As many of you may know, news was released that the Amazon - our world’s largest tropical rainforest - caught fire earlier this month and is still currently burning, creating new fires as it continues. According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, there are at least 9,500 new forest fires in Brazil since August 15 alone, scorching delicate, irreplaceable landscapes throughout the Amazon.

The record breaking amount of fires this year can be attributed to farmers setting the forest alight to clear land, as well as many loggers cutting down trees and profiting off the lumber. 

People all over the world have been outraged by the lack of support and media attention this tragic event has received. Causing many people to take matters into their own hands, sharing the little information they do have on social media, slowly spreading the word which many news outlets all over the globe had turned a blind eye to. 

This worldly concern is one that hits home for us quite a bit. This is due to the fact that we are a brand that heavily focuses on minimizing our environmental impact much as humanly possible - not to mention one of the owners of URBAMERICAN is from Brazil! 

The deforestation currently happening in the Amazon is just the beginning of what is yet to come if we don’t take a stand! Many forests all over the world have already fallen victim, negatively impacting our planet’s ecosystem and further endangering our global climate. 

What many don’t know is that the fashion industry commonly uses the natural resources ripped from our forests to create fabrics such as rayon, viscose, & modal. Not only does this prevent proper humidity in the air which could normally help contain a forest fire, it is also causing thousands of wild animals to be displaced from their homes. If you are interested in learning more about the fashion industry’s horrible environmental impact, you can read our blog post: WTF Is Fast Fashion?

Now, curious about what YOU can do to HELP?

Thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio’s dedication to our planet, he was the first to lend a helping hand by creating Earth Alliance, his new environmental foundation! Through this foundation, he has created the Amazon Forest Fund, making an initial pledge of $5 million dollars and opening a fund-raiser in which 100% of the proceeds go directly to protecting the Amazon.

If you are looking for a way to contribute and help save your planet, this is it! Every dollar helps. There is no way one person can fix these damages alone, we all need to stick together for this one. So.. fuck the people who want to ruin this planet, let’s ban together to save it!