Record number of rainforest fires a burning issue for us all

The 70,000 fires this year have been set to clear land for grazing and for crops, but destroying ‘the lungs of the planet’ will hasten the climate change catastrophe, says Catherine Wylie Raging fires in the Amazon rainforest — the forests are known as ‘the lungs of the planet’ — have sparked global concerns.

Raging fires in the Amazon rainforest — the forests are known as ‘the lungs of the planet’ — have sparked global concerns.

Brazilian federal experts reported a record number of wildfires across the country this year, up 84% over the same period in 2018. But why has this happened and what does it mean for all of us?