Apple Donating Money to Preserve Amazon Rainforests Following Devastating Fires

[Thunderbird]

How about NASA? Also a bunch of anti-environmental neocons?

"... an analysis of NASA satellite data indicated that total fire activity across the Amazon basin this year has been close to the average in comparison to the past 15 years."

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145464/fires-in-brazil

You need to read more carefully and widely without cherry picking your data. The number of fires are up sharply when you compare apples to apples in the data set. While generally correct about this year's fires not being "record breaking", the Forbes article is misleading in that it downplays the fires by ignoring intensity and timing. This blog explains it better with more nuance.

https://www.science20.com/robert_wa...yet_many_news_stories_say_record_rates-240959

"There's been a rapid increase of fires in the second half of August still continuing as of 24th August. it was at average levels or below average through to early August, but had a huge uptick and is now close to the 2016 levels from 1st January and if it continues likely crosses them soon. But if you count from 1st May it is already way above recent previous years and close to rates last seen over a decade ago."

 

[hagar]

Did you even read my comment, or just stop once you got to the part where maybe I didn't 100% satisfy you and the Twitterverse? Because I actually said the Amazon is a precious piece of the planet and should be preserved as much as humanly possible, it's just not being affected by climate change. Not yet anyway. Celebrities have been posting pictures of what they think is happening in the Amazon, but actually they're photos from other Amazon wildfires over the years. So, yes, it will be fine.

Facts, people! They won't hurt you I promise! If anything they'll enlighten you.

When did I not state facts?
- Fact: deforestation is up last year with 4 football fields being destroyed every minute. More than 20% is already gone.
- Fact: the current government does not care about the environment and sees the rainforest as an economic tool.
- Fact: climate change is increasing and several scientific studies point out that the rainforest will hurt in the next decades with major issues arising in the second half of the century, if we don’t mitigate climate change.
- Fact: deforestation and fragmentation is hurting local wildlife. Many species are facing extinction because their habitats are not connected anymore and there’s not enough exchange in DNA.m, weakening the populations.
- Fact: indigenous people are threatened by poachers, loggers and miners.
- Fact: even if celebrities use old images to raise awareness, it doesn’t devaluate their message. Should they first fly out there to take a picture first hand?

So no, the Amazon will most likely not be fine.
[doublepost=1566929549][/doublepost]

its funny how brazil didnt want usa money intresting how this will develope.

A far right nationalist president only interested in exploiting the rainforest economically. Off course he doesn’t want the money or he would admit that his policy change is causing havoc. And he probably sees it as a threat to Brazil’s sovereignty.
Yet, stating the donating countries should also invest in reforestation of their own countries is not far from the truth. Both the EU and US have destroyed most of their forest as well.

 

[Rojaaemon]

Thanks to Tim "Smokey Bear" Cook for throwing some shareholder money into the Amazon fires!

 

[OlliFlamme]

Jeez, what a utterly stupid initiative! The dumbness of the daily circus is getting worse by the day.

Tim Cook is naive like a 14 year old. The money’s gonna do what, uh? It will only feed corruption. Oh, it will give Apple some publicity? Yes, the kind of the lowest value publicity, evaporating within days, since only likewise naive people will give their thumbs up.

Giving money is a heartless insult, especially by a company: Make a transfer and that’s it?? Woow, the effort! The ingenuity of it! Amazing!/s

Why don’t you Tim throw your own money in and keep it private? Assess the effect and check what that does to your ever so wimpy character!

 

[brinary001]

When did I not state facts?
- Fact: deforestation is up last year with 4 football fields being destroyed every minute. More than 20% is already gone.
- Fact: the current government does not care about the environment and sees the rainforest as an economic tool.
- Fact: climate change is increasing and several scientific studies point out that the rainforest will hurt in the next decades with major issues arising in the second half of the century, if we don’t mitigate climate change.
- Fact: deforestation and fragmentation is hurting local wildlife. Many species are facing extinction because their habitats are not connected anymore and there’s not enough exchange in DNA.m, weakening the populations.
- Fact: indigenous people are threatened by poachers, loggers and miners.
- Fact: even if celebrities use old images to raise awareness, it doesn’t devaluate their message. Should they first fly out there to take a picture first hand?

So no, the Amazon will most likely not be fine.

This is becoming a circular argument... If you even really want to call it an argument, because I don't think you realize we're on the same side here. As I've already said I agree with you and agree whole-heartedly with your facts you've laid out and share your concerns and ambitions for the Amazon. I am simply clearing up common misconceptions and urging you to not always take things at face value, even if they promote your narrative. Lies that help out a cause, worthy though it may be, are still lies. But that's getting into a much bigger philosophical discussion entirely.

 

[TrentS]

and earth is flat...sorry but don't be surprised when the stereotype of american is ignorant.
It's not acceptable to be so clueless in a western free country.

You don't get to decide what science is, you never put enough effort in your life so just accept this, focus in what you are good at and don't play the part of the guy who knows it all.

p.s. climate change is not a science, is just a phenomena that different science fields are observing, a science is not a political believe, is a method to exclude personal believes and interest from researches.

Dude, don't be so naïve. Science can easily be a political thing when money is involved. Especially when these so-called scientist receive grant money from the governments in order to stay in business.

 

[OlliFlamme]

This is becoming a circular argument... If you even really want to call it an argument, because I don't think you realize we're on the same side here. As I've already said I agree with you and agree whole-heartedly with your facts you've laid out and share your concerns and ambitions for the Amazon. I am simply clearing up common misconceptions and urging you to not always take things at face value, even if they promote your narrative. Lies that help out a cause, worthy though it may be, are still lies. But that's getting into a much bigger philosophical discussion entirely.

I hope Hagar is a vegetarian...

 

[iReality85]

When did I not state facts?
- Fact: deforestation is up last year with 4 football fields being destroyed every minute. More than 20% is already gone.

- Fact: You’re being disingenuous without proper context. Deforestation in the Amazon has dropped significantly since the mid 00’s.

Or if you don’t believe this chart, you can search “annual deforestation of amazon”. This chart shows up to 2013, others show up through 2016-18. They all show the same trend.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Apple is investing heavily in Amazon...

Lol.

Is me or does this sound a bit stupid ... rainforest has major fires so only now invest to protect such forests which have been endangered for over decades!! Like woah?!

 

[hagar]

Jeez, what a utterly stupid initiative! The dumbness of the daily circus is getting worse by the day.

Tim Cook is naive like a 14 year old. The money’s gonna do what, uh? It will only feed corruption. Oh, it will give Apple some publicity? Yes, the kind of the lowest value publicity, evaporating within days, since only likewise naive people will give their thumbs up.

Giving money is a heartless insult, especially by a company: Make a transfer and that’s it?? Woow, the effort! The ingenuity of it! Amazing!/s

Why don’t you Tim throw your own money in and keep it private? Assess the effect and check what that does to your ever so wimpy character!

It depends on where the money goes. If it supports a local initiative, rooted in the local community and with the right supporters, this money can be enough to protect the crucial habitat of an indigenous species.

Dude, don't be so naïve. Science can easily be a political thing when money is involved. Especially when these so-called scientist receive grant money from the governments in order to stay in business.

True. Scientists can become corrupt. Just like any other person. But peer reviewed papers by unrelated researchers on an international level still proofs to be a very reliable scientific method. The body of proof on climate change is very conclusive. Denying climate change is like believing in flat Earth or creationism. It’s on the same level.

I hope Hagar is a vegetarian...

Yes.

- Fact: You’re being disingenuous without proper context. Deforestation in the Amazon has dropped significantly since the mid 00’s.

