Brasilia, August 12 (RHC)-- In environmental news, the destruction of the Brazilian Amazon continues to accelerate, with the number of fires in 2020 up dramatically — even compared to last year’s devastating so-called fire season. 

Environmental groups say the fires are mostly the product of unlicensed loggers, ranchers and miners, with the encouragement of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

In other news, the last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed, losing over 40% of its area — a piece larger than the island of Manhattan — in just two days at the end of July. 

The ice shelf’s melting has been attributed to rising temperatures as the Canadian Arctic has been over 9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer this summer than the 30-year average.