President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro to send army to fight huge fires in the Amazon
Port Velho (Brazil), Aug 24: Under international pressure to contain fires sweeping parts of Brazil's Amazon, President Jair Bolsonaro has authorised use of the military to battle the huge blazes while thousands took to the streets to protest his environmental policies.
Brazilian forces will deploy starting Saturday to border areas, indigenous territories and other affected regions in the Amazon to assist in putting out fires for a month, according to a presidential decree authorising use of the army on Friday.
The military will "act strongly" to control the wildfires, Bolsonaro promised as he signed the decree.
The armed forces will collaborate with public security and environmental protection agencies, the decree says.
"The protection of the forest is our duty," the president said. "We are aware of that and will act to combat deforestation and criminal activities that put people at risk in the Amazon. We are a government of zero tolerance for crime, and in the environmental field it will not be different."
Bolsonaro has previously described rainforest protections as an obstacle to Brazil's economic development, sparring with critics who note that the Amazon produces vast amounts of oxygen and is considered crucial for efforts to contain climate change.
As the president spoke, thousands of Brazilians demonstrated in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia demanding the government announce concrete actions to curb the fires. People also banged pots from their homes, a traditional mode of protest in South America.
An Associated Press journalist who travelled to the Amazon region Friday saw many already deforested areas that had been burned.
Charred trees and fallen branches were seen around Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia state, which borders Bolivia. In some instances, the burned fields were adjacent to intact livestock ranches and other farms, suggesting the fires had been managed as part of a land-clearing policy.
A large column of smoke billowed from one fire, and smoke rose from a couple of nearby wooded areas. Life appeared normal in Porto Velho. However, visibility from the windows of an arriving airplane was poor because of smog enveloping the region.
Small numbers of demonstrators gathered outside Brazilian diplomatic missions in Paris, London, Geneva and Bogota, Colombia, to urge Brazil to do more to fight the fires. Larger protests were held in Uruguay and Argentina. Hundreds also protested in Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
Neighbouring Bolivia and Paraguay have also struggled to contain fires that swept through woods and fields, in many cases set to clear land for farming. About 7,500 square kilometers (2,900 square miles) of land has been affected in Bolivia, Defense Minister Javier Zavaleta said.
A B747-400 SuperTanker arrived in Bolivia and began flying over devastated areas to help put out the fires and protect forests. The US-based aircraft can carry nearly 76,000 liters (20,000 gallons) of retardant, a substance used to stop fires.
Some 370 square kilometers (140 square miles) have burned in northern Paraguay, near the borders with Brazil and Bolivia, said Joaqu n Roa, a Paraguayan state emergency official. He said the situation had stabilised.
Close to 20 per cent of the Amazon has already been deforested, said Thomas Lovejoy, a George Mason University environmental scientist.
"I worry that the current deforestation will push past the tipping point leading to massive loss of forests and biodiversity," Lovejoy wrote in an email to The Associated Press. He said Brazil is "turning its back" on past environmental achievements, including the 1992 Earth Summit, and has proposed infrastructure projects that will accelerate the challenge of climate change.
"Fires are directly burning into the Amazon rainforest and that releases the carbon stored in those trees," said Doug Morton, a NASA scientist. "The carbon then enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane, where it contributes to the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change, bringing us a warmer and a drier planet."
Morton said there is now "an uptick in the pressure against the remaining Amazon forest, to expand agriculture production in areas that are the leading edge in the deforestation frontier." Fires are common in Brazil in the annual dry season, but they are much more widespread this year.
Brazilian state experts reported nearly 77,000 wildfires across the country so far this year, up 85 per cent over the same period in 2018.
Just over half of those fires have occurred in the Amazon region. Brazil contains about 60 per cent of the Amazon rainforest.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he spoke with Bolsonaro.
"Our future Trade prospects are very exciting and our relationship is strong, perhaps stronger than ever before," Trump tweeted.
