Lima, Peru – Indigenous territorial rights must be guaranteed as an effective strategy to address climate change was the message of an enormous "human banner" image created on Agua Dulce beach today outside the UN COP20 climate summit.
Climate Change
Ecuador's Crackdown on Critics on Full Display as COP20 Climate Conference Begins
UPDATE: Yasunidos and Climate Caravan arrive in Lima!
A delegation from the environmental collective Yasunidos finally arrived to Lima, Peru today after a week of harassment and intimidation by Ecuadorian police and military that sought to prevent them from crossing the border to attend the COP20 climate conference, and thrust the Ecuadorian government's continued domestic crackdown on civil society...
¡Amazonia Viva! Amazon Watch at COP20
Together with our indigenous allies from the Amazon and NGO allies from the north and south, Amazon Watch is in Lima to highlight and expose major threats from a wave of egregious extractive and infrastructure projects planned for the Amazon.
After Years of Decline, Deforestation in the Amazon Might Be on the Rise Again
VICE News | "Brazil has been on a path of trying to bring down deforestation a lot," said Maira Irigaray, Brazil program coordinator for Amazon Watch. "But when it comes to the Amazon, those numbers are still huge." Amazon Watch and other groups say Brazil's decision to roll back laws limiting the clear cutting of forests been behind the rise in deforestation.
Indigenous Peoples to Create Giant Human Banner Artwork at COP20 Calling for Territorial Rights to Slow Climate Change
Amazonian and global indigenous peoples to form massive image in support of territorial rights as a key solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing climate change
Hundreds of indigenous people and supporters will form a gigantic "human banner" art work on the beach, creating an image symbolizing the important role of indigenous protection of the rainforest and natural resources.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 25 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Amazon Indigenous Land Loss Threatens Climate, Says Study
Scientists say destroying indigenous areas of the Amazon rainforest will have an irreversible impact on the atmosphere of the planet
BBC News | A new study said indigenous lands were "protected natural areas" accounting for 55% of the carbon stored in the Amazon basin. It said this land was at risk because governments had failed to recognize or enforce indigenous land rights.
Resistance and Hope on the Tapajós River
This week's "Caravan to Resist Dams in the Amazon" marked the largest political action ever staged in opposition to the Brazilian government's authoritarian march to dam the Tapajós River. Assembled on the banks of the majestic river, members the region's indigenous and traditional communities joined religious leaders and activists to stand as one...
Peaceful Warriors: The Mundurukú Resist Dams With Strength and Art
Today some 60 Mundurukú people and 10 activists gathered at an island near the proposed São Luiz do Tapajós dam site in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, and performed an act of strength, dedication, and perseverance demonstrating their passion at any cost to save the Tapajós region.
Eye on Brazil: Tensions Escalate on the Tapajós River
The Brazilian government's decision to dam the Amazon's Tapajós River demonstrates a shocking disregard for the rights of the region's indigenous and traditional peoples. Tensions continue to escalate, with the Mundurukú people carrying out an "auto-demarcation" process of their land in defiance of the government's intentional deferral of the...
Peru Activist Killings Condemned Ahead of Climate Talks
AFP | At least 57 environmental activists have been murdered in Peru since 2002, a rights group said Monday, criticizing the killings as the country prepares to host major UN climate talks.
Climate Change and the Importance of Indigenous Peoples in Seeking Solutions
"Today we are living through a key moment in history when we need to take action, and we need to take action now. The drought in São Paulo, for example, is not happening by chance. Even if no one is talking about it, this problem is directly connected to the destruction of the Amazon, where I live, because the standing forest regulates the...
Latin America Moves Towards Decarbonising the Economy
IPS | When the advances made towards curbing global warming are analysed in the first 12 days of December in Lima, during the 20th climate conference, Latin America will present some achievements, as well as the many challenges it faces in "decarbonising development".
Kicking the Habit: US and China Must Drop Fossil Fuel Addiction
On Tuesday night the world's two biggest polluters – the US and China – announced a surprisingly ambitious climate deal. We should take a moment to celebrate this interim victory while realizing that it does not go nearly far enough in addressing climate change. Now it is our collective, global responsibility to ensure that both...
Indigenous Voices on Climate Change
Mayalú Txucarramãe brings perspective from the Amazon to climate leaders, Al Gore in Brazil
"I worry for my children, for all our children and the future generations. Despite our fight to keep the earth in balance, to protect our territory and our tradition, the Amazon is in danger." Mayalú Kokometi Waura Txucarramãe addressed a diverse group of climate leaders, international experts, government officials and media at the Climate Reality...
Brazil Pushes Amazon to the "Brink of the Abyss" Scientists Warn
Destruction of the Amazon rainforest has reached epic proportions under the leadership of Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff, who is celebrating her re-election this week. A new report warns that the ecosystem may be reaching a tipping point of no return.
