The Amazon Rainforest

Drought brings Amazon tributary to lowest level in a century

2010-10-26T08:56:00.002-05:00

One of the most important tributaries of the Amazon river has fallen to its lowest level in over a century, following a fierce drought that has isolated tens of thousands of rainforest inhabitants and raised concerns about the possible impact of climate change on the region.

Photo courtesy of Raimundo Valentim/EPA/CORBIS

Giant snakes, fish among spectacular species found in Amazon

2010-10-26T08:04:00.000-05:00

Spectacular species previously unknown to the outside world are being discovered in the Amazon rainforest at a rate of one every three days, environment group WWF said in a report published Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Irene Lee/Flickr

Deforestation Worsens in Brazilian Amazon

2010-06-12T22:16:00.006-05:00

About 103.5 square km of rainforests disappeared in March and April in Brazil's Amazon region, roughly the size of Paris, said a new report.

Photo courtesy of apoloniox70/Flickr

UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environment

2010-05-11T06:08:00.000-05:00

The third "Global Biodiversity Outlook" found that deforestation, pollution or overexploitation were damaging the productive capacity of the most vulnerable environments, including the Amazon rainforest, lakes and coral reefs.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Yamaguchi/Flickr

Brazil launches major push for sustainable palm oil in the Amazon

2010-05-08T13:10:00.002-05:00

The palm oil program marks a new focus for Brazil, which currently produces about 110,000 metric tons of crude palm oil per year, a fraction of the amount produced by market leaders Indonesia (16.9 million metric tons in 2008) and Malaysia (15.8 m tons), according to the FAO.

Photo courtesy of Dennis Clark/Flickr

Sting voices opposition to Amazon dam in Brazil

2010-05-05T07:56:00.000-05:00

"All of the reasons I fought against it 20 years ago are still there. It will destroy an entire river system and destroy the lives and culture of the people who live there and have lived there for thousands of years," said Sting, who was in Venezuela for a concert.

Photo courtesy of Jazmin Million/Flickr

Amazon loses 76 km ² of forest in March

2010-05-05T07:31:00.002-05:00

Amazon deforestation rose again, according to Imazon. In March, the forest lost 76 square kilometers (km ²) of vegetation, a 35% increase over the same month in 2009.

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Baleia/Greenpeace

Half the Amazon Could be Lost by 2050, Says Study

2010-05-05T06:47:00.002-05:00

According to a report from Globo Amazônia, the study conducted by Gilvan Sampaio of National Institute of Special Research (INPE) found that the vegetation of the Amazon will be particularly impacted by rising global temperatures in the years to come, in addition to the continued threats posed by deforestation and fires.

Photo courtesy of Alberto Cesar/Greenpeace

Saving the rainforests will save Florida

2010-05-03T14:01:00.002-05:00

In short, it's going to be very difficult to protect Florida's natural wonders and the health of our economy from climate change unless we protect the world's rainforests.

Map Card courtesy of Striderv/Flickr

20 Pink Dolphins Die of Poisoning in Peruvian Amazon

2010-05-02T09:40:00.001-05:00

La Republica said on Saturday that the pink dolphins of the Amazon must have eaten fish poisoned – according to preliminary investigations – with phosphorus or pesticides thrown in the water by unknown persons in order to eliminate them.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Schafer/K.S. Photography

Belo Monte is Not a Done Deal

2010-05-01T08:16:00.000-05:00

Belo Monte Dam is by no means an inevitability, despite what the Brazilian government and the companies promoting the dam would like you to believe. Legal actions, protests and occupations by indigenous groups, and a growing international campaign could derail the project.

Photo courtesy of Sofie Wistrand/Flickr

Amazon Expedition Aims to Collect 100,000 Bugs

2010-04-28T07:57:00.002-05:00

To date, around 1 million insect species have been identified throughout the world. But, while that may be a mind-boggling number, biologists estimate that there remains at least 4 million more left undiscovered--many of which may lie deep in the heart of the world's largest rainforest.

Photo courtesy of Shirley Sekarajasingham/Flickr

Silva: Not building Amazon dam would be 'insane'

2010-04-27T06:58:00.002-05:00

Brazil's president says it would be "insane" to scrap an enormous hydroelectric dam in the Amazon region because other ways of generating power would cause more pollution.

