The Amazon rainforest, in parts of Brazil, has undergone massive deforestation in the past few years. Since Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, was elected in 2019, deforestation has soared to 92%.

¨The Amazon—the world’s largest rainforest—is disappearing. As much as 17 percent is already gone. Destruction of the rainforest has gone on for decades, but it is intensifying, increasing 47 percent under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has fueled the practice by easing regulations and supporting the expansion of mining, agriculture and commercial developments in the Amazon,¨ Model Dimplocacy wrote.

Even though the Amazon rainforest is thousands of miles away, the U.S. has made a detrimental impact on the forest itself. 

“The United States has a responsibility and contributes indirectly to deforestation in Brazil,” said Mariana Mota, public policy coordinator at Greenpeace Brazil.

President Biden has voiced his concern about the rapid deforestation and is making an effort to stop or slow it down. The Biden Administration pledged half a billion dollars to this issue.

“Today, I’m pleased to announce that I will request the funds so that we can contribute $500 million to the Amazon Fund and other climate-related activities over the next five years to support Brazil’s renewed effort to end deforestation by 2030,” Biden said during a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.

If this pledge gets approved by Congress, it’s predicted that deforestation will possibly slow down in the next few years.