Climate change is an existential threat, and it can often feel completely overwhelming. This feeling makes sense: the problem is global, and seemingly very complex. In fact, so many people report experiencing negative emotions when they think about climate change that there are now literal words for these feelings: eco-anxiety, ecological grief, and climate despair.
But what if we told you that there actually was a pretty simple solution that would reduce climate change and stop the Amazon from getting hotter and drier?
There is one: stop Amazonian deforestation.
This year, the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, is gathering in Brazil. It would be the height of irony if they left Brazil without committing to protect the Amazon itself.
Sign the petition now to demand COP30 attendees halt deforestation of the Amazon immediately!New research conducted by scientists in Brazil shows that deforestation is more responsible for drying the Amazon than climate change itself. This is not only an amazing scientific finding in and of itself, but it also gives global leaders a very clear priority for the next round of COP negotiations this year. They must agree to halt Amazonian deforestation immediately.
The results are shocking: the scientists found that deforestation accounts for nearly three-quarters of the observed decline in dry-season rainfall, and over 15% of the warming in the biome. When substantial proportions of the forest are removed, the climate experiences massive local swings.
The planetary warming that is happening can feel completely insurmountable, and this research is the reminder we all needed: that simple solutions can make giant impacts.
It is time that COP30 attendees commit to prioritizing the end of Amazonian deforestation at this year's conference. Sign the petition now if you agree!