Photo courtesy of Eraldo Peres/AP

Another Dam, More Rainforest Gone!

2010-04-27T05:56:00.003-05:00

I have seen the self reliance of Brazil as the energy model. I have seen them move to renewable resources. Many things they have done are truly remarkable. But this? And 70 more? The WORLD relies on the rain forests. How will money replace that?

Photo courtesy of Sofie Wistrand/Flickr

Amazon hydro plants among most polluting in the world

2010-04-24T16:39:00.003-05:00

Amazon hydro plants are some of the most polluting on the planet. Decomposing vegetation in the reservoir releases methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Belo Monte alone will be a big methane producer, but if an additional dam is built upstream – as many fear – the projects together will release as many greenhouse gases as three average-sized coal plants.

Photo courtesy of Alice Cassell/Flickr

Brazil to start work on controversial dam in months: report

2010-04-24T08:51:00.003-05:00

Work on a huge, controversial dam in Brazil's Amazon is to begin by September at the latest, despite furious opposition from indigenous and environmental groups, Energy Minister Marcio Zimmerman said Friday.

Photo courtesy of Andre Penner/AP

Contact the Brazilian Embassy to Stop Belo Monte Dam!

2010-04-23T22:25:00.000-05:00

The dam would devastate an extensive area of the Amazon rainforest and threaten the survival of thousands of indigenous and traditional peoples who depend on the Xingu River for their livelihoods. Construction could begin this year.

Photo courtesy of Andrew White/Flickr

Pink Amazon river dolphins caught on camera in Brazil

2010-04-23T09:58:00.002-05:00

These pictures give us a fascinating glimpse into the behaviour of the elusive bubblegum pink Amazon river dolphins. They live in the murky, sediment-covered depths of the Amazon River in Brazil, and are freshwater creatures.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Schafer/K.S. Photography

Brazilian president defends controversial dam project

2010-04-23T08:16:00.003-05:00

A country that wants to be the fifth-biggest economy on the planet within the next decade... needs to think five years ahead, and that is why we are doing this," Lula told reporters.

Photo courtesy Diego Mandarino/Flickr

In Earth Day setback, Brazil OKs dam that will flood swath of Amazon

2010-04-22T20:46:00.003-05:00

Damage to the environment is also a major issue. The Xingu river basin has about four times as many species of fish as the whole of Europe, but the work will kill millions of animals and threaten extinction for some species, said Hermes Medeiros, a local ecologist on the review board.

Photo courtesy of Donizete Tomé/O Eco

Indians to occupy dam site

2010-04-22T11:28:00.001-05:00

Indigenous groups will occupy an area where the government wants to build a controversial hydroelectric dam projected to be the world's third-largest, an Indian chief said Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Andre Penner/AP

Brazil awards contract for Belo Monte dam to Norte Energia consortium

2010-04-21T06:58:00.001-05:00

The Brazilian energy regulator has awarded the contract to build the 11GW Belo Monte dam on a tributary of the Amazon rainforest, to Norte Energia, a consortium of nine companies, including state energy company Electrobras’s subsidiary Chesf. The project is extremely controversial, as up to 20,000 people, including 800 native Indians will be displaced, as it will flood 400km2 of rainforest.

Photo courtesy of Donizete Tomé/O Eco

Belo Monte: 12 questions without answers

2010-04-20T06:01:00.000-05:00

Indigenous peoples were not adequately heard. Greenhouse gas emissions could be underestimated. Certain conditions set by IBAMA will only be checked years after completion of the plant.

Photo courtesy of International Rivers/Flickr

Is deforestation rising or falling in the Amazon?

2010-04-19T11:14:00.002-05:00

Last week Brazil's National Space Agency INPE reported a 51 percent drop in Amazon deforestation in the six months ended February 2010 compared with the year earlier period. But the seemingly happy news for environmentalists may be premature.

Photo courtesy of apoloniox70/Flickr

Video footage from James Cameron's trip to the Amazon

2010-04-18T16:37:00.004-05:00

James Cameron and Avatar cast members Sigourney Weaver and Joel David Moore return to the Xingu river and speak out against the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil.

