Brazil scraps plan for mining in huge Amazon reserve

The Brazilian government has backed off a controversial proposal to authorise private companies to mine a huge Amazon reserve, following heavy domestic and international criticism.

Brazilian judge blocks decree to open Amazon reserve to mining

A Brazilian judge on Wednesday blocked a presidential decree that opened an Amazon nature reserve to mining.

Norway to Reconsider Its Aid to Amazon Rainforest

Oil-rich Norway, which in many parts of the world emerged as the champion of wildlife preservation, is threatening to cut its support of the Amazon rainforest amid Brazil's defiant underperformance and wide-spreading deforestation.

Amazon Deforestation 'Consistent Chain of Events' Caused by Economic Crisis

Between August 2015 and July 2016, the world witnessed the deforestation of 7,989 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest , Sputnik Brazil reported referring to the findings by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.

Oil Spills May Cause Great Damage in Peruvian Amazon

 Scientists said that the recent leak of 3,000 barrels of oil in Peru’s Amazon jungle will cause incalculable damage.

Peru Declares State of Emergency in 16 Amazon Rainforest Communities Due to Oil Spill

The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in 16 Amazon rainforest communities because of oil spills in the Loreto region.

MarGeo Eco news (March 2016)

An organization comprising Peruvian Amazon communities plans to file a complaint against state-owned oil company Petroperu over a crude spill caused by a pipeline leak, the group's president told EFE Thursday.......Peru Indians to file complaint against state oil company over pipeline spill

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February 2016

Half of Amazonian tree species threatened (study)

About half of all tree species in the Amazon, the world's most diverse forest, may be at risk for extinction, according to a new study published Friday.

Brazil, Germany build amazon observatory to monitor climate change

Brazil's National Institute of Amazonian Research and Germany's Max Planck Institute have joined efforts to build the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO).

Colombia, Norway gear up to tackle tropical deforestation

Colombian and Norwegian leaders on Tuesday urge world leaders to make tackling tropical deforestation a top priority in the lead-up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris late this year, the Office of the Norwegian Prime Minister said in a statement.

Mayisin eco R News (May 2015 -B)

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Four Amazonian tribes have joined forces to oppose the construction of hydroelectric dams in their territory as the Brazilian government ramps up efforts to exploit the power of rivers in the world’s biggest forest.

The Munduruku, Apiaká, Kayabi and Rikbaktsa released a joint statement on Thursday demanding the halt of construction on a cascade of four dams on the Teles Pires – a tributary of the Tapajós........... Amazonian Tribes Unite to Demand Brazil Stop Hydroelectric Dams

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(May 2015 -A)

Brésil : nouvelle accélération de la déforestation de l'Amazonie

Au Brésil, la déforestation de l'Amazonie a atteint 5 843 km2 sur un an, en hausse de 28 % par rapport à l'année précédente, a annoncé jeudi 14 novembre la ministre de l'environnement du pays, Izabella Teixeira.

"Nous confirmons une hausse du taux de déforestation de 28 %, de 5 843 km2" de forêt, a déclaré Mme Teixeira lors d'une conférence de presse. Ce résultat encore provisoire couvre la période allant d'août 2012 à juillet 2013.

Brazil court orders resumption of work on Amazon Belo Monte dam.

AFP - A Brazilian court on Wednesday ordered work to resume on a dam in the Amazon, reversing a ruling that had ordered a stoppage over environmental concerns, the project consortium said.
A Norte Energia statement said the president of the Federal Court in Brasilia lifted the suspension on the Belo Monte dam.
Another judge had ordered the consortium to halt the work Friday, saying it had not met its environmental commitments.
Just as the 20,000 workers were preparing to stop work at the dam, located in the northern state of Para, Judge Mario Cesar Ribeiro said only a special court could rule on a suspension, according to a spokesman.

Brésil: la justice suspend la construction du gigantesque barrage de Belo Monte.

Foto: en.wikipedia.org

Un juge d'un tribunal fédéral de Brasilia a ordonné la suspension des travaux de construction du gigantesque barrage de Belo Monte, en Amazonie brésilienne, vivement contesté par les écologistes et les populations locales, a annoncé lundi une porte-parole de la cour.

