In the last 11 years the deforestation rate in the Amazon rain forest has increased severely. About 9,762 square kilometers (3,769 square miles) of rainforest were lost for the 12 months through July 2019, according to the release from The National Institute for Space Research (INPE). That’s a 29.5% increase over the previous 12 months and is the highest rate of loss since 2008, INPE said.

Unfortunately no one seems to be doing much about the deforestation that is rapidly occurring. The leader of Brazil, President Bolsonaro, has been criticized multiple times for not seeming to care or trying to protect the forest. Many people point out that during the the Amazon rainforest fires, 20 million dollars worth of foreign currency was donated to Brazil, but he refuse the money, insisting that Brazil did not need the financial aid. He demonstrated that he cared more about his appearance than helping out a forest in flames which produces more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen.

Sales said the increasing levels of deforestation were caused by illegal activities such as cattle grazing, agriculture, wood extraction and trade and illegal mining. Brazilian government will all meet on Wednesday, November 20 and hopefully come to a conclusion on how to fix the deforestation issue.