Cindy Carr, or cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
Oakland, CA-- Earlier this week, news reports broke about a fires that have been raging in the Amazon rainforest for over three weeks. Yesterday, leaked documents revealed that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been actively working to undermine conservation efforts and uproot indigenous communities that live in the rainforest in order to profit business allies. His anti-environment policies have led to an unprecedented increase in illegal logging and rainforest destruction.
The Amazon rainforest contains 10 percent of the world’s biodiversity and is home to hundreds of thousands of Brazil’s indigenous people. So far this year, fires in Brazil have increased 83 percent compared to last year
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
"The Sierra Club rises in solidarity with the people of Brazil and the indigenous communities who are tirelessly working to protect their homes, their culture, and the 'Lungs of the Planet.' Jair Bolsonaro’s reckless anti-environment policies are not only putting the people of Brazil at risk, they are driving the climate crisis to the point of no return. World leaders must meet this challenge head-on to protect indigenous communities and one of the world’s most significant - and vulnerable - natural places.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.