As almost anyone with a social media account knows, the Amazon rainforest is on fire. Plumes of smoke can be seen from space. It's causing blackouts in cities with this large amount of smoke it has created.

But why are we only really hearing about it a few weeks after it started?

What caused it and is there anything we could do to stop it?

Unfortunately, according to NASA, droughts, deforestation, and climate change are all factors. To stop this would mean squashing the root of rain forest deforestation, as well as enacting countermeasures to climate change, not just on an individual scale, but on a corporate, national, international, and global scale.

The fact that there has been an 83% increase of fires in the Amazon this year compared to 2018 should raise some real concern. Spreading awareness on social media with the #PrayforAmazonia has been amazing to see, so I'm hoping it enacts change on a larger scale.

It takes at least some effort from every one of us, mixed with cooperation from the companies that contribute to deforestation and climate change.

Now is the moment to act.

Now is the moment to salvage God's precious Earth for future generations.

Taking that land for animal agriculture and housing is stripping the earth of a vital ecosystem that allows us to thrive.

It is hard to feel hopeful with images of the burning forest and injured animals, but continuing to live sustainably and buying from brands that support ending climate change is a good place to start.

It may seem pointless, but everyone even doing a little bit is better than a few doing a lot.

The best thing we can do to love the earth is to treat it with the kindness it deserves. It may feel too late, but there is still hope and time.