Le juge Antonio Souza Prudente a prononcé la suspension de l'autorisation environnementale accordée au projet et l'arrêt des travaux du barrage hydroélectrique, situé sur le fleuve Xingu, dans l'Etat du Para (nord), selon cette porte-parole.
Prise vendredi, la décision du juge interdit à la banque publique BNDES, qui finance le projet, de débloquer des fonds tant que tous les engagements sociaux-environnementaux n'auront pas été tenus par les promoteurs. "Nous ne nous opposons pas au développement du pays mais nous affirmons qu'il faut respecter la loi", avait déclaré le procureur de l'Etat du Para.

Traditional Amazon boat-making ....

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In the waterways of the Amazon basin, ships and boats are a lifeline connecting isolated communities with more developed areas. And indigenously-made wooden boats continue to be a mainstay of transportation in the region. In Macapa, Brazil, tradesmen still practice traditional ship-building--making the city a hub for the craft.
No giant factories, no complex machines. The Amazon’s traditional wooden boats are built in outdoor workshops like these. Craftsmen here use just their hands and simple tools to build and renovate the vessels.
Marcos Ramos, craftsman, said "I have learnt ship-building from my father since I was very little. I started from simpler techniques when I was eight, and when I reached the age of 16, I was capable of building a ship all by myself."

Marvelous Amazon River....The Pororoca Phenomenon (2VIDEO)

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The Amazon river's volume of water runoff makes up 20 percent of the world’s total. Let’s take a look now at the source of this imposing rivers and its impressive natural beauty.
The Amazon River originates in the Andes Mountain in south Peru. It travels 6-thousand-nine-hundred-and-ninety-two-point-six kilometers before feeding into the Atlantic Ocean. It passes through Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela on its way to the sea. The Amazon’s river basin covers an area of more than seven million square kilometers. Its water yield is one ninth of the world’s total fresh water.
About 6600 billion square kilometers of water runs into the Atlantic. It is called ’the king of rivers’. The longest stretch of the Amazon is to be found in Brazil, and the people there are very proud of it. A clear boundary is formed at the place where the Amazon river meets the Rio Negro River. This boundary is about seven kilometers long.

Spectacular scenes expected from Amazon River tide....The Pororoca Phenomenon (VIDEO)

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The pororoca is a tidal bore up to 4 meters high that travels upstream the Amazon River. Its name comes from the indigenous Tupi language, where it translates into "great destructive noise". It occurs at the mouth of the river where river water meets the Atlantic Ocean. The phenomenon is best seen in February and March, where waves up to 4 meters rolling for up to 35 minutes have been observed.

Indigenous community clashes with loggers in the Amazon

Trucks filled with timber from illegal logging operations in the Amazon have been stopped in their tracks by an indigenous village protesting the continued exploitation of their lands.
With little or no support from the local or federal authorities, the Pukobjê-Gavião people in Maranhão state, Brazil, are refusing to stand aside as their forests are destroyed by illegal loggers.
The Pukobjê-Gavião have blocked four trucks and a tractor filled with fresh timber from leaving their lands. 
Frederico Pereira Guajajara, a member of the neighboring Indigenous Land “Arariboia”, says he was assaulted as he began filming the Pukobjê-Gavião protests as the trucks were trying to leave their land.

The future of the Amazon uncertain | Greenpeace International

For ten years, the fate of Brazil’s forests have hung in the balance as the future of the Forest Code has been up for grabs. We’ve see the debate over the law come to a head over the last few years, as the agribusiness sector pressed the Congress for major changes to the law and the scientific community and 80% of the public opposed drastic changes to the law.
Today, President Dilma has ignored the call of the people of Brazil and taken final steps to approve a new law that opens the Amazon up for destruction. 
President Dilma Rouseff announced today, approval of the provisional measures of the new Forest Code with 9 partial vetoes,  making the law that has protected the Amazon for almost 70 years a thing of the past, paving the way for new areas of expansion for the agribusiness sector and granting amnesty for past forest criminals. Vetoes sound like a a drastic measure but in reality they will do nothing new to protect the Amazon. ........The future of the Amazon uncertain | Greenpeace International