Photo courtesy of Atossa Soltani/Amazon Watch

Belo Monte dam one among over 70 planned for Amazon

2010-04-17T08:37:00.001-05:00

A group called Amazon Watch said in a statement that, "This dam is one of the most destructive projects ever undertaken in the Amazon."

Photo courtesy of Sofie Wistrand/Flickr

Judge allows start of bids on controversial Brazil dam

2010-04-17T08:24:00.000-05:00

A Brazilian court has overturned a ruling that could have delayed building a massive dam on an Amazon tributary.

Photo courtesy of Sofie Wistrand/Flickr

Breaking News - Belo Monte auction to proceed following stall

2010-04-16T15:41:00.002-05:00

A Brasilia judge overturned a decision that could have delayed construction of the 11,200-MW Belo Monte hydro project in Brazil's Amazon region, wire services reported.

More later...

Photo courtesy of Denise Gramelick/Flickr

Amazon defenders win bid to stall huge dam project

2010-04-15T21:35:00.002-05:00

Actress Sigourney Weaver, who starred in "Avatar" and traveled with Cameron to Brazil, welcomed the dam delay. But she warned of a long fight ahead.

Photo courtesy of International Rivers/Flickr

'Avatar' director lauds ruling on Brazilian dam

2010-04-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

"It's a small victory for us, but I don't expect the battle is over," Cameron told The Associated Press by telephone from the small Amazon city of Altamira, where he was lending support to project opponents.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Willens/AP

Brazil suspends Amazon dam project targeted by Avatar director

2010-04-15T07:51:00.000-05:00

A Brazilian judge on Wednesday suspended the preliminary license for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, a controversial project in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, citing "danger of irreparable harm," reports the Amazon Watch, an NGO that has been campaigning on the issue.

Photo courtesy of stephenk1977/Flickr

Avatar director James Cameron speaks out against Belo Monte dam

2010-04-14T06:37:00.001-05:00

A real-life Avatar conflict is playing out in the Brazilian Amazon as indigenous groups fight against the construction of a giant hydroelectric dam in the heart of the rainforest, the Oscar-winning director James Cameron has warned.

Photo courtesy of Andre Penner/AP

Letter from James Cameron to President Lula of Brazil about the Belo Monte Dam project

2010-04-13T05:53:00.005-05:00

You have a great opportunity, as a world leader, to take decisive action in the immediate short-term to demonstrate Brazil's commitment to these vital issues. I am referring to the Belo Monte Dam project, which will undergo bidding on April 20. I believe strongly that this project should not go forward, and I appeal to you on the basis of logic and compassion, to intercede to prevent its progress.

Photo courtesy of Andre Penner/AP

Belo Monte Dam May Operate at 40% of Capacity, Estado Says

2010-04-12T10:18:00.004-05:00

Since the Belo Monte project has no artificial reservoir, power generation will vary according to the rain cycle in the Xingu river, where it will be located, Estado reported. During the dry season, the dam will produce less than 3,000 megawatts, the newspaper said.

Photo courtesy of Andrew White/Flickr

Tribes of Amazon Find an Ally Out of ‘Avatar’

2010-04-11T08:01:00.011-05:00

Mr. Cameron said that he was writing a letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urging him to reconsider the dam and that he would press for a meeting with the president. “They need to listen to these people here,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Atossa Soltani/Amazon Watch

Hoatzin — the strangest bird in the Amazon

2010-04-10T08:47:00.002-05:00

The hoatzin hangs around trees near wet areas such as still water, slow-moving creeks, flooded forests, swamps and oxbow lakes.

Photo courtesy of Max Feingold/Flickr

Amazon loses 208 km2 in first two months of 2010

2010-04-09T06:14:00.004-05:00

The states which registered the greatest amount of deforestation were Mato Grosso, which alone amounted to 143.4 km2 deforested, followed by Roraima, 26.9 km2, and Pará, with 17.2 km2.

