TED Tech How satellite imagery is helping stop deforestation with Tasso Azevado and Anna Rothschild
Apr 3, 2026
Anna Rothschild, science journalist and TED-Ed storyteller who explains ecological risks to the Amazon. She discusses what losing the Amazon would do to rainfall, temperatures, and local livelihoods. She also covers economic drivers, tipping point uncertainty, and paths like restoration and indigenous stewardship to slow deforestation.
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Amazon Trees Drive A Global Water Machine
- The Amazon's trees drive a regional water cycle through transpiration that cools air and forms clouds.
- Losing ~40% could reduce rainfall thousands of kilometers away and raise global temperatures by ~0.25°C, amplifying droughts and crop failures.
Deforestation Doubles As Emission Source And Lost Asset
- Deforestation both emits stored carbon and eliminates an enormous carbon sink, worsening climate change.
- Exploiting the Brazilian Amazon yields up to $98 billion annually, yet sustainable protection could generate even greater long-term wealth.
Buy Responsibly And Support Indigenous Stewardship
- Choose products from companies that refuse to source from deforesters to reduce demand-driven clearing.
- Support native stewardship: Indigenous-managed areas removed >300 million metric tons of carbon versus emissions from other areas.