The Amazon rain forest is burning.
This is a disaster for the planet.
But there’s resistance to
doing anything about it.
There are (too) many people
who want it to burn.
To recruit support,
people are sharing memes
and messages
that talk about
the Amazon rain forest supplying
20% of the Earth’s oxygen.
Everyone knows oxygen is good.
They know losing
20% of it
is bad.
It is a simple
and was an effective message.
A (male) scientist
pushed back
and said it wasn’t true.
The Amazon rain forest supplies
very little of the Earth’s oxygen.
Converting it to land for cattle
won’t make any difference
in our oxygen supply.
I hope the purpose of his push back
was he wanted to educate people,
teach them about science.
What it primarily did,
however,
was give the people
who want the Amazon to burn
a reason to dismiss
the pleas for help.
They have the ammunition they need
to scream ‘fake news.’
And scientists and activists
who were
working toward saving the rain forest
are now defending
the 20% claim.
That must-be-right scientist
is now one of the causes
of the Amazon rain forest
continuing to burn.
Before taking action,
ask yourself
“Does this serve
my primary goal?
Will this have the results
I want?”
If it doesn’t,
DON’T take that action,
especially
if that action
will contribute to
destroying the world.