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

Photo courtesy of apoloniox70/Flickr

If it must, Brazil will build Belo Monte dam alone

2010-04-09T05:55:00.001-05:00

Brazil's government will itself build the massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in the Amazon region if no private firms bid for the project, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of itupictures/Flickr

Brazil AG Office to Oppose Controversial Dam Project

2010-04-08T16:41:00.002-05:00

The project would involve diverting a 100-kilometer (62-mile) stretch of the Xingu river, an Amazon tributary, and directly affect 12,000 families, including residents of two indigenous hamlets whose survival would depend on the dam operator providing them excess water from the reservoir.

Photo courtesy of gustav_kra/Flickr

Brazil Farmers Shown How to Profit By Conserving

2010-04-08T13:37:00.002-05:00

The Amazon rain forest in Brazil has lost nearly 20 percent of its area since the 1970s, largely because of ranchers and farmers seeking new land for their cattle and crops.

Photo courtesy of Joelle Hernandez/Flickr

Two Brazil companies pull out of Belo Monte auction

2010-04-08T10:51:00.001-05:00

The decision by the Camargo Correa and Odebrecht construction groups dents government hopes for a competitive auction that would push down the price of energy production at the planned 11,000-megawatt project.

Photo courtesy of Mahashiah/Flickr

A Brazilian Movement Appeals to the UN to Stop the Amazon's Belo Monte Dam

2010-04-07T15:37:00.003-05:00

Delivered to the United Nations last Thursday, April 1st, a document claims that flaws in the environmental licensing process for the controversial Belo Monte Dam in Brazil were overlooked due to political pressure from the Lula administration.

Photo courtesy of Thiago Teixeira/REUTERS

Brazilian slaughterhouses fail to fully meet first deadline for stopping Amazon deforestation

2010-04-07T10:01:00.003-05:00

Brazil has become one of the world’s leading exporters of beef, leather, and other cattle products, and the country’s government is fostering further development of this sector. If they want to keep leading the global market, it is in the Brazilian slaughterhouses’ best interest to ensure cattle do not come from newly deforested parts of the Amazon or ranches that profit from the use of slave labor.

Photo courtesy of Leonardo Freitas/Flickr

Six-million-dollar fine for destroying Amazon rainforest

2010-04-06T06:23:00.001-05:00

A farmer in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso was fined 6.15 million dollars for destroying 2,234 hectares of the Amazon rainforest, Brazilian authorities said Monday.

Photo courtesy of Andy Revkin/Flickr

Video: Flying over the vast Amazon rainforest

2010-04-04T09:43:00.008-05:00

Belo Monte Dam

2010-04-03T17:11:00.002-05:00

The Brazilian government has plans to build more than 100 large dams in the Amazon Basin over the next 20 years. Many Brazilians believe that if Belo Monte is approved, it will represent a carte blanche for the destruction of all the magnificent rivers of the Amazon - next the Tapajos, the Teles Pires, then the Araguia-Tocantins, and so on. The Amazon will become an endless series of lifeless reservoirs, its life drained away by giant walls of concrete and steel.

Photo courtesy of Andrew White/Flickr

James Cameron Returns from a visit to Belo Monte Dam Site on the Xingu River

2010-03-31T08:50:00.001-05:00

Last week during his address at the International Forum on Sustainability in Manaus, Mr. Cameron expressed his concern about the project saying: "For people living along the river, as they have for millennia, the dam will end their way of life. I implore the Brazilian government, and President Lula, to reconsider this project."

Photo courtesy of Denise Gramelick/Flickr

Brazil Using Condoms to Protect Rainforest

2010-03-31T07:47:00.003-05:00

Brazil has unrolled an ambitious plan to preserve vast areas of the Amazon rainforest by tapping its rubber trees to make sustainable condoms.

Photo courtesy of NWF/Flickr

Peruvian Amazon trees a niche market for carbon trading

2010-03-30T07:56:00.001-05:00

Trees grow faster in the Amazon rainforest -- the lungs of the planet -- than anywhere else in the world, and can reach between six to 12 metres (18 to 36 feet) in just one year.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Yamaguchi/Flickr

Nuns face guns, impunity in trying to save Amazon

2010-03-30T06:24:00.002-05:00

The main cause of deforestation, the government says, are ranchers who illegally clear jungle to graze cattle and grow soy — often using threats and violence to remove the poor farmers eking a living there.

