Last Sunday the world – and likely you, our readers – took notice as powerful actions took place in over 2,000 locations around the world for the People’s Climate March. Where I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 400 people braved pouring rain, marching for hours as we called for clean energy, not mega-dams in the Amazon.
This couldn’t be timelier. The Brazilian government continues to insist on building mega-dams in the Amazon despite environmental and human rights violations, and climate impacts due to methane release. The latest mega-dam announced for auction was São Luis do Tapajos on the Tapajos River, on of the last major undammed large rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. The auction was postponed until 2015 due to many unanswered questions related to indigenous rights.
Brazil also refused to sign an anti-deforestation pledge at the climate summit in New York last week, claiming that measures to end illegal deforestation had been drafted behind closed doors at the United Nations without its participation. Despite its complaints about consultation, the Brazilian government continuously fails to consult indigenous communities on issues and projects that affect their cultures and territories.
The march in Rio brought together courageous indigenous leaders including Sonia Guajajara, famous artists, musicians, and an outspoken group of activists and civilians promoting truly clean and renewable energy sources that work toward protection of the Amazon rainforest. Amazon Watch was proud to accompany our allies and to bring forth the new “Energy for Life” campaign in support of the march and to join forces in calling for diversified energy sources.
While the Energy for Life website, video and petition are in Portuguese, all may participate in the campaign by signing and sharing the petition on our website. Let’s support our Brazilian allies in their call for climate solutions! The Amazon basin is a keystone area, and preserving this region is essential for humanity’s survival. We’ve shown you how big dams are not clean energy sources, and that alternative energy solutions are more than viable. So let’s put an end to mega-dams in the Amazon!
Take action to protect the heart of our planet – support our call for “Energy for Life”.
