L46 and the Belo Monte dam

[Mike_Noren]

Brazil intends to eat its cake and keep it too.

[myjohnson]

Like any other government.

[grokefish]

Bad news Indeed:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

[sidguppy]

Brazil the rainforest-destroyer hosts Environmental Day

that's like ging the Nobel Peace Prize to a warmongerer who's waging war in 5 countries simultaneously.

oh wait.....

it's going to be one hell of a mental day

it's not going to be good for the environment however

this is giving off the signal: you can kill/destroy/annihilate life on earth as much as you want and we will reward you for it.


I have known for many years that big coorporations, their puppet politicians and their unregulated slah & burn capitalism are THE enemies of life
by now I hope the shoe will drop for the majority of the globe.


but most likely greed, wanton death and stupidity will prevail over ethics and life.

[apistomaster]

The nation state and all forms of government have been replaced with corporatocracies.
There is one investment company in the USA which has 3.5 Trillion dollars in assets. That is more than any country, including the USA, in the world.
And that is just one company.

[Raiden]

Hey...

I know this topic is kinda old, but this is an issue that I care about quite a bit, and I'm not willing to just sit back and let Belo Monte ruin fish habitat.

A few months ago I pretty much spammed a lengthy post to several animal-keeping forums about this, including a link to the protest form.

The dam is being built, but that doesn't mean it can't still be stopped; there are a myriad of things that are wrong with how it is being built, and they are all things that should, and could, stop it from being completed if it weren't for the ridiculously corrupt government.

I feel like the fishkeeping hobbyists/industry should do something to stop this. Companies like Tetra, API, and others have been around for a while, and have the money and the resources to do something to help stop the dam.

If we like our fish so much, why don't some of us get together and tell the companies and corporations support us to pitch in? It seems like a perfect idea to me; why should we just stand by and watch iconic species like L46 be annhiliated when we could truly show the world how much we care?

This is just an idea; I don't know enough about laws and such to say what an effort like the one above could bring about, but I feel like we're missing an opportunity to step in and deal the final blow to an already shaky project.

[Matt30]

Hey...

I know this topic is kinda old, but this is an issue that I care about quite a bit, and I'm not willing to just sit back and let Belo Monte ruin fish habitat.

A few months ago I pretty much spammed a lengthy post to several animal-keeping forums about this, including a link to the protest form.

The dam is being built, but that doesn't mean it can't still be stopped; there are a myriad of things that are wrong with how it is being built, and they are all things that should, and could, stop it from being completed if it weren't for the ridiculously corrupt government.

I feel like the fishkeeping hobbyists/industry should do something to