• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service
Saturday, May 21, 2022
The Millennial Source
TMS
Home WORLD

Leonardo DiCaprio responds to Brazil President Bolsanaro about the Amazon Fires

byAndrew Stafford
December 7, 2019
in WORLD
Source: Rainforest Partnership

Source: Rainforest Partnership

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin



On Friday, November 29, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused Hollywood actor Leondardo DiCaprio of financing fires set in the Amazon rainforest earlier this year.  Bolsonaro claimed DiCaprio gave “money to set the Amazon on fire.”

According to the New York Times, President Bolsonaro’s remarks are his latest attempt to shift blame for the Amazon fires onto environmental groups operating in Brazil. The accusations made against DiCaprio follow the arrest of four volunteer firefighters in the Amazonian region of Pará accused of starting fires to generate donations.

Bolsanaro’s utterance

Reports suggest that Bolsonaro was commenting on claims that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) paid for images that showed volunteer firefighters tackling fires in the Amazon. The strongly disputed accusation claims that volunteers set fires, took photos and then used the images to solicit donations, including a $500,000 contribution from DiCaprio.

Although the environmental organization denies receiving a donation from DiCaprio following the publication of the images, President Bolsanro said “This Leonardo DiCaprio is a cool guy, right? Giving money to torch the Amazon.” He added: “So what did the NGO do? What is the easiest thing? Set fire to the forest. Take pictures, make a video. WWF makes a campaign against Brazil, it contacts Leonardo DiCaprio, he donates $500,000.”

Before claiming DiCaprio funded the fires, Bolsonaro accused the actor of being involved in an international “campaign against Brazil.”

DiCaprio’s response 

In a statement posted on Instagram, DiCaprio rebutted Bolsonaro’s claim. The actor said, “Although they are certainly worth supporting, we have not funded the organizations that are currently under attack.”

The actor, who pledged $5 million to help protect Brazil’s rainforests following the August fires, added: “The future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at stake and I am proud to be part of the groups that protect them.” He also praised the people of Brazil “working to save their natural and cultural heritage.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio)

World Wildlife Fund response 

Members of the British and Dutch royal families were among the founders of the WWF, which has a revenue of $334 million and $323 million in expenses – for which nearly 85% is reportedly dedicated to charitable services.

WWF’s Brazil office rejected the accusation that they had used images of volunteer firefighters for economic gain. The organization said it “rejects the attacks on its partners and the lies involving its name, including a series of lie-based social media attacks such as the purchase of photographs linked to a donation from the actor Leonardo DiCaprio.”

[article_ad]

Bolsonaro’s past views 

After taking office in January, Bolsonaro expressed a strong opinion regarding environmental groups and foreign nations who criticized his administration’s stance on environmental concerns. The Guardian reports that in 2018 Bolsonaro said: “This cowardly business of international NGOs like WWF and so many others from England sticking their noses into Brazil is going to end! This tomfoolery stops right here!”

Bolsonaro has made unsubstantiated claims about environmental groups working in Brazil before, including involving an Amazon fire in August, which led to the international community condemning his administration’s stand. He blamed the “information war going on in the world against Brazil.” He then ousted the head of his government’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) that monitors deforestation, accusing the institute of manipulating deforestation data to discredit his administration.

Fires burn in the Amazon

In August this year, fires burned in the Amazon. There were 30,901 individual fires – three times as many as the previous month. The increased rate of the fires has led to global concern over the condition of the “lungs of the planet” – as the Amazon is often referred to – which some claim play a significant role in mitigating the climate crisis.

It is not uncommon for fires to burn in the Amazon during the dry season. However, critics attribute the increased devastation to Bolsonaro’s pro-business policies. Critics say such policies have weakened environmental protection and encouraged deforestation of the Amazon. 

Although widespread deforestation dates back decades, the issue had been well managed by the Brazilian government since the early 2000s, when nearly half of the Amazon was under protection to reduce deforestation. Since the election of Bolsonaro, his administration has argued that environmental legislation hinders economic development in the region – resulting in the highest deforestation rate in years.

Bolsonaro was initially unconcerned about the fires, rejecting international calls to take action, and claiming foreign leaders and environmental groups were making unfounded claims. However, after increased pressure and trade deal threats, the president deployed Brazilian troops to combat the fires. He later signed an order banning land clearance fires in the Amazon for a sixty-day period.

The fires led to increased levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). National Geographic reports the impact on the ecosystem of the Amazon was “massive”. Industrial and agricultural actions that facilitated the fires threaten approximately 306,000 indigenous people who live near or within the rainforest. 

[article_ad]

Related

ShareTweetShare

Latest Posts

Wil Fang Cookie Department

Wil Fang: The man behind the cookie, how he rolls with the punches and his plans outside of food and Hong Kong

May 21, 2022
aid Ukraine

From the US sending another US$40 billion of aid to Ukraine to the rare monkeypox outbreak – Here is your May 20 news briefing

May 20, 2022
Elon Musk

Elon Musk loses US$12.3 billion in 24 hours amid tweeting politics and calling ESG a “scam”

May 20, 2022

US Senate approves US$40 billion in Ukraine aid as Biden welcomes Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to enter NATO

May 20, 2022

Indonesia will lift its palm oil export ban from Monday

May 20, 2022

Rare monkeypox cases detected in the US, Europe and UK. Here’s what you need to know

May 20, 2022

From North Korea’s COVID spike to Google Russia declaring bankruptcy – Here is your May 19 news briefing

May 19, 2022

Google to declare bankruptcy in Russia

May 19, 2022

The US SEC investigates Wall Street over use of unapproved messaging apps

May 19, 2022

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TMS NEWSLETTER

By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy

The Millennial Source Ltd. 2021

No Result
View All Result
  • Your daily briefing
  • About us
  • Explore
    • Startups
    • Climate change
    • Tech giants
    • Crypto
    • The future of work
    • Banking giants
    • Economy
  • Lifestyle
  • TMS archives
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy & Terms

© 2022 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

string(24) "jsonld single post debug"
The Millennial Source
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.