Or if you don’t believe this chart, you can search “annual deforestation of amazon”. This chart shows up to 2013, others show up through 2016-18. They all show the same trend.

Sure. I’m not denying these facts but you’re being unfair. I said deforestation is up in the last year and you show a graph up to 2013. Sources indicate deforestation is up by 88% last year. So you’re disingenuous as you provide context by cherry picking.

You could of course deny the Recent numbers. Their president is watching the White House closely for inspiration, so he came up with the genius idea to simply deny the numbers.

 

[kis]

"The fires are of growing concern as the rainforest in the area generates approximately 20 percent of the world's oxygen, and it is also known for housing 10 percent of the world's known biodiversity."

The forest produces 20% of the world's oxygen but it also consumes 20% of the world's oxygen.
The world's lungs are the oceans, not a rainforest.

yeah, the problem is that the forest keeps the balance for phytoplankton in the oceans. Once the forest is gone, the oceans will stop producing oxygen.
[doublepost=1566974933][/doublepost]Donating money does diddly squat to extinguish the fires down there. What's needed is a large-scale help offer for the dirt-poor farmers. Not money-wise, but in terms of infrastructure and advancing farming techniques that don't require excessive amounts of land. Sending money to poor countries will only lead to corruption or increase the latter.

 

[LordVic]

- Fact: You’re being disingenuous without proper context. Deforestation in the Amazon has dropped significantly since the mid 00’s.

Or if you don’t believe this chart, you can search “annual deforestation of amazon”. This chart shows up to 2013, others show up through 2016-18. They all show the same trend.

Got a chart that includes the last 5 years?

 

[PJivan]

Dude, don't be so naïve. Science can easily be a political thing when money is involved. Especially when these so-called scientist receive grant money from the governments in order to stay in business.

You just don't know what science is, you can perform a poor research but you can't change what science is. Science is a method not a guy, or a research institution or university.
These so called scientist are the ones allowing you to post in the internet, saving your life, providing you with data to cheery pick for your negationist cause, without these so called scientist what could you possibly know?

almost 100% of scientist are recording phenomena never recorded before, I'm not a scientist but I tend to believe what almost the unanimity of the scientific world agrees on.

 

[PracticalMac]

Apple makes iPhones in Brazil.

Apple could do much more than donate $.

 

[brinary001]

I hope Hagar is a vegetarian...

Haha right. Because that's supposedly the real threat isn't it? That they're clearing forest for more cattle ranching and such. I do believe that is a fact, but I think I see what you're getting at - that people who care so damn much about the Amazon are most likely also meat eaters, thus making them hypocrites

I've accepted that we're undeniably and irreversibly ****ed. I'm 24 and mine will probably be the last generation to experience the earth and all its glory for the majority of my life. Future generations will either have a hell of a time waging war for water and natural goods or they just won't even exist at all. That's why I'm not having kids (among other reasons) because it would appear to be the irresponsible and immoral thing to do right now. So I'm just going to enjoy the ride before it's all over for us. But we had a good run. 50,000 years of intelligent life (us modern humans) existing before it finally destroys itself is quite impressive!

 

[OlliFlamme]

Haha right. Because that's supposedly the real threat isn't it? That they're clearing forest for more cattle ranching and such. I do believe that is a fact, but I think I see what you're getting at - that people who care so damn much about the Amazon are most likely also meat eaters, thus making them hypocrites

I've accepted that we're undeniably and irreversibly ****ed. I'm 24 and mine will probably be the last generation to experience the earth and all its glory for the majority of my life. Future generations will either have a hell of a time waging war for water and natural goods or they just won't even exist at all. That's why I'm not having kids (among other reasons) because it would appear to be the irresponsible and immoral thing to do right now. So I'm just going to enjoy the ride before it's all over for us. But we had a good run. 50,000 years of intelligent life (us modern humans) existing before it finally destroys itself is quite impressive!

