Sigourney Weaver: Google Earth Animation on Belo Monte Dam

[auroraglacialis]

Sigourney Weaver Narrates New Google Earth Animation on Belo Monte Dam

Provided by Amazon Watch, this is a guided narrated tour on the Dam project in the Amazon that has risen into publicity by James Cameron after the success of "Avatar".

Amazon Watch

The link also contains a trailer for the upcoming documentary by Cameron on the project and of course a petition to sign, if you like that.

Also: A 10 minute animation: http://amazonwatch.org/tour-belo-monte.php

Greetings, Aurora

[Human No More]

Hmm, nice video
So sad... I really hope this can be stopped

Also, petition signed , I just wish I could really do more.

[CyanRachel]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Hmm, nice video
So sad... I really hope this can be stopped

Also, petition signed , I just wish I could really do more.

Same here! I signed the petition, and the video is really great (esp with Sigourney's narration).

[auroraglacialis]

Yeah - I am also sad, that we are so often reduced to signing petitions. But it is not easy to find better or more effective ways to deal with such atrocities. What are we going to do - burn some tons of Kerosene to fly there and join a protest? Hardly a sane thing. Donate money maybe, if we have any? Where would that go? Are the ways we get the money not damaging the planet on some different area?

Man - if things happen locally, one can go there and be active, but half a globe away this is really tough. :,(

[Grif]

Just another reason why I hate people/

[auroraglacialis]

Grif, dont hate people! Think about the people who live in that area now - they are also people. It is not people that should be hated, only certain people, a certain culture that does these things, not people in general.

[Human No More]

If the roles were reversed, would they be doing the same though? Probably...
It's human nature

[auroraglacialis]

If roles were reversed - if they had the same culture and beliefs? Sure! They would act the same. We are all humans and in many ways equal. The difference however is, that they HAVE a different culture and that the sides are as they are. My point is, that it is not inherent in humans to be "evil" or destructive, that it is merely a possibility. The actual actions are determined by culture. We are deeply cultural beeings - a baby could not grow up if not cared for beyond nourishment and basic needs. We need culture to exist and it determines very much the way we act. If your culture is one that respects nature, that cherishes diversity and that cherishes people, then this is how humans act. I f the culture is one of conquest, competition and hatred, then this is also how humans act.
It is human natur to act the way their culture tells them to - that is human nature - and that is not inherently bad or good.

[Grif]

I didn't mean all people, just the ones that I hate.
.wat?

[Human No More]

I know what Grif means... The truth is, most people - people in general - are the ones who do all this, the problem with humanity and the ones who cause others to act the same way

[auroraglacialis]

Originally Posted by Human No More

The truth is, most people - people in general - are the ones who do all this, the problem with humanity and the ones who cause others to act the same way

Well - I can just keep saying that I was there before. Hating humanity for all the things they do to this planet. That was with me for years, people calling me rightfully a misantroph. But recently I discovered the underlying topic, the thing I did not see before. And that is, that humans are capeable to do so, but are also capable of other things. That it is not human nature that defines how people act, but it is their culture. Humans are inherently cultural beeings. It is what makes us human. The sheer difference in tha many cultures that existed on this planet is vast. And we define ourselves by our culture (or the opposition against it). This goes as far as taste for foods, pain susceptability, color perception,... the influence of culture on people is immense. Most of the things humans do, they do because they are part of some culture. Westerners drive cars, have competitive company jobs and like apple pie and dogs. Other people dont have car, work for their community in cooperation but may find apple pie to burn in the mouth for all the sugar and hate dogs. It is all a matter of the culture a person is embedded in.
You can even see a difference between the US and EU in respect for taste (cheese for example or pork meat) or violent behaviour (crime rates, numbers of prisoners, shootings).

Thanks for the link to the letter. And indeed nice to see some people picked up on the topic and brought it to their classrooms (just dont forget the more local disasters also, like the mountain top removal, tar sands mining and hydraulic fracturing)

[Grif]

I showed this to my teacher and she showed it to the rest of AP Enviro.

[redpaintednavi]

Here is a link to a letter to Brazilian president Lula where you can protest against the Belo Monte dam:

http://www.survivalinternational.org...ter/belo-monte

[Human No More]

Thank you

[tm20]

got this email today, i guess it's over

"Yesterday morning, the Brazilian government illegally gave the green light for construction of the Belo Monte Dam.

Brazilians – including mainstream media personalities – are furious and are publicly demanding their government stop this disastrous, expensive, and unnecessary project.

Please add your voice in support of the Brazilians calling for cancellation of the Belo Monte Dam.

The government of new Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is off to a bad start, blatantly breaking the laws she recently swore an oath to uphold. As you read this, the Federal Public Prosecutor in Brazil is filing the 10th lawsuit against this project, in defense of the environmental procedures in Brazil's Constitution that clearly illustrate that the approval was granted illegally.

Please call your nearest Brazilian Consulate or Embassy and let them know that you stand with the Brazilian people – Belo Monte Dam must be stopped now!

For the people, water and life of the Amazon,

Brent Millikan
Amazon Program Director"