Peru urged to ban oil firms from isolated indigenous peoples’ land

By David Hill 6 October 2017 (The Guardian) – There are more indigenous peoples living in “isolation” in Peru than any country in the world except Brazil. All live in the Amazon – the majority in poorly-protected reserves, or areas where reserves have been proposed but never established, or “protected natural areas” such as national […]

Brazil: a world champion in political and environmental devastation

By Giem Guimaraes 29 September 2017 (Mongabay) – Brazil. The fifth largest country in the world. Besides housing the world’s largest rainforest and freshwater reserves, — approximately 12 percent of the world’s total — it is also the country with the largest commercial cattle production, with more than 215 million animals. Additionally, it has the […]

New approach to measuring forest carbon density shows tropics now emit more carbon than they capture

28 September 2017 (WHRC) – A revolutionary new approach to measuring changes in forest carbon density has helped WHRC scientists determine that the tropics now emit more carbon than they capture, countering their role as a net carbon “sink.” The shift from carbon sink to carbon “source” was caused by widespread deforestation, degradation and disturbance, […]

Mining in the Amazon rainforest unleashed by Brazil president

By Philip Fearnside 15 September 2017 (Mongabay) – On 23 August 2017, Brazil’s president Michel Temer issued a decree revoking the RENCA (National Reserve of Copper and Associated Minerals), an area the size of Switzerland on the northern side of the Amazon River straddling the states of Pará and Amapá. The Ministry of Environment had […]

Indigenous victory: Brazil’s Temer decrees 1.2 million hectare Amazon reserve

By Sue Branford 18 September 2017 (Mongabay) – The Temer government, widely criticized for its attacks on indigenous rights, has approved its first significant measure in favor of the country’s indigenous communities.Last week, Brazil’s official gazette published a decree, signed by Justice Minister Torquato Jardim, establishing the Indigenous Territory of Turubaxi-Téa along the middle reaches […]

Amazon Indians plead for help after “massacre”– Gold miners who bragged about killing and mutilating up to ten tribespeople are under investigation – “More attacks and killings are likely to happen”

13 September 2017 (Survival International) – Brazilian Indians have appealed for global assistance to prevent further killings after the reported massacre of uncontacted tribespeople, and have denounced the government cuts that left their territories unprotected.Paulo Marubo, a Marubo indigenous leader from western Brazil, said: “More attacks and killings are likely to happen. The cuts to […]

Hasten efforts to achieve sustainable global goals, urges deputy UN chief – “Our assessment clearly shows that the pace of progress is insufficient”

8 September 2017 (United Nations) – Noting the efforts being undertaken around the globe to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called for picking up the pace to ensure that the 2030 deadline is met.“The SDGs have jumped from the General Assembly Hall to communities across the world [and] […]

Brazil suspends Amazon mining decree in face of criticism

By Jake Spring; Editing by Paul Tait 31 August 2017BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s government said late on Thursday it would suspend action on a decree opening a vast section of the Amazon rainforest to mining, backtracking in the face of activist criticism and a legal challenge. The mining ministry said in a statement that, after […]

Burning Man Temple being built from trees killed in California drought

By Joe Kukura 24 August 2017 (SFist) – You’ll notice this year’s Burning Man Temple looks a lot different than previous years’ laser cut jigsaw designs of David Best. Best has handed off the task to his previous lead engineers and architects, who’ve come up with a simple but striking concept composed of flat panels. […]

Brazil firm wants to build new dams in Amazon’s Aripuanã basin – “This was a big cemetery, which contained all our ancestors, many generations of our tribe, in the middle of the construction site. It is a sacred place for us.”

By Sue Branford 10 August 2017 (Mongabay) – A Brazilian company, Intertechne Consultores, has asked Aneel, the federal Agency for Electric Energy, to authorize viability studies to build three new dams in the Aripuanã river basin — the Sumaúma and Quebra Remo dams along the Aripuanã River itself and the Inferninho dam along its tributary, […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial