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Action Alert: Brazil's Proposed Belo Monte Dam Damns Amazonian Rainforests and Peoples
The wild and free Xingu River is critical to maintaining intact the Amazon, its peoples, Brazil's national advancement, and the Earth we share. The Brazilian government continues with plans to build the massive Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon rainforest, despite intense and growing domestic and international opposition. The 11.2 billion dollar dam will devastate an extensive area of the Amazon rainforest and threaten the survival of tens of thousands of indigenous and traditional peoples who depend on the Xingu River for their livelihoods. It is estimated 500 square kilometers of intact Amazon rainforest land would be flooded by the dam.
By
Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet
-
April 25, 2010
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1.) Inform Yourself
NOTE: This is a protest, not a petition, sending emails to many real decision makers on matters vital to the Earth.
Caption:
The campaign draws parallels to James Cameron's Avatar (pictured right) as indigenous peoples resist rapacious ecological destruction (link)
The Brazilian government continues with plans to build the massive Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon rainforest, despite intense and growing domestic and international opposition. The 11.2 billion dollar dam will devastate an extensive area of the Amazon rainforest and threaten the survival of tens of thousands of indigenous and traditional peoples who depend on the Xingu River for their livelihoods. It is estimated 500 square kilometers of intact Amazon rainforest land would be flooded by the dam. Last week Brazil awarded the construction contract to Norte Energia, a domestic consortium of companies; and construction of the dam, which would be the world’s third largest, could begin this year.
The Xingu River in northeast Brazil is a tributary of the Amazon River. The Belo Monte Dam, meant principally to fuel the expansion of aluminum foundries and other industrial plants in the Amazon, would require diverting nearly the entire flow of the Xingu, drying up the “Big Bend” of the Xingu and its tributary, the Bacajá, home to thousands of indigenous people. Native people upstream would also be affected by the dam´s impacts on fish stocks, their principal food source.
In recent weeks the areas indigenous people, in addition to social movement and environmentalists including Avatar movie director James Cameron, gathered to protest the plans for the Belo Monte dam. Cameron called the dam an ecological disaster and said there were alternatives. Indigenous people have not been adequately consulted about the project and are concerned that their rights will be violated if the project goes forward as planned. The project will directly affect two indigenous reserves along the Big Bend of the Xingu, and will indirectly affect indigenous reserves throughout the Xingu Basin.
The Kayapó leader Raoni Metuktire, who gained international exposure touring the world with Sting, said indigenous men from the Xingu were preparing their bows and arrows in order to fight off the dam. "I think that today the war is about to start once more and the Indians will be forced to kill the white men again so they leave our lands alone," he said. "I think the white man wants too much, our water, our land. There will be a war so the white man cannot interfere in our lands again."
The Amazon basin with its intact rainforests and rivers is a critical ecosystem that must remain intact for Brazil’s sustainable advancement and for the Planet to remain habitable. Please tell Brazil´s President Lula and other decision makers in the Brazilian government that you support the position of indigenous peoples of the rainforest - that Brazil has better ways of providing its future energy needs than destroying the mighty Xingu River, its rainforests and its peoples.
Sample Email Sent
Urge you to please stop plans for the Belo Monte dam
Exmo. Presidente Luís Inácio Lula da Silva
Dear President Lula,
I wish to express my deep and sincere concerns regarding
your government's plans to dam the Xingu River. The
ill-conceived project will have enormous negative impacts
upon your country's water resources, regional climate,
natural ecosystems, ecological sustainability and future
potential for sustainable advancement by local peoples and
your great nation. I strongly support indigenous peoples
resisting this ill-conceived dam and urge you to cancel the
project immediately.
Natural biodiversity and intact ecosystems including wild
rivers and ancient rainforests provide essential ecosystem
services to your citizens including water retention, flood
prevention, climate regulation, soil regeneration and
wildlife habitat. The proposed Belo Monte Dam will damage
your nation's hydrology -- leading to greater water
scarcity, diminishment of the critical Amazon ecosystem,
national security threats, and economic decline.
Brazil is becoming increasingly prone to drought, which
climate change is exacerbating. Flooding and destroying
massive portions of the Amazon basin will further worsen
the situation. Your natural river systems are one of your
nation's greatest assets and should not be so hastily
diminished for short-term economic gain. Water is a human
right, ecosystems matter; and without intact water
providing ecosystems, economies and societies cannot
function. Further, I am greatly concerned about blatant
violations of indigenous peoples’ rights that would occur
if Belo Monte Dam was built.
Brazil has the opportunity and responsibility to lead South
America and the world in achieving just and equitable
environmental sustainability. I therefore respectfully add
my voice to those in Brazil and around the world, imploring
you to cancel the Belo Monte Dam project, and other
infrastructure development that will destroy Amazon
rainforests and waterways, in the interest of long-term
ecological, social and economic sustainability of your
great nation. Please pursue better sustainable alternatives
for meeting Brazil's energy needs. The world is watching,
and expecting wise long-term leadership from you.
Respectfully,
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