US President Joe Biden made history on Sunday as the first sitting US president to visit the Amazon rainforest, drawing attention to the dangers of global warming.
“Today, I’m proud to be here, the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest, to recommit protecting the rainforests like this one. The most powerful solutions we have to fight climate change is all around us, the world’s forests. Trees breathe carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. And yet each minute, the world is chopping down the equivalent of ten soccer fields worth of forest,” Biden said.
Biden touched down in Manaus, situated in the heart of the world’s largest jungle, for the final leg of his farewell South American tour before transferring the presidency to Trump in January.
During his four-hour stop, Biden announced an additional $50 million contribution to the Amazon Fund, doubling the US commitment to $100 million. Last year, he had pledged $500 million, but only a fraction of that has been delivered so far.
Biden met with indigenous leaders at the Museum of the Amazon, where he praised Brazil’s initiatives under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to end deforestation by 2030. He highlighted the importance of conserving the rainforest in the fight against climate change, given its vital role in absorbing significant amounts of carbon dioxide.