Photo courtesy of Charles Thomas/Flickr

James Cameron asks Lula to reconsider the project of Belo Monte

2010-03-28T09:38:00.001-05:00

In Manaus, Cameron said that the environmental and social impacts of the plant need to be prioritized by the Brazilian government. "I beg to President Lula to reconsider," said Cameron.

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Willens/AP

"I do not damage the forest for a movie," says Cameron

2010-03-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

James Cameron explains why you do not want to shoot in the Amazon rainforest.

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Willens/AP

Planned oil pipeline in Peru may pose threat to Amazon tribes

2010-03-25T15:28:00.000-05:00

The pipeline is being built to transport an estimated three hundred million barrels of oil from the depths of the northern Peruvian Amazon. The company makes no mention of the tribes in its report detailing the potential social and environmental impacts of the pipeline, despite the fact they could be decimated by contact with Perenco’s workers.

Photo courtesy of powless/Flickr

Forest loss slows, as China plants and Brazil preserves

2010-03-25T07:11:00.000-05:00

The world's net rate of forest loss has slowed markedly in the last decade, with less logging in the Amazon and China planting trees on a grand scale.

Photo courtesy of David Bryngelsson/Flickr

Global deforestation slowed over last decade - UN

2010-03-24T20:16:00.001-05:00

Indonesia sharply reduced the speed of its deforestation to 0.5 million hectares a year between 2000 and 2010, versus 1.9 million a year during the previous decade. Brazil lowered its own figure to 2.6 million from 2.9 million hectares.

Photo courtesy of Damon Winter/NY Times

Auction date set for Belo Monte hydro project in Brazil

2010-03-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

An auction to sell the rights to build and operate the Belo Monte hydroelectric project in Brazil's Amazon will take place on April 20, the Mines and Energy Ministry reported.

Photo courtesy of stephenk1977/Flickr

Brazil's Belo Monte Dam Auction Set For April 20

2010-03-18T13:44:00.002-05:00

More later...

Photo courtesy of Andrew White/Flickr

Forest protected areas important for slowing climate change

2010-03-17T11:04:00.000-05:00

The authors highlight analyses showing that since 2002, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has been 7 to 11 times lower inside of indigenous lands and other protected areas than elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of apoloniox70/Flickr

Brazil tackles deforestation of its savanna

2010-03-17T07:11:00.001-05:00

Officials will use satellites to monitor the ecosystem known as the Cerrado, Minister Carlos Minc said, while imposing fines and offering incentives to encourage preservation of what has become Brazil's main grain-producing area.

Photo courtesy of PSantaRosa/Flickr

Protected species in the Amazon's Cristalino state park (15 pictures)

2010-03-16T08:07:00.004-05:00

The park, in Mato Grosso, is one of the most biodiverse reserves in the region. But lack of management means it remains under serious threat from fire and illegal logging. Little is known about the botanical diversity of the region, and regional capacity for research is limited.

Photo courtesy of E Bowen-Jones/FFI

Amazon confusion: new research shows forest is resilient to drought, but is this the whole picture?

2010-03-15T18:24:00.003-05:00

Given the differing opinions, more research may be needed before consensus can be reached on how the Amazon will react to climate change, especially in light of other threats such as deforestation.

Photo courtesy of sibauch/Flickr

The majestic rivers of Amazonia

2010-03-14T10:58:00.002-05:00

The Juruena River is one of Brazil's most stunning water courses, once running through pristine landscapes and gracing satellite images with its blue water. Now, agriculture has moved heavily into the area, the rains wash mud into its erstwhile clear waters and numerous small dams are being built along it. A sad demise. The photo shows the upper reaches of the river, on the Parecis plateau.

Photo courtesy of Margi Moss/O Eco Amazonia

Meeting on deforestation boosts morale, budget

2010-03-12T16:27:00.003-06:00

"We entered the meeting with $3.5 billion. It went to $4.5 billion (here) and we want to arrive in Oslo with $6 billion," Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc said after the closed-door talks.

