PA Images

US ready to fight Amazon forest fires ... but only if it involves working with Brazilian government

On Monday, the countries of the G7 pledged €18 million to tackle the Amazon fires.

THE US IS ready and willing to help Brazil fight forest fires in the Amazon, an aide to President Donald Trump has said, but only if it involves working with the Brazilian government.

On Monday, the countries of the G7 – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – pledged €18 million to tackle blazes engulfing parts of the world’s largest rainforest that is crucial for maintaining a stable global climate. 

“The US stands ready to assist Brazil in efforts to combat fires in the Amazon,” National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis tweeted. 

However, the Trump administration prefers a plan that includes discussion with Brazil’s government, he said. 

“We didn’t agree to a G7 initiative that failed to include consultations w/ @jairbolsonaro. The most constructive way to assist w/ Brazil’s ongoing efforts is in coordination w/ the Brazilian Gov.”

Some 83,329 fires have been reported in Brazil this year, according to the most recent figures from Brazilian space research agency INPE

The overall figure is the highest since records began in 2013, and marks an 84% increase on the same period last year.

Over 1,650 new fires were started on Sunday and Monday alone.

Over half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin. Some 60% of the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, is in Brazil.

The forest absorbs two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, about 5% of the world’s annual emissions. 

Brazil’s stance

Bolsonaro has repeatedly clashed with European leaders, especially France’s President Emmanuel Macron, over Brazil’s handling of the Amazon crisis.

Bolsonaro at first rejected the G7′s offer, saying on Tuesday that he would be willing to accept the aid only if Macron withdrew his “insults”, before changing his mind to say Brazil would accept foreign aid on the condition that it controlled the money.

But later yesterday, the South American leader fired a fresh salvo, accusing France and Germany of “buying” Brazil’s national sovereignty and throwing into doubt whether his country was still open to accepting the aid funds.

Trump, who met with Bolsonaro at the White House in March, tweeted his “full and complete support” for the Brazilian president on Tuesday and praised him for his “very hard” work on the Amazon crisis. 

Macron has accused Bolsonaro of lying to him about his commitments on climate change and vowed to block the EU-Mercosur trade deal involving Brazil that took decades to negotiate.

Closer to home, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week threatened that Ireland will vote against the controversial Mercosur trade deal unless Brazil takes steps to protect the Amazon.

“There is no way that Ireland will vote for the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement if Brazil does not honour its environmental commitments,” Varadkar said in a statement.

“President Bolsonaro’s efforts to blame the fires on environmental NGOs is Orwellian,” Varadkar added. 

Although about 60% of the Amazon is located in Brazil, the vast forest also spreads over parts of either other countries or territories in South America. 

Includes reporting by © AFP 2019 and Órla Ryan

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    Mute Duncan Paul
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    Aug 29th 2019, 7:13 AM

    Take your time lads.
    Plenty of time

    56
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    Mute Paul
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    Aug 29th 2019, 2:08 PM

    @Duncan Paul: In the meantime Ireland and the rest of the E.U should start planting trees and return forestry back into their landscapes.

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    Mute Bull McCabe
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    Aug 29th 2019, 7:46 AM

    Maybe Donald plans to nuke the fires?

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    Mute Dr. Udaya Khandavilli
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    Aug 29th 2019, 7:41 AM

    Take the bloødy decision for God sake, before the Earth’s lungs completely burns out!

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Aug 29th 2019, 8:27 AM

    @Dr. Udaya Khandavilli: I think America needs permission to enter Brazilian airspace with planes and helicopters.

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    Mute Will
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    Aug 29th 2019, 10:29 AM

    @Dr. Udaya Khandavilli: The claim that the amazon rain forest is the lungs of the world is disingenuous. The rain forest uses the same amount of oxygen that it produces so the net amount of oxygen produced is zero.
    The real value of the rain forest is that it absorbs a huge amount of carbon dioxide which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
    Even in this regard the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the Amazon rain forest is dwarfed by that which is absorbed by our oceans (which we are all in the process of destroying).
    Finally, the burning of the amazon reached it’s peak during Lula’s presidency. Almost twice as many fires started in 2005 then in 2019. Our outrage is selective and ill informed.

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    Mute Keith Fay
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    Aug 29th 2019, 1:07 PM

    @Will: this is correct ^

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    Mute Dara O'Brien
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    Aug 29th 2019, 4:35 PM

    @Will: Generally correct but for one part.

    The lungs of the earth can indeed be correct, providing that one has the correct understanding of lungs.

    Lungs do not create oxygen as most of the misinformed appear to believe when making this statement.

    Lungs do perform an essential function though – exchanging CO2 and O2. In this sense the statement could indeed be seen as being correct.

    The Amazon does indeed absorb a large amount of CO2 and exchange if for O2 – it just happens to use all that O2 itself.

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    Mute Doire
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    Aug 29th 2019, 8:04 AM

    The soloution here is obvious ” would anything be said for another mass” sure one more do no harm

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    Mute Smiley
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    Aug 29th 2019, 9:54 AM

    USA will only help if there’s profit to be made, for them.

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    Mute Chris Folliard
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    Aug 29th 2019, 8:58 AM

    USA probably will probably start a war there.

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    Mute The decline of Manchester United
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    Aug 29th 2019, 10:09 AM

    @Smiley: While our Government rushes to volunteer to help put out the fires. ldiotic comment

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    Mute Rebecca De Stanleigh
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    Aug 29th 2019, 10:28 AM

    Worse than children

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    Mute Paul Riordan
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    Aug 29th 2019, 7:09 PM

    Can’t beat a bit of red tape.

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 30th 2019, 12:17 AM

    Got to love the “InterAmerican group” with their help from the CIA, makes you wonder how involved are the CIA now in Brazil???

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