There were several reports this past week of environmental advocates being murdered in (I think) Brazil, and photos of greatly accelerated cutting of the rain forests because of the use of newer equipment. Then I saw this -
"The chief Raoni cries when he learns that Brazilian president Dilma released the beginning of construction of the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte, even after tens of thousands of letters and emails addressed to her and which were ignored as the more than 600 000 signatures. That is, the death sentence of the peoples of Great Bend of the Xingu river is enacted. Belo Monte will inundate at least 400,000 hectares of forest, an area bigger than the Panama Canal, thus expelling 40,000 indigenous and local populations and destroying habitat valuable for many species - all to produce electricity at a high social, economic and environmental cost, which could easily be generated with greater investments in energy efficiency."Text and image from Etcetera, via Opiate of Them Asses and Reddit, which has a discussion thread on this rather complex subject.
Welcome to the new world order. I'm sure that president Dilma is getting campaign contributions from the hydroelectric industry.
ReplyDeleteThe world is killing itself, and I have the front row seats. I know I should be much more depressed about this that I am, but my idol is Schopenhauer.
ReplyDeleteWe just seem to never learn.
ReplyDeleteNo, you don't. It is fine with Americans living in big houses and nice cars and big screen TVs to feel bad for the poor half-naked natives who are seeing trees cut down. How about using the electricity and opportunities to give them work so they can have houses and cars and televisions?
ReplyDeleteJust because someone has dark skin that doesn't mean they need to live in a hut out in the middle of nowhere.
They don't want your house or car or other crap.. to them these things are as useless as nun in a whore house.. they want LIFE they want the FREEDOMS of the only home and way of life they have ever known.. if you 'modernize' these beautiful people they will be dead or bred out in 20 years. Can we not leave ONE native nation un harmed for a change? Must we kill off all spiritual indigenous peoples for gain and greed...? Do the modern people require so MUCH that there is no room for these people to left in peace right were they are now?
DeleteYes, bigger houses and cars and televisions for all the brown people. Whether they want them or not. It's the American way, and we are fulfilled and enlightened beyond anyone else's aspirations. Send them to the cities and slums to wear uniforms to work in low paying jobs.
ReplyDeleteScrew Chief Raoni. Tell 'em Radar sent you. He has all the answers. In fact, why not adopt his religion, join his political party, have sex the way he likes it and with his type. Drive the big Hummer he drives, drink his beer and watch his favorite sitcoms on your new big-ass TV.
I just think we should ask Raoni and his fellows what they want. As long as I know, what they want is their forest back and intact. That's what this picture seems to say to me.
ReplyDeleteRaoni is a great political leader here in Brazil, he was even member of the constitutional assembly back in the 80's. Latelly, he has been marginalized. Brazilian press didn't reported on this photo. Thanks once again, Stan.
This was on Reddit:
ReplyDeleteIn 2008 11,968 km² of rainforest was lost in Brazil. A total of 400 square kilometres of rainforest is going to be flooded by this dam. It's an utter distraction.
Update:
People say I have the wrong number. I found it on wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:
Belo Monte's 668 square kilometres (258 sq mi) of reservoir will flood 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi) of forest, about 0.01% of the Amazon forest.[48]
The BBC puts the number at 500 km²: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12295662
Environmental groups say the 6km-long (3.7 miles) dam will threaten the survival of indigenous groups and could make some 50,000 people homeless, as 500 sq km (190 sq miles) of land would be flooded.
So we're at about 40.000 hectare for 1 dam that will provide 4,571 MW.
By comparison: Here is what biofuel is doing to Brazil's rainforest:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/212/45389.html
Perhaps the government of Brazil had this in mind when it re-classified some 200m hectares of dry-tropical forests, grassland and marshes as degraded and apt for cultivation. In reality, these are the bio-diverse ecosystems of the Mata Atlantica, the Cerrado and the Pantanal, occupied by indigenous people, subsistence farmers and extensive cattle ranches.
Biofuels cause the loss of 200.000.000 hectare of mostly rainforest, being replaced by a monoculture of sugarcane.
In comparison, this dam will cause the loss of 40.000 hectare. This is 1/5000th the amount of land Brazil recently sacrificed for biofuel production.
Also, as snoozieboi pointed out, 91% of the deforestation since 1970 has been due to livestock production. I know this sounds like it conflicts with my claim that biofuel is a much bigger problem now, but biofuel is a recent problem and has little to do with historical deforestation. If you want to stop deforestation, stop eating meat. Eating meat is unsustainable on a planet with 7 billion people.
Chief Raoni, your ways are peaceful and your people coexist with Nature. I despise how we of light skin have shunned Nature, inside and out, and made it into something we can destroy at will. Take a page out of the Monkeywrench Gang, and strike back hard and low, if you need to, and to hell with the politicians!
ReplyDeletei wonder if coke will also own the rights of the water in the dam.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading about this on another blog. This should also be in the same post that illegal logging of the Brazilian rainforest has increased fivefold: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/brazil/110527/brazils-rainforest-face-new-threats
ReplyDeleteThanks all for your comments, especially
ReplyDeletethms for the links and research.
the info posted by all puts this in context...and great point about not eating meat.
Let's all up our own anty and make it our obligation to save and speak up and fight for the nature that is dear to us.
Hate to be the vain one, but that chief is in great shape for his age!
ReplyDeleteKevin why don't you grow some and stop crying like a little girl......
ReplyDeleteThis hurts my heart.
ReplyDeleteI am totally delighted at how this has become America's fault. This is in Brazil if anyone bothered to actually read the entire article. We didn't vote on it...we have nothing to do with it.
ReplyDelete