[View the story "Another Tragedy for the Amazon?" on Storify ]Another Tragedy for the Amazon? Brazil's environment agency has given the green light for construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, an $11 billion project that native Indians and environmentalists have criticised for threatening the Amazon. Storified by The Stream · Wed, Oct 26 2011 21:59:36
After years of fierce opposition and heated debates, the Brazilian government won the arm wrestling contest and is pushing ahead with the building of the Belo Monte Dam. The dam is expected to generate 11,200 MW of hydroelectric power when it’s completed in 2019 and will cost US$11 billion.energyrefuge.com
Supporters of the project say Brazil needs to improve its capacity to generate electricity in order to sustain its growth.
nodeju.com
Above, Amazon natives protest the dam project holding a banner that reads:
"We will not accept the Belo Monte (Beautiful Mountain)" - first line - "We will continue to fight" - second line.nodeju.com
Atossa Soltani, founder and executive director of
Amazon Watch , tweeted:
Tragic day for the Amazon: Brazilian government just approved full license for belo monte dam. Local people have vowed to resist.asoltani
Critics of the dam say its construction could flood 500 square kilometres of Amazon rainforest, further endangering species of plants and animals, and displacing up to 40,000 of Brazil's indigenous peoples.
The region's biodiversity would be severely impacted by the dam, whether it's endemic and migratory fish species like the plant-eating piranha; endangered species like the white-cheeked spider monkey; or threatened turtle species who would lose their breeding grounds.intercontinentalcry.org
The dam would also displace between 20,000 and 40,000 people (officially 19,000 people) including Juruna, Xikrín, Arara, Xipaia, Kuruaya and Kayapó Indigenous communities.intercontinentalcry.org
Heartbroken #ChiefRaoni cries when learning pres. @DilmaRousseff gave OK 2 construct #AmazonMegadam #BeloMonte http://ow.ly/i/cibv #BrazilBiancaJagger
O cacique Raoni chora ao saber que Dilma liberou o início das construções de belo monte, mesmo após cartas dirigid http://twitpic.com/53twqvcarolinescp
Support #ChiefRaoni of the Kayapo stop the construction of the Belo Monte #Dam in #Brazil http://ow.ly/5790p Jo, in the FB page & share! TYlouisembrookes
A video message from Chief Raoni from 2010:
"A message from Chief Raoni, renowned leader of the Kayapó people"AmazonWatch
Mourning Ze Claudio: Brazil's Amazon DefenderKnown for his activism against logging in Brazil, Amazon forest defender Jose Claudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife are found shot dead.
Six months ago at TEDxAmazonia , Ze Claudio predicted his own death. Global Voices Online provides a English translation of that moment here.
TEDxAmazônia - Zé Cláudio Ribeiro acha que matar árvores é assassinato - Nov.2010tedxamazonia
The people who Zé Cláudio was denouncing and fighting against are big time criminals, the same ones who murdered Sister Dorothy Stang and are still free, destroying our biodiversity and getting richer. And these criminals made it clear that Zé Cláudio wasn’t going to last much longer.blog.ted.com
Adelino Ramos Killed: Third Environmental Activist Murdered This Week In Brazil | Jumo http://t.co/x2Z4PyQChevalierVan
Also,
a proposed forestry law that would ease restrictions on the use of rainforest land for farming stands to threaten Amazon preservation efforts.
photos.mongabay.com
Massive Belo Monte hydro project to begin construction in Amazon#BeloMonte#dam#Amazon#hydro http://bit.ly/kBlLUi @HydroWorldHydroWorld
#Brazil has given final go ahead for #BeloMonte dam & says it has consultated but how transparent has it really been with interlocutors?afburnett
The government says years of exhaustive environmental studies have been done. Critics obviously disagree. #BeloMonte #Xingu #Amazonelizondogabriel
I've been to the remote exact spot on the Xingu River where #BeloMonte Dam will be built; It's gorgeous area. Video: http://bit.ly/laskdvelizondogabriel
The movement against the Belo Monte dam has spread globally and has garnered the support of many environmental activists and celebrities.
Below is a video narrated by American actress Sigourney Weaver, who explains the potential harm the dam would bring to the Amazon and its people.
Defending the Rivers of the Amazon, with Sigourney WeaverSign the petition now to stop Belo Monte Dam! http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/action/StopBeloMonteDam Amazon Watch and International Rivers have teamed up to create a state-of-the-art 10-minute Google Earth 3-D tour and video narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver, with technical assistance from Google Earth Outreach. The video is in support of Brazil's Movimento Xingu Vivo Para Sempre (Xingu River Forever Alive Movement).
The project was also opposed by American filmmaker James Cameron, whose blockbuster hit film "Avatar" told the story of a peaceful native people on another planet forced to wage a bloody fight against strip miners from Earth.google.com
A Message From PandoraAmazonWatch
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