"I told him if the United States can help with the Amazon Rainforest fires, we stand ready to assist!" In escalating tension over the fires, France accused Bolsonaro of having lied to French leader Emmanuel Macron and threatened to block a European Union trade deal with several South American states, including Brazil. Ireland joined in the threat.
This satellite image provided by NASA on Aug. 13, 2019 shows several fires burning in the Brazilian Amazon forest. Brazils National Institute for Space Research, a federal agency monitoring deforestation and wildfires, said the country has seen a record number of wildfires this year, counting 74,155 as of Tuesday, Aug. 20, an 84 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Sao Paulo: Demonstrators march holding a banner with a message that reads in Portuguese: The Amazon belongs to the people, during a protest demanding action from Brazils government combating the fires in the Amazon in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday
Jaci Parana: Fire consumes an area near Jaci Parana, state of Rondonia, Brazil, Saturday.
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Seers like Shivakumara Swami shape soul of society, nation: President Murmu
Tumakuru (Karnataka) (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said seers like Shivakumara Swami give shape to the soul of society and the nation, and their spiritual legacy continues to nourish the country even after their physical departure.
Known as 'Trivida dasohi' for his triple sacraments -- food, shelter and education -- among his followers, Shivakumara Swami was the pontiff of the renowned Siddaganga Math. He passed away at the age of 111 on January 21, 2019.
The President emphasised that diligence, public service, and national service are interlinked, and that spirituality provides a strong and enduring foundation for both public and national service.
Addressing the 119th birth anniversary and Guruvandana of the seer at Sree Siddaganga Math here, the President said, "I believe that seers like Shri Shivakumara Swamiji give shape to the soul of our society and our nation. His physical body merged into the supreme element in the year 2019, but his legacy continues to nourish society and the country."
Murmu said that the seer's life dedicated to the service of the poor and the deprived remained a unique example of expressing spirituality through welfare activities.
"He continued to enrich humanity for many years through his spiritual activity. His life dedicated to the service of the poor and the deprived, and expressing spirituality through welfare activities, is a unique example," she said.
Praising the activities of the Math, the President said, "It is said that through this Math, arrangements for free food, accommodation, and education are made for a large number of rural children, which is highly commendable."
Emphasising that education is the key to development, she said that providing education to deprived and poor children means building the future of the country and advancing the nation's development.
"I am especially pleased to know that from primary school to higher education in engineering and management, arrangements for education have been made by the Math. For this purpose, many educational institutions have been established," she said.
She also highlighted the healthcare initiatives associated with the institution. "I have also been told that the Sri Siddaganga Hospital, established by Shri Shivakumara Swamiji, provides excellent healthcare services to the general public," the President said and added that the Math carried forward a long tradition of service and spirituality.
Referring to the ideals of 12th century social reformer Basavanna, she said, "It is a matter of great happiness that today your spiritual institution is following the ideals of Prabhu Basavanna". She said that the example of a democratic system, based on a society free of discrimination and the participation of all, was presented centuries ago by Basavanna.
Lauding Karnataka, the President said that the state presented one of the most effective examples of public service, national service, spirituality and modern progress, and congratulated the people of the state for their contribution to nation-building.
Murmu said that by walking on the path of nation-building, altruism and dedication to duty, people could truly pay tribute to Shivakumara Swami.
"On this occasion associated with his sacred memory, we will all take a pledge that we will always remain active in enhancing the glory of Karnataka Mata and Bharat Mata," she said.
On the occasion of his Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Shivakumara Swami, recalling his remarkable contributions across education, social welfare and spirituality, which have left an enduring imprint on society.
"He (Swamiji) stands in collective memory as an embodiment of compassion, humility and unwavering service to humanity. Through a lifetime dedicated to uplifting others, he demonstrated that true greatness lies in serving others," PM Modi said in a post on 'X'.
The prime minister recalled that even today, Swami's life continues to guide and inspire countless individuals to walk the path of selflessness and service.