FWIW:

I had the same thought about 20 years ago. It’s due to an apocalyptic minded narrow focus on things in life. Pointing the finger at all things going wrong around you will make your life bitter, heavier, more worthless for every day that goes by. To that extent that it would have been a shame of your parents to have conceived you.
Mother Earth is a huge force of different things, positive and negative. To go and think that 1) the world will be an impossible place to live in and 2) that humans will have no alternative but to subside, is pure pessimism.

Where are the crocodiles and the exotic climate that was expected in Scandinavia? Did the antarctic ice sheath disappear, did it shrink or did it grow bigger? Before this earth is FUBAR, we need to be even more stupid than we have been hitherto.

We humans are so sensitive to the religious artefacts of judgement and to guilt. Instead of facing facts, thinking rationally, acting with caution with a focus on future. I hope your wisdom will develop, since those who don’t care, breed kids with no remorse. Those who damage our earth the most, damage humanism in general in many other ways.

I took the leap 11 years ago and have two kids now. I remember having passed a resolute state of mind as yours. And I will never forget that I did. My kids have a huge amount of love, care and support from me. They do not focus on things, they focus on experiences.

They won’t ever blame me for the stuff that was done by billions of people, most of them having lived before I existed....

 

[LinusR]

Only $1 million? That’s like one week of pay for Tim Apple.

How do you know they are giving $1 million this time?

 

[OlliFlamme]

How do you know they are giving $1 million this time?

He don't know. $1 million is just an assumption resulting from lazy reading.

Cook typically takes to Twitter to announce one-off Apple donations. In 2018, the executive announced $1 million contributions for victims of the Kerala floods in India, relief efforts following the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, and Red Cross activity after the California wild fires and Hurricane Florence.

Although Cook did not specify the amount Apple would be donating, for similar tragedies in the past, Apple has provided $1 million or more for fire relief purposes.

 

[brinary001]

FWIW:

I had the same thought about 20 years ago. It’s due to an apocalyptic minded narrow focus on things in life. Pointing the finger at all things going wrong around you will make your life bitter, heavier, more worthless for every day that goes by. To that extent that it would have been a shame of your parents to have conceived you.
Mother Earth is a huge force of different things, positive and negative. To go and think that 1) the world will be an impossible place to live in and 2) that humans will have no alternative but to subside, is pure pessimism.

Where are the crocodiles and the exotic climate that was expected in Scandinavia? Did the antarctic ice sheath disappear, did it shrink or did it grow bigger? Before this earth is FUBAR, we need to be even more stupid than we have been hitherto.

We humans are so sensitive to the religious artefacts of judgement and to guilt. Instead of facing facts, thinking rationally, acting with caution with a focus on future. I hope your wisdom will develop, since those who don’t care, breed kids with no remorse. Those who damage our earth the most, damage humanism in general in many other ways.

I took the leap 11 years ago and have two kids now. I remember having passed a resolute state of mind as yours. And I will never forget that I did. My kids have a huge amount of love, care and support from me. They do not focus on things, they focus on experiences.

They won’t ever blame me for the stuff that was done by billions of people, most of them having lived before I existed....

Thank you for your insight. Really. I'm glad you were able to see light at the end of the tunnel. I personally like the phrase "I'd rather be optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right." I think we like to be pessimistic because it's easier. There's no work to be done and we can just throw our hands up and say "Well why bother? We're screwed no matter what we do." But optimism is the opposite. With optimism you have to want things to change so badly that you're willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that.

Maybe if enough people see the writing on the wall who do have kids, they will be far more motivated because they have an emotionally vested interested in working towards a better future, since their own kids will be a part of it. While any potential detriment to future generations saddens me greatly, I will never have the motivation of, say, someone like yourself who wants to preserve the world as much as possible for his children. I know I don't want kids, and as I mentioned in my previous comment there are many reasons why I don't, but chief among them would be the way things have been going rapidly down hill the past several years in this country and around the world.