We know that the root cause of the unprecdented amounts of fires in the Amazon is rapid deforestation for the purposes of ranching, farming and mining.

The question is: who are the companies responsible for the rapid deforestation that is threatening the most diverse ecosystem on the planet, its indigenous peoples and ultimately the global climate? Click on the button below to learn more.

Land conversion for cattle ranching is the largest cause of deforestation of the Amazon. Globally, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all the world’s transportation systems combined. Cattle also release methane into the atmosphere exacerbating climate change. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 23 times more potent than carbon. The production, processing and distribution of meat requires large amounts of fertilizer, pesticides, water, feed and fuel. In many cases grain is given to cattle for food. In the United States around 4 million acres are for producing plants for humans to eat, while around 56 million acres of land are used to grow feed for animals. If all the grain currently fed to livestock in the United States were consumed directly by people, the number of people who could be fed would be nearly 800 million people. Eating less meat will reduce your carbon footprint and help protect the Amazon, world’s forests and the environment.

​Buying local is a great way to cut down on the environmental impact of your food. When you buy local you reduce the distance and the energy needed for the food to travel. Short food supply chains help boost your community economy and provides fresher products that will retain more nutrients. Support stores that limit waste and support environmentally friendly products that are local and organic. When eating out look for local restaurants that use locally sourced products.

Reading the labels on your food product can give you information for purchasing sustainable products. In some cases the packaging will show whether your product is organic, and produced ethically. If you are not sure about your purchase, information can be found on the internet for environmentally friendly products. Think before you buy products with soy, palm oil or other materials that may harm the environment. 

Eat seasonal vegetables and fruits!, Grow it yourself ! ​Eating your food raw is not only healthy but it cuts down on energy needed to cook it. Buying seasonal fruits and vegetables usually guarantees fresher food, and in many cases it will be local, which will cut down on energy needed for transporting the item. Join a community garden or try a vertical garden and grow your own food. Not only will it taste great but it will be fun.

Look for organic products. Pasture-raised organic animals have less of an environmental impact and are treated more humanely than animals raised in industrial settings. Animals raised organically will have access to the outdoors and cannot be given hormones or antibiotics, which is not only healthier for the animal but for you. Certified organic plant based foods are grown without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, and petroleum, or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers. Sometimes organic can be expensive so if you are on a budget choose smartly and look for organic products that have the largest impact for protecting the environment.

Around one third of all food produced for humans is wasted or lost and accounts for around 4.4 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions yearly. Greenhouse gas emissions from food waste is the third largest emitter after the United state and China. Food loss and waste also recklessly wastes natural resources, including land, energy, labor, water, and capital.​That’s something to think about! You can help! Tell your friends too! Purchase and eat only what you need.​ ​Don’t throw away the leftovers-make a new meal, give it to somebody who is hungry, or try composting. Adding composed plant based food to your soil creates a nutrients rich soil that promotes vitality, biodiversity of soils critters and growth. Many companies and organizations globally are dedicated to solving the problem, by recycling waste into biofuels, giving extra food to the poor and hungry, and offer expiring products for a lower costs.

Grow your own garden of food and you will not only enjoy fresh, nutritious vegetables, but you will cut down on your carbon footprint. If you have no outside space for growing food look for cool new ways to grow food vertically. Try growing flowering plants that attract the pollinators(bees, birds, bats, butterflies and beetles)that carry pollen from plant to plant to fertilize and allow the plant to reproduce. Over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops are fertilized by the pollinators, a crucial interaction needed for reproduction and to sustain these plant species. The misuse of chemicals, climate change and the loss of habitat has threatened the world’s pollinators. Plant a garden of flowers that the pollinators love and your yard will not only be beautiful but buzzing with important life that helps our planet thrive.

When purchasing recycled paper products, look for those that are made with the highest amounts of recycled content. Look for tree-free paper products that are made from kenaf, waste straw, or hemp.

Use your own reusable bags at the grocery store, cloth napkins, and avoid using paper plates and cups. Work digitally to cut down on your paper use.

Look for wood products that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(SFI). These wood products have not been harvested in old growth forests or have used chemicals in their production.

Learn about alternatives such as recycled or reclaimed lumber, and independently certified.

The Forests of the Amazon produce many non-timber products including rubber, medicine, ​Brazil Nuts,​ fruits, nuts, and fibers. Purchasing sustainably managed forest products can create incentives for working in the forests in a way that does not harm  the environment.

Turn down your thermostat, share a ride, or leave your car at home and instead walk, ride your bike, or take local mass transportation. THINK about how you use your energy and where it comes from.

VOTE for candidates that support  a green economy Every country is becoming aware of issues related to climate change. Carbon from fossil fuels is the main contributor of climate change and organizations, companies and governments are developing policies worldwide to promote a green carbon free economy with clean fossil free energy sources. What is your country doing to curtail climate change and promote clean energy sources? Who are the leaders on climate change and how can you support them? Vote green! 

Renewable energy sources come from the Earth – found in the air, from sunlight, our oceans and deep within the ground. They are constantly being renewed by nature and cannot run out. Using renewables will help keep fossil fuels in the ground. ​As we becomes more knowledgeable about the implications of climate change alternative renewable energies are emerging and becoming cheaper and more efficient. HOW COOL IS THAT? Learn where your energy comes from. Some power companies provide an optional service, called green pricing, that allows customers to pay a small premium in exchange for electricity generated from clean, renewable energy sources.

• Solar ​- Technologies that convert the sun’s energy and light into energy.
• Wind power – ​Winds are captured by wind turbines to generate electricity.
• Geothermal – ​Harnessing the heat from under the Earth’s surface or from the earth’s constant temperature 10 feet underground to supply heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.
• Oceans – ​Capturing thermals energy from the sun’s heat and mechanical energy from the motion of waves and tides
• Bioenergy from biomass -​ Converting organic matter from recently living plants or animals into energy. Burning biomass for bioenergy generates about the same amount of carbon dioxide as the burning fossil fuels. However, the new plants grown for biomass pull in similar amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere to keep bioenergy as an energy source close to carbon neutral. Unfortunately, tropical forests are cleared to grow plants for biofuels making this renewable problematic.
• Hydroelectricity -​ Catching kinetic energy of flowing rivers and waters to produce electricity. BE AWARE – Some hydroelectricity comes from dams which can be destructive to forests and ecosystems.

Gold is in many things from your cell phone to the jewelry you wear. Learn about issues related to small scale gold mining and tell your friends. Did you  know that it takes approximately 100 tones of earth to make one gold wedding ring?

• Ask your jeweler/or gold supplier where their gold came from.
• Is the gold fair-trade and fair-mined?
• Is the gold conflict and cruelty free?
• Is your gold recycled?

Precious metals can be recycled repeatedly with no degradation in quality, they are both a renewable as well as a natural resource.

There are many organizations working globally to tackle issues related to illicit small scale gold mining. Many organizations including Human Rights Watch, The UN, Global Witness, Survival International and Amazon Aid, are working to promote a clean supply for gold that not only protects the Amazon and its peoples, but peoples and habitats worldwide. The situation is urgent.