Belo Monte Dam construction blocked

[Tsawke`Iheyu]

I certainly have tons of doubts that the judge will make a recourse and re-bring the case. It's been decided ! And this may be a great example of what can be done when trust, tradition and a mass of people willing to change stood there and made up a front.

[Fosus]

Unbeliavable. I never thought it could be stopped...

[Tsawke`Iheyu]

Originally Posted by Fosus

Unbeliavable. I never thought it could be stopped...

Me neither. But maybe the judge has his interests too... maybe not environment related. Besides that, I don't know how could they even imagine building a gigantic dam over the forest and keep on their minds the life of 40.000 people and 600.000 activists and other few million donators, petition signers and "beautiful words" email senders.

They are absolutely out of their minds and I guess the Earth we saw in AVATAR in 2150, will be in our reality around 2020 or 2030, worst case. They don't even imagine how murderers they are to their children and to the generations that will come, they won't breathe air. Everyone will buy special bottles of oxygen from the market, oxygen that will be created genetically in greenhouses, from synthetic fern leaves. It's very frustrating...

[tm20]

you spoke too soon

Brazil gives go-ahead to Amazon Monte Belo dam | DiscountVouchers.co.uk

[Tsawke`Iheyu]

Oh, no... I can't believe this... this just can't be possible...

They are definitely out of their minds : "...a higher court ruled that all the conditions did not need to be met for the work to start". Of course the project needs (needed) the conditions to be built !!! It's too late now...

[ISV Venture Star]

If we continue to pursue the quickest, cheapest and dirtiest (but most immediately profitable) options available to us with no thought for long term survival strategies we will not last long.

[Fosus]

I think I'm going to just bang my head on the desk for some time..

[Tsawke`Iheyu]

Originally Posted by ISV Venture Star

If we continue to pursue the quickest, cheapest and dirtiest (but most immediately profitable) options available to us with no thought for long term survival strategies we will not last long.

That sounds a little pesimistic to me but also encouraging and there must be done something... From what I know, EVERY single project, even if it's a dam, a skyscraper tower, airport, train station, house or a bridge, must meet conditions in order to be built. If not, the whole thing is eliminated from the start... The interest here (no doubt) is money. They don't even care that agreeing the dam(n) thing to be built, actually they erased a part of those indigenous people's lives. They destroy their memories, everything they knew, just like in AVATAR with the Trees of Voices, an entire forest wiped out so them RDAs should start digging for Un-o, except the fact that in our case, they're flooding a gigantic area to build a dam... the same reason. Large profits and less caring about the others...

[txim_asawl]

"That's how it's done! When people are sitting on **** that you want..."
...there's always a higher jurisdictional instance that politicians will call for to get their will.
"This is sad... very sad only...."

And again, life imitates art (considering the Avatar quotes once again sadly befitting the current mechanics of power and money).



~*Txim Asawl*~

[redpaintednavi]

OAS questions the Belo Monte project:

Organization of American States Questions
Belo Monte Dam Project

Human rights body of the OAS solicits official inquiry while Amazonian communities stage major protests

Altamira, Brazil – The Organization of American States (OAS) officially requested the Brazilian government to clarify information on the Belo Monte Dam's licensing process, which moved forward without ensuring proper consultation with local indigenous groups. This request comes amid heightening local and international controversy around plans to construct the dam complex on the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the OAS, solicited the request in response to a complaint filed by several organizations including the Xingu Alive Forever Movement (MXVPS), the Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) and the Para Society for the Defense of Human Rights (SDDH), and supported by another 40 institutions advocating for the rights of indigenous and traditional communities of the Xingu River basin. The complaint demands that the Brazilian government immediately suspend the licensing process for the Belo Monte Dam, stop construction of the project, and guarantee the human rights of affected people and communities.

The IACHR gave the government ten days to clarify the steps taken to ensure free, prior and informed consultations with local peoples and the legality of the dams "partial license", among other issues.

