Amazon fires: Celebrities' plea to end destruction of rainforest in new WWF video

Lewis Hamilton has been vegan since 2017, and last year announced he wanted to be carbon-neutral

Celebrities, including six-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, have made pleas to end the destruction of the Amazon rainforest in a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) film.

The short film, called 'Time's Running Out' features other famous faces including Radio 1 DJ Cel Spellman, actors Asa Butterfield and Jade Anouka, activist and athlete Manal Rostom, and singer Jess Glynne.

WWF, a conservation charity, said the film "aims to shine a light on the current crisis in the Amazon, where fires are tearing through the rainforest as a result of rampant deforestation".

Singer Jess Glynne ends the video by asking "will you help us?"

There are more than 350 indigenous communities living in the Amazon and it is home to 10% of all known species in the world.

Hamilton has spoken out about environmental issues throughout his career and was also involved in a WWF appeal about the Australian bushfires last year.

What is happening in the Amazon?

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has increased by 33% since last year - which was already a record year for the amount of trees that were burnt down.

Because of this, WWF has now launched an appeal to save the Amazon.

In the film, Hamilton strikes a match and tells us: "The fires were lit deliberately, driven by deforestation."

Jade Anouka says "an area bigger than a football pitch is being destroyed every 20 seconds."

Lewis Hamilton has spoken about his involvement in the campaign, saying: "The fires in the Brazilian Amazon are heart-breaking. They're causing utter devastation to the Amazon's local communities, species and landscapes.

"This needs to stop now. We must come together and use our collective voices to speak out on this issue to enforce permanent change."

Singer Jess Glynne added: "We assume the Amazon rainforest will always be there but if we don't act now, it won't be. We can't just sit back and let this happen. Right now, the Amazon is burning - so right now we need to speak out."