Digital Journal | A report from Brazil's Earth System Science Centre that draws on over 200 climate studies on the Amazon warns that the world's most important ecosystem is degrading to the point where it will not be able to draw enough moisture in to create the rain necessary to sustain it, the Guardian reported.
Guardians of Life: The Indigenous Women Fighting Oil Exploitation in the Amazon
Washington Post | Felipe Jacome's set of photos Amazon: Guardians of Life documents the struggles of indigenous women defending the Ecuadoran Amazon through portraits combined with the powerful written testimonies.
The March to Paris Goes Through Rio
The Climate Reality Project | Brazil still faces a number of obstacles to scaling a decentralized model for solar, most notably taxes and the lack of incentives for residential solar users to sell electricity back to the grid. But the country's history of innovation in the energy market proves these obstacles can be overcome.
The Amazon Has Started to Malfunction, Brazilian Scientist Says
Folha de S. Paulo | Twenty percent of the Amazon is deforested and another 20% is degraded. The Amazon rainforest has begun to fail its role in regulating the climate in South America, according to biochemist Antonio Nobre, of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.
Why the Result of Brazil's Elections Could Be Bad News For the Climate
ThinkProgress | Rousseff is coupling her strategy of hydropower expansion in the Amazon with a heavier reliance on fossil fuels. Projects like Belo Monte are typical of Rousseff’s development strategy. Many other large scale infrastructure projects of high environmental impact and dubious utility are in the works, such as the diversion of the Sao Francisco River...
A Rising North for the Amazon
Growing up in the Amazon, it didn't cross my mind that one day I would be sitting in a Chelsea apartment in New York City writing about the importance of organized civil society movements and demanding that governments take action towards the protection of the only planet that we have.
Indigenous Groups Occupy Airport Near Amazon Oil Reserves
'Without a satisfactory response to the interests of the Amazon Indians, the measures [of force] will get more radical,' community leader Hugo Perez Petza said
Common Dreams | A large group of indigenous Peruvian community members took control of an airport in the Andoas region of the Amazon on Monday to protest Argentine energy company Pluspetrol, which they say is polluting the land and exploiting resources in the region to build their oil drilling operations.
Elections in Brazil: a Win for Rousseff, and China
Now that president Dilma Rousseff has won re-election, Chinese investment in Brazilian energy and agriculture looks set to keep booming
Chiina Dialogue | “China sees electricity from Brazil's Amazon dams as part of a supply chain delivering energy-intensive aluminum and steel directly from a region rich in these resources.”
Sao Paulo Running Out of Water as Rain-Making Amazon Vanishes
South America's biggest and wealthiest city may run out of water by mid-November if it doesn't rain soon
Reuters | São Paulo, a Brazilian megacity of 20 million people, is suffering its worst drought in at least 80 years, with key reservoirs that supply the city dried up after an unusually dry year. One of the causes of the crisis may be more than 2,000 kilometers away, in the growing deforested areas in the Amazon region.
Land Rights for Peru's Amazon Key in Climate Fight
Natives must gain control of titles to stave off deforestation and reduce illegal logging, activists say
World Bulletin | Peru must grant further land titles to Amazonian tribes as a last resort to halting severe deforestation, the country's main indigenous group reiterated Thursday.
Amazon Deforestation Spikes 190 Percent After Long Reported Decline
ThinkProgress | Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is up 190 percent for the months of August and September compared to the same period last year according to the non-profit Imazon, which monitors deforestation via satellite imagery.
The World We Want and How To Get There
Join us at Bioneers this weekend!
We can hardly wait to dream, scheme and celebrate with you at Bioneers 25th Anniversary Summit Conference this weekend! Join us along with our allies in San Rafael, CA on October 17-19th as we discuss "The World We Want & How to Get There" and work to grow the movement for Mother Earth and future generations.
Amazon Watch's 9th Annual Luncheon
Thank you to all who joined Amazon Watch at our 9th Annual Luncheon in San Francisco yesterday – we were absolutely blown away by a packed house and all your support, ideas, inspiration and love. The event was a huge success thanks to the hundreds of friends who came to join us in person and or live online. What an incredible community we've...
Just Two Clicks So Yasunidos Can Win €100,000 to Protect the Heart of the Amazon!
Yasunidos, the Ecuadorian youth collective that launched a movement to preserve the most biodiverse place on earth, has been nominated for the Human Rights Tulip Award. Friday, October 10th is the last day to vote!
Amazon in Focus 2014
Plus Our Annual Financial Report for 2013
We stand at a critical moment in history. Amazon Watch is facing this challenge with great resolve and creativity. We are a powerful community and without you and your support, none of our work would be possible.