The request is the first step in a longer proceeding in which local communities are alleging human rights violations stemming from the proposed dam. "When Brazil signs a treaty, it is obliged to comply with its resolutions," said Roberta Amanajás, a lawyer for the Para Society for the Defense of Human Rights (SDDH). "As a signatory to the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, Brazil must recognize its legitimacy to examine cases such as Belo Monte."

"With huge development projects like the Belo Monte Dam Complex, all governments must be held accountable for protecting human rights and the environment of local communities," said Jacob Kopas, a lawyer with AIDA. "The Inter-American Commission has already recognized this in other cases and has urged the suspension of a large dam project in Panama and as large gold mine in Guatemala."

Meanwhile, hundreds of fisherman staged a protest on Friday in the city of Altamira to show their opposition to a project that could destroy their livelihoods by decimating the region's migratory fish species. The event, blessed by Dom Erwin Kräutler, Bishop of the Xingu and historic opponent of the hydroelectric plant, was marked by dozens of fishing boats setting out on the Xingu River to symbolize the importance of defending the river and preserving their way of life.

"The fisherfolk of the Xingu are committed to organizing in defense of their river," said Kräutler. "From it they pull sustenance for themselves and their families, while their hard work supplies all of the cities along the Xingu. It was very powerful to see them set out in large numbers to fish last week. Their return today has shown that the river is alive and that they want to see it remain alive forever."

Today, dozens more fishing boats from surrounding communities affected by the dam have joined the protesters in a show of solidarity, where they will greet the fishermen on their return and share their catch to mark the International Day of Action for Rivers.

For more information on the Belo Monte Dam Complex, please visit:

AMAZON WATCH
International Rivers
Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense: Human Rights and Environmental Law | AIDA
Xingu Vivo

[Human No More]

Txantsan

Let's just hope they will listen...

[tm20]

thats nice to know, but it would be even better if they got chevron to pay the $9 billion they owe in damages done to the rainforests in ecuador, the ****ing *******s are refusing to pay and even bribed a new york juge to back them up :| they should just die

[auroraglacialis]

Originally Posted by txim_asawl

"That's how it's done! When people are sitting on **** that you want..."

Exactly!

Sadly!



Thinking of this for a while, I have a guess what is going to happen. There will be calls for a compromise eventually. And then they will build some kind of dam there, maye a little small, maybe pay the people who live there a little more or give them shares and jobs, maybe build some lame environmeltally friendly fish ladders - This is how it is done - either just build it and if the resistance is too big, just throw them some breadcrumbs so the loudest voices are muted and then go ahead.

Like in Canada where the industry just had to promise to protect some part of the forest (30%) in return for environmentalists accepting the constuction of a pipeline and other "developments". Boreal Forest Conservation Framework - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And this is just worse in the "developing nations" who all want to have the standard of living the US have. Something that just cannot happen on just one planet (actually not even the US can have it forever)

[txim_asawl]

At least, celebrities still work at bringing the Belo Monte Dam issue to a larger audience... Did you hear about this one...?

James Cameron Brings Arnold Schwarzenegger to Amazon to See Firsthand a Battle Between Old and New Energy


JC said:
"The most important thing is to raise awareness in Brazil that Belo Monte is not a good solution for meeting the country's energy needs – given its poor economic and the moral and ethical issues, to say nothing of its enormous toll on indigenous peoples and other inhabitants of the Xingu. The Brazilian taxpayers could save billions by cancelling the dam and investing in truly renewable energy.

"Meeting the challenges of a green energy future requires that we all learn from each other – US from Brazil and Brazil from examples like California. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke here about how breaking a new path towards a green energy future has created more jobs in California than traditional industry and service sectors. Brazil has the potential to be a world leader in promoting sustainable energy at a global scale," concluded Cameron.

Full article:
AMAZON WATCH

Here's a thoughtful Arnold:



And a happy Arnold:



Arnold and James with Kayapo chief Raoni Txucarramãe and Sheyla Juruna of the Xingu Alive Forever movement:



Wiggling bare toes,

~*Txim Asawl*~

[ISV Venture Star]

Go James and Arnold! They [Dam builders & Brazilian government] cannot take whatever they want...