THE AMAZONIAN TRIBE AS THE LAST STAND AGAINST CRUEL DEFORESTATION 

“I alone cannot change the world but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”

-Mother Teresa

The fight for nature is not easy for anyone. The civilization’s ambition to spread itself is usually opposite to the borders which are made by environment.The clash is expected at some time and the question is how we will deal with the consequences of injured ecosystem.

According to some statistic data, animals aren’t the only at risk of extinction because there is the list of top 5 countries with over 400 threatened species of plants: Ecuador(1848 species), Tanzania(602 species), Madagascar(540 species), Brazil (516 species) and Cameroon(490 species). If we only think about this, we would know that the whole green world is endangered by over population pressure as well as by enforced  human settlement.

Global political situation and economical imbalance between developed countries and those which are in process of development make harder any attempt on the international level for some treasures of the natural heritages to be protected.

When Tica Minami, Amazon Coordinator from Greenpeace Brazil started campaign and informing nature lovers all around the globe about the growing problem  in the rain forest of Amazon and possibility to be “given” to multinational corporations and their  dam projects. Welcome to the new world of dirty dollars which wont be able to replace the oxygen and defeat the growth of CO2. But, actually. the background of the Brazilian case is a bit different. Why? First of all, Brazil has made a significant change in its environmental policy in last 10 years:“Over the past decade, while the world has been busy haggling over future commitments to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Brazil has lowered its carbon dioxide output more than any other country through a historic effort to slow forest loss. The deforestation rate here last year was roughly 75% below the average for 1996 to 2005 — just shy of Brazil’s pledge to achieve an 80% reduction by 2020. The country has managed this feat while increasing the amount of food it produces, much of it for export to a growing and hungry world.Brazil’s experience suggests that humanity has a chance to control agricultural expansion and preserve the planet’s most diverse ecosystems. If other countries follow suit by protecting and expanding forests, which lock carbon up in trees and soils, they could slow the growth of global CO₂ emissions and buy the world some time to solve the thornier problem of curbing emissions from cars, power plants and industrial facilities.”  This further means that Brazilian Green Policy cannot be totally criticized or even condemned because it is more than obvious that this country was doing something on preventing the global climate change and improving the potential of ecological healthy state approach.

However, the latest news which come from  the Tapajós River aren’t so encouraging. The Indigenous Amazonian community,known as Munduruku Indians has attracted the  attention of the human green world when they stepped out and stood against the future  rain forest destruction by the controversial multinational companies projects. The problem about this is even deeper since this Amazonian tribe is trying for years to get recognition of their lands. The dispute is about a territory of 178,000 hectares (440,000 acres) around the village of Sawré Muybu and the chef of the mentioned village ,Juarez Saw believes that the “game with Brazilia” doesnt stop but becomes back and forth colors. The land of  Sawré Muybu is a sensible question for both sides. The Government’s long term strategy is to build a hydroelectric power station- 5 large plants  at São Luiz do Tapajós and the idea is getting closer after the big plant of Belo Monte is ready to be completed on the Xingu river. The  Sawré Muybu is linked with the São Luiz do Tapajós and that could be understood through the fact that if the deforestation starts in the Tapajós River, the land of the Sawré Muybu will face up with the floods. There is no any chance for this community to not be granted right to get and to keep their land:“If the Indians are granted rights to this land, to which they are entitled under Brazilian law, the government is in a predicament. Under Brazil’s progressive constitution, approved in 1988 in the first flush of democratic enthusiasm after two decades of military rule, Indians can be removed from their land only after authorisation by Congress and only “in the case of a catastrophe or an epidemic that puts at risk the population or the sovereignty of the country”. Even then, the Indians must be allowed to return once the risk is over.”

It seems that the Brazilian government is seriously working on the highest standards of economical growth and on hydro power advance feature. Behind it, according to the famous climate scientist,  Antonio Donato Nobre, there is one grave mistake:“Building dams opens the way for more deforestation, and deforestation is the main cause of reduced rainfall in the Amazon and elsewhere. Without forests the rain will end. What’s the point of building dams?” What Brazil should be undertaking now is a massive programme of replanting native forests.” Nobre doesn’t want to accept that the hydro power is the only solution because there is a potential for Brazilians to use at least solar-powered water heaters. This way, Amazon wouldn’t be destroyed for artificial objects and illegal attack on nature resources.

Not to mention that this will turn about 13.000 of Munduruku Indians into homeless beggars on their own property. If this giant plant is to be realized, try to imagine how the size of it (reservoir of 729 square kilometers  is almost as big as The New York City) will hit negatively the heart of the last biggest rain forest of the world, beautiful Amazon, the forest of wonders. The thousand of species will be endangered and maybe even destroyed. The climate changes will be accelerated in the direction we shouldn’t even think about. The  São Luiz do Tapajós is not only the nightmare of local Munduruku tribe but the dark tale of the whole mankind.

The Amazon is not only the richest rain forest and region in bio diversity but also in having specific ethnological communities. We are so much worried when we have the technological  problems and possible losing of WiFI and connecting to the world wide web but I do not know how we are not worried for possible losing of heart of Amazon for the purpose of dirty energy, as someone said. The breathtaking wild Amazon stores 80 to 120 billion tonnes of carbon which is used to make natural balance in the world when it comes to the climate obstacles.

Hydro power plants could be built anywhere but not anywhere could be made again the Amazon itself.

Each of us has a chance now to be a nature, to be green and to support the pro-green and pro-life project.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/amazon/

The Amazon is the only one, it cant be replaced once  when it is destroyed. This rain forest keeps you alive. No matter how far away are you from Amazon and from Munduruku Indians, support them.Be one with nature.Now.