In what is becoming an annual event, increasingly frequent and more intense fires are sweeping through the tropical rainforests of Indonesia and Brazil. The burning of the rainforests not only threaten biodiversity in the affected areas but, by contributing towards climate change, they also put the entire planet at risk. In tropical latitudes, months pass without any rain and in the dry season forests become susceptible to fire. These can occur naturally and would normally not pose a serious problem, but clearing land as a result of logging or to make way for plantations is exacerbating the problem and every year the fires spread faster and further. » original news
