Hi, as most know, I am a Flemish-American Missionary Doctor and I just came back for a short time to Belgium to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with my family.
I heard something very disturbing about the Amazon. I was told that 'the powers that ought not be' have been spraying toxins over the Amazon for years to destroy it and to get rid of the native peoples. And, now learning here of the wildfires, makes me wonder if they were not deliberately set - given the past year's 'weather anomalies' and 'natural disasters' around the globe. And it's always good people who are left to deal with the aftermath.
HERE IS RIK CELIE'S REPLY: I got similar reactions several times. What I conceive is the following (without saying this is the full truth what I never pretend or it should be scientifically proven ...).
First of all.. The Amazon covers a huge area of South-America. Nearly 60% of this rainforest is in Brazil, while big parts are also laying in Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela and in minor parts in Ecuador, Guyana and French Guyana (being an overseas territory of France).
What I heard, read in local Newspapers and know is the following:
1/ 10 till 15 % on the borders of the great Amazon region are set on fire by local farmers to get more land for agriculture knowing nothing about climate change and only wanting to survive.
2/ 5 till 10% of the forest is set on fire by multinationals to get rich minerals (Gold, Iron, Nickle, Manganese, etc...).
3/ Right now, due to the extreme drought in the Amazon, 80% of all fires are just on fire because of a long (more then a year) extreme drought that I saw and felt...
4/ There are indeed some writings that chemicals like PFAS, Phthalates, BPA, PVC, PS and EPS ((but I have never seen these ) can set on fire any forest but they mention that action groups are doing whatever to just restrict these products.
So, where is the truth??? The fact is that we were surrounded by wildfires without seeing evidence except for point 1.
Hi Saskia, it's Elsa who takes care of Rik's Substack. I am going to get your comment to Rik and see what he says, Thanks for bringing up what your mentioned.
I heard something very disturbing about the Amazon. I was told that 'the powers that ought not be' have been spraying toxins over the Amazon for years to destroy it and to get rid of the native peoples. And, now learning here of the wildfires, makes me wonder if they were not deliberately set - given the past year's 'weather anomalies' and 'natural disasters' around the globe. And it's always good people who are left to deal with the aftermath.
HERE IS RIK CELIE'S REPLY: I got similar reactions several times. What I conceive is the following (without saying this is the full truth what I never pretend or it should be scientifically proven ...).
First of all.. The Amazon covers a huge area of South-America. Nearly 60% of this rainforest is in Brazil, while big parts are also laying in Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela and in minor parts in Ecuador, Guyana and French Guyana (being an overseas territory of France).
What I heard, read in local Newspapers and know is the following:
1/ 10 till 15 % on the borders of the great Amazon region are set on fire by local farmers to get more land for agriculture knowing nothing about climate change and only wanting to survive.
2/ 5 till 10% of the forest is set on fire by multinationals to get rich minerals (Gold, Iron, Nickle, Manganese, etc...).
3/ Right now, due to the extreme drought in the Amazon, 80% of all fires are just on fire because of a long (more then a year) extreme drought that I saw and felt...
4/ There are indeed some writings that chemicals like PFAS, Phthalates, BPA, PVC, PS and EPS ((but I have never seen these ) can set on fire any forest but they mention that action groups are doing whatever to just restrict these products.
So, where is the truth??? The fact is that we were surrounded by wildfires without seeing evidence except for point 1.
Hi Saskia, it's Elsa who takes care of Rik's Substack. I am going to get your comment to Rik and see what he says, Thanks for bringing up what your mentioned.