A Threatened Global Treasure
In A Threatened Global Treasure, host Radzi Chinyanganya follows journalist Nomia Iqbal as she travels through Brazil to investigate the threats facing the Amazon rainforest. The video focuses on the alarming increase in forest fires in 2019, largely driven by changes in government policies as well as the issue of illegal logging. Can the Amazon survive? This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Lesson Express
Q: The Amazon rainforest includes nine different countries. Why do you think this episode focuses on the Amazon in Brazil?
A: Student answers will vary. Students may discuss the significant role Brazil plays in the Amazon, as it houses the largest portion of the rainforest. They might consider the political and economic factors influencing Brazil's policies, the impact of deforestation on the global ecosystem, and the international attention Brazil's actions receive.
Q: What role do Indigenous communities play in preserving the Amazon?
A: Indigenous communities have historically been stewards of the land and have fought against policies that threaten their land. Students may discuss the challenges these communities face in maintaining their traditional lifestyles in the face of deforestation and political opposition.
Q: How does deforestation in the Amazon impact the rest of the world?
A: Student answers will vary. Students may mention the Amazon’s role in regulating the global climate, its importance for biodiversity, and how the destruction of the forest contributes to climate change.
More Like This
In The Heart and Lungs of the World, learn how the Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate by recycling water from the trees into the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in and pumps out water, which creates moisture that forms clouds and produces rain. With 400 billion trees cycling water, this process significantly influences global weather patterns, including rainfall in regions far from the rainforest itself, such as the United States’ Midwest. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Heart and Lungs of the World, learn how the Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate by recycling water from the trees into the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in and pumps out water, which creates moisture that forms clouds and produces rain. With 400 billion trees cycling water, this process significantly influences global weather patterns, including rainfall in regions far from the rainforest itself, such as the United States’ Midwest. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.