Fires in the Brazilian rainforest have reached record numbers with data from the National Institute for Space Research showing a rise of over 80% from last year.
More than half of these are in the Amazon region.
As the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon is a vital store of carbon, which slows down the pace of global warming.
Boris Johnson says he’s “deeply concerned” by the wildfires and has called for international action.
The prime minister has vowed to push for a renewed focus on tackling climate change at the G7 summit this weekend.
The Brazilian president has accused world leaders of interfering after Emmanuel Macron described the blazes, which are emitting smoke that can be seen in space, as an “international crisis”.
Environmentalists have blamed Brazil’s leader for perpetuating the problem by encouraging farmers and loggers to clear land there.
Conservation director at A Rocha UK, Andy Lester told Premier of his concerns about the fires. He said: “There are currently nine and a half thousand fires burning across the rain forest that have been started illegally, by people wanting to cattle ranch or mine on land that is not owned by them. That is a major problem because it depleting the rain forest at a rapid rate.
“If we’re seeing huge fires across an area, the size of the UK or more in Brazil, then we know that in some areas of the world like Brazil, far…
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