The Amazon is a lost paradise.. from rainforest to plains

From the sky, the Amazon is an endless stretch of dark green dotted with only meandering blue rivers... But on the ground, the landscape is different. The world's largest rainforest is riddled with gigantic brown scars from the removal of trees to make way for roads and mining mines. and plant crops.

It is the "arc of deforestation" that is advancing at a rapid pace across South America, and a disaster is on its way to our planet.

Thanks to its lush vegetation and the miracle of photosynthesis, the Amazon basin, until recently, absorbed large amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, undoing the nightmare of climate change that could spiral out of control.

But studies show that the rainforest is approaching the "tipping point" at which the rainforest turns into plains and 390 billion trees die in groups.

Today, the devastation is accelerating, especially since far-right climate-skeptic President Jair Bolsonaro came to power in January 2019 in Brazil, which is home to 60 percent of the Amazon, with his push to make protected land available to agribusiness and mining.

Also, the devastation affects the rich array of interconnected species, more than three million of them, including symbolic wild animals such as the trick eagle, one of the largest and most powerful birds of prey in the world, and the majestic jaguar.

The violent invasions of illegal gold miners in the indigenous lands have taken a heavy toll on the indigenous people, who are the best keepers of the forest due to their traditions of deep respect for nature.

"The sun is getting hotter, the rivers are drying up, the animals are disappearing. The whole system is collapsing," said Eldo Shaninawa, 42, a leader of the Shaninawa people in northwest Brazil.

Scientists say that if the Amazon reaches a tipping point, rather than helping to curb climate change, it will suddenly accelerate its pace, re-releasing a decade of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

"Despite the poor predictions (on climate change), they are in fact optimistic," said Brazilian atmospheric chemist Luciana Gatti. "We will get to the horror movie scenario much sooner than expected."

"We are killing the Amazon," she added.

In many ways, it's a sinister story: violent men in black hats take advantage of a lawless region and exploit political corruption and endemic inequality to get rich.

But it is also the story of all of humanity: our relationship with nature, our insatiable appetite, and our inability to stop before it is too late.

After all, the gold, timber, soybeans, and beef that destroy the Amazon have to do with global supply and demand.

These products that kill the Amazon can be found in homes around the world.

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