Photo courtesy of Roberto Jayme/REUTERS

French President Calls for Stronger Forest Preservation Effort

2010-03-11T15:05:00.007-06:00

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for rich nations to contribute more to fighting deforestation, particularly in the Congo and Amazon River basins in Africa and Latin America.

Photo courtesy of StreetPress/Flickr

Officials and Professors Discuss Preservation of Amazon

2010-03-11T07:16:00.000-06:00

Arnóbio “Binho” Marques, who is currently the governor of Acre, praised the state’s shift in focus over the last 12 years to maintaining biodiversity instead of simply stripping the Amazon of its resources to develop the area.

Photo courtesy of News Agency of Acre/Flickr

Shame on Brazil: Stop the Amazon Mega-Dam Project Belo Monte

2010-03-11T06:14:00.002-06:00

As you are aware, the Belo Monte dam will inundate some 500 square km of land, and divert nearly the entire flow of the Xingu through two artificial canals to the dam's powerhouse. This alone will leave Indigenous and traditional communities along a 130 km stretch of the Volta Grande without water, fish, or a means of river transport.

Photo courtesy of stephenk1977/Flickr

Rainforest pact: Brazil and the U.S. agree to cooperate

2010-03-05T19:48:00.002-06:00

The deal, signed by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Brasilia on Wednesday, marks the first time the two countries have formally agreed to work together on deforestation.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy Brasilia/Flickr

Brazil: Cost of Amazon dam jumps $2B

2010-03-05T08:47:00.000-06:00

Officials say the cost of building a huge dam in Brazil's Amazon has jumped $2 billion because of new environmental protections.

Photo courtesy of Andrew White/Flickr

The Rain Forest Song

2010-03-05T06:46:00.000-06:00

Imazon records deforestation of 79 square kilometers in December and January

2010-03-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

Imazon warns that deforestation data in this period may be underestimated, since in December 2009 and January 2010 there was a lot of cloud cover, hiding approximately 50% of the Amazon. The regions most affected by cloud cover were Amapá, Amazonas and Pará. In addition, part of Maranhão that make up the Amazon was not analyzed.

Please note: This article is in Portuguese.

Photo courtesy of Stacy/Google Picasa

Uncontacted Amazon Tribes Get Internet Connection

2010-03-02T06:47:00.001-06:00

Up until now, indigenous tribes were aware of deforestation taking place on protected land but had little recourse to combat the problem--now they can twitter about it instantaneously.

Photo courtesy of Ricardo Funari/Flickr

Rainforest revival: has Brazil turned the tide on deforestation?

2010-02-28T08:56:00.001-06:00

The sheer visible scale of both the destruction, and of what remains, is breathtaking. It’s one of Brazil’s greatest hopes, and greatest challenges.

Photo courtesy of Lalo de Almeida/NY Times

Deforestation Pushing Amazon to Its Ecological Limits

2010-02-24T07:31:00.000-06:00

When you don’t know the effects of damaging a highly complex, invaluably important ecological system, make sure not to damage it.

Photo courtesy of Leonardo Freitas/Flickr

Açaí, a Global Super Fruit, Is Dinner in the Amazon

2010-02-24T06:37:00.004-06:00

In places like Cametá, a town of about 117,000, and Belém, the capital of Pará State, a bowl of açaí pulp is a filling side dish especially valued by poorer families.

Photo courtesy of Seth Kugel/NY Times

‘Avatar’ is Real in the Amazon

2010-02-22T20:01:00.000-06:00

The story of Chevron in Ecuador is no less dramatic, tragic, or inspiring than the fantasy world of Pandora.

Photo courtesy of AP/20th Century Fox

Companies fund projects to preserve Amazon rain forest

2010-02-21T19:35:00.003-06:00

Around the world, dozens of REDD projects, sponsored by environmental groups and funded by firms including Merrill Lynch & Co., Walt Disney Co., American Electric Power Co., BP and United Parcel Service Inc., are underway.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Company

Everything's even bigger in Brazilian Amazon

2010-02-21T14:28:00.001-06:00

In fact, the Brazilian Amazon alone is more than seven times the size of Texas. It accounts for about half of Brazil’s national territory, but is sparsely populated compared with areas to the south.

