Brazil's football giants rally to help victims of deadly flooding

Pallade Veneta - Brazil's football giants rally to help victims of deadly flooding

NATURE 07.05.2024

Brazil's football giants rally to help victims of deadly flooding / Photo: CARLOS FABAL - AFP

Brazil's football giants -- including Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Ronaldinho -- are rallying behind a fundraising effort for victims of devastating floods that have killed at least 85 people in the south of the country.

Change text size:

Using their huge social media presence, the stars of Brazil's most popular sport have joined ranks with local club players, who have used their own jet skis to help people escape waters that have completely inundated entire towns.

Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, 32, shared a video Tuesday showing his private jet being filled with crates of water bottles and other supplies.

"Brazil is going through a delicate moment and helping is NEVER too much," he wrote in the post shared with his 221 million followers, after endorsing a call for donations led by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul was hit by deadly flooding last week after days of heavy rains, forcing more than 150,000 people from their homes and cutting off many from drinking water and electricity.

The disaster, which the government and experts have linked to climate change, swept away bridges and roads, further complicating humanitarian relief.

Floodwater also filled the stadiums and training facilities of Porto Alegre's two main football clubs, Internacional and Gremio. The typically fierce rivals have united in rescue efforts.

"We are all on the same side. This is our goal," Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, who plays for Internacional, told local station Radio Gaucha.

He and Ecuadoran teammate Enner Valencia have personally delivered aid supplies to a shelter for displaced people.

Opposing Brazilian goalkeeper Caique, of Gremio, also took dramatic measures to help -- using his jet ski to save people in Porto Alegre cut off by the overflowing Guaiba River.

His teammate Diego Costa, a Brazilian-born forward, donated four jet skis to help rescue people stranded by floodwaters.

P.Colombo--PV

US Buildings Threatened by Wildfires Could Triple by 2060

A new study published in Nature Communications projects that the number of buildings across the contiguous United States threatened by wildfires could almost triple by 2060. Researchers attribute this escalating risk to a combination of climate change, forest mismanagement, and continued development in fire-prone areas, warning that socioeconomically vulnerable communities face disproportionate dangers.

Researchers Warn 'Bookkeeping Trick' Masks Beef Industry's Methane Emissions

Two new analyses warn that a specialized accounting method known as GWP* enables major beef-producing countries to significantly understate their methane emissions. Researchers from Greenpeace and the University of California, Los Angeles, argue that this metric creates a misleading picture of climate progress, allowing nations to claim neutrality while actual warming continues.

Climate Change Intensified Atlantic Hurricanes, Study Finds

Human-caused climate change significantly intensified Atlantic hurricanes over the past five years, according to a new analysis by Climate Central. The study found that elevated sea surface temperatures increased maximum wind speeds for most storms between 2019 and 2023, as well as every recorded storm in the 2024 season.

UAE oil spill raises questions for desalination operations

An oil spill off the United Arab Emirates that has prompted temporary restrictions on fishing and on access to several beaches has raised concerns over the risk of environmental contamination and the potential impact on desalination plants. The spill is from a vessel that shipping sources have identified as crude oil tanker Gem No.