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Today, we have some more amazing news about the Amazon rainforest. Under the leadership of Brazilian president Lula da Silva, deforestation in the Amazon fell another 66% compared to August 2022, which is another huge step toward Lula's goal of zero deforestation by 2030. His predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, encouraged deforestation and mining in the Amazon, and he also took away funds from organizations that were helping the Amazon. However, in the last election, Lula was barely elected, and he has now been taking huge steps to stop deforestation in the Amazon. It is especially impressive that the rates fell this much in August, which is one of the most active months for Amazon deforestation. At first, it didn't look like Lula was doing much; according to the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), deforestation rates were actually higher than 2022 rates during February and March, but the change started happening in April. During that month, rates dramatically decreased, but came back up in May. However, in June, July, and August, which are the most active months for deforestation, the rates plummeted compared to 2022, which proves that Lula is following through with his plan for change and that it could very well happen even before 2030.
On another note, the death toll is up to 14 after the catastrophic storms in Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey, with over 20 inches of rain being dumped in some spots- in less than 10 hours! The storm, named Daniel, delivered some much-needed rain to the region- but it dumped a little too much. Eastern Europe has been going through a drought for the past few weeks, causing the largest wildfire ever recorded in the European Union. Daniel relieved the drought, but brought extreme weather on the other side of the spectrum. The flash floods have washed away cars, homes, offices, people, bridges, and much more. The region is now starting the recovery process- let's hope another extreme weather event doesn't come soon!
Meanwhile, floods in Brazil have killed at least 31 people, and over 2,300 others are now homeless. Massive floods struck southern Brazil on Wednesday, flooding homes until their roofs. The state of Rio Grande do Sul was especially affected, and Governor Eduardo Leite announced that it was the state's highest death toll ever from a climate event. Rivers quickly burst their banks after the extremely heavy rain, and large roads turned into huge rivers amid the flooding. The water level even reached the tops of power lines in some areas, with some images even showing a sheep being found hanging on a power line- that's how high the water reached! Power is still out for most of southern Brazil as they begin to recover, but it will definitely take time.
Quote of the Day: Never blame anyone in your life. Good people give you happiness. Bad people give you experience. The worst people give you lessons. And the best people give you memories. (Zig Ziglar)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Pareidolia (noun)- Pareidolia refers to the tendency to perceive a specific and often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.
In a Sentence: For those especially prone to pareidolia, a simple piece of toast can get distracting.
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