Photo courtesy of William Quatman/Flickr

Saving the Amazon may be the most cost-effective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions

2010-02-21T13:36:00.001-06:00

Beginning in the 1960s, politicians in Brazil pushed to populate the rain forest and to clear tracts for cattle, soybeans and timber. Across the Amazon, homesteaders were promised title to their plots if they cut down trees to make the land "productive."

Photo courtesy of Charles Thomas/Flickr

Big business leaves big forest footprints

2010-02-17T08:11:00.001-06:00

Consumers around the globe are not aware that they are "eating" rainforests, says Andrew Mitchell. In this week's Green Room, he explains how many every-day purchases are driving the destruction of the vital tropical ecosystems.

Photo courtesy of Tom Spaulding/Flickr

Amazon set for second hydrocarbon boom

2010-02-17T07:47:00.001-06:00

The Peruvian Amazon is in the early stages of a second hydrocarbon boom, which could have damaging effects on biodiversity and indigenous people. That's according to researchers from the US and Spain, who are the first to plot historical trends in oil and gas exploration and extraction in the forest.

Photo courtesy of Powless/Flickr

Big cities and global farming now driving deforestation, study finds

2010-02-11T06:51:00.004-06:00

In recent years, tropical countries have been supplying growing amounts of palm oil, soybeans, sugar, meat and other processed products to distant markets abroad. Not all the products are used for food; palm oil and sugar in particular are also being converted into biofuels.

Photo courtesy of Damon Winter/NY Times

Brazil: Don't Shove Belo Monte Down Our Throats!

2010-02-10T08:54:00.016-06:00

Meanwhile, Amazon defender and Green Party candidate Marina Silva, running 8% in polls, has criticized Belo Monte for lacking a coherent socio-environmental plan to support the people of the Xingú. Yet both front runners – Serra and Rousseff – have a strong interest in building Belo Monte and many more mega-dams in the Amazon to keep hydroelectricity profits flowing into industry and government coffers.

Photo courtesy of Rogério Costa/Flickr

Palm oil deal 'a threat to the rainforest'

2010-02-10T08:27:00.001-06:00

The policy is almost certain to increase demand for palm oil, which can only be grown in tropical climates in Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries, West Africa and the Amazon in Brazil. Rainforests have strong carbon credentials; they suck carbon dioxide out of the air as they grow.

Photo courtesy of Adam Lane/Flickr

Amazon River Water Being Stolen and Bottled Abroad

2010-02-09T10:01:00.002-06:00

A recently published report is exposing some shocking exploitation of the Amazon's natural resources--and this time it's water being stolen. Where is this water headed? According to the report, "tankers are quietly removing water" to be bottled and sold in Europe and the Middle East.

Photo courtesy of Brian Ritchie/Flickr

Amazon rainforest will bear cost of biofuel policies in Brazil

2010-02-08T20:50:00.001-06:00

Business-as-usual agricultural expansion to meet biofuel production targets for 2020 will take a heavy toll on Brazil's Amazon rainforest in coming years, undermining the potential emissions savings of transitioning from fossil fuels to biofuels, warns a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Photo courtesy of Andre Penner/AP

To save Amazon rainforest, expert pushes smarter farming to replace slash-and-burn

2010-02-07T21:41:00.001-06:00

Brazilian officials and environmentalists agree that cattle ranching is the biggest cause of deforestation of the nation's Amazon, an area the size of the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, about 20 percent of which has been destroyed.

Photo courtesy of Charles Thomas/Flickr

Uproar in Brazil over huge Amazon dam plan

2010-02-04T15:04:00.001-06:00

"It's a project that only benefits companies. Despite all they say, it's not 'clean energy:' it generates methane gas, which provokes climate change, and it will displace 30,000 residents," Antonia Melo of the Xingo Vivo Movement that groups 150 indigenous and social groups opposed to the dam told AFP.

Photo courtesy of Pedro Martinelli/ISA

The Amazongate fiasco

2010-02-04T13:55:00.002-06:00

"The IPCC could have picked a better citation than the WWF report, but the data were there, published in a few places to support their statement," Nepstad told mongabay.com. "The latest attack on the IPCC is bizarre and unfounded."

Photo courtesy of Luis Vasconcelos/AP

Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia Falls by 72.5 Percent

2010-02-03T09:25:00.001-06:00

Brazilian Amazonia lost 247 square kilometers of forest between October and November of 2009, a reduction of 72.5 percent as compared to the same period in 2008, according to official figures.

Photo courtesy of Leonardo Freitas/Flickr

Biodiversity: The Amazon Is Not Eternal

2010-02-02T13:57:00.002-06:00

Lovejoy, head of the committee responsible for this major scientific investigation, said the Amazon has already lost 17 to 18 percent of its forests. Furthermore, "it has a remarkable hydrogeological system where the forest generates at least half of its own rainfall."

Photo courtesy of Lalo de Almeida/NY Times

Brazil demands $830M to ease impact of Amazon dam

2010-02-02T06:58:00.002-06:00

Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc says the winner of a multibillion dollar bid to build a new Amazon hydroelectric dam must pay $830 million to protect the environment and people living nearby.

Photo courtesy of Eraldo Peres/AP

Criticism Mounts over the Brazilian Government's Licensing of the Destructive Belo Monte Dam

2010-02-01T20:26:00.002-06:00

The massive project, slated to be the world's third largest, would divert the flow of the Xingu River and devastate an extensive area of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, threatening the survival of indigenous peoples.

Photo courtesy of Andrew White/Flickr

Huge hydroelectric dam approved in Brazil's Amazon

2010-02-01T14:51:00.002-06:00

Brazil's government has granted an environmental license for the construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the Environment Minister said on Monday.

Photo courtesy of Roberto Jayme/REUTERS

Farmers mainly to blame for deforestation in the Amazon

2010-02-01T14:27:00.001-06:00

Small-scale farmers who lease land from the Brazilian government are very much responsible for deforestation in the Brazilian state of Rondonia in the Amazon area.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Ferry/Getty images

GE Helps Brazilian Amazon Go Green

2010-01-29T18:24:00.001-06:00

Breitener is converting two heavy fuel oil plants to use natural gas, which produces fewer emissions than heavy fuel oil. It will install 46 of GE’s low-emission Jenbacher gas engine sets to generate a combined 120 megawatts for the Amazon city of Manaus, northern Brazil’s second-largest city.

Photo courtesy of Brian Snyder/REUTERS

Avatar in the Amazon

2010-01-29T17:06:00.007-06:00

If there were ever a place that came close to the magical world of Pandora in James Cameron’s new film Avatar, it would probably be the Amazon.

Photo courtesy of AP/20th Century Fox

Brazilian beef barons are greenwashing to preserve their place on your plate

2010-01-28T09:37:00.006-06:00

In recent months, the Brazilian government has promised the world it will end the destruction of Amazon rainforest to create new cattle pastures. The tragedy is that it looks as if the reclusive inhabitants of its neighbours' forests are now in the front line.

Photo courtesy of Rhett Butler/Mongabay

In The Great Amazon Pharmacy

2010-01-26T07:04:00.001-06:00

By taking sixteen students into the rainforest for introductory studies, I hope that some will feel inspired to take up the cause of fighting for Amazon conservation. There are many worthy causes in the wolrd, and this is one of mine. In the Amazon, when you go to sleep at night, you hear the sounds of a million creatures large and small, a complex symphony that is spellbinding.

Photo courtesy of Chris Kilham/Medicine Hunter

Texas duo paddle Amazon to raise awareness about decline of rainforest

2010-01-22T21:33:00.001-06:00

Their mission? To learn about the people of the Amazon and raise awareness about the declining rainforests, which are disappearing at the rate of almost 15 million acres a year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That's about 23,000 football fields per day.

Photo courtesy of Steve Shepherd/Flickr

Increased conflict in tropical forests projected despite Copenhagen Accord

2010-01-22T17:31:00.001-06:00

The authors of the report cite numerous studies suggesting that in 2010, the potential for enormous profits will lead to increased competition over forest resources between powerful global governments and investors on the one hand, and local actors on the other, resulting in new and resurging violent conflict.

Photo courtesy of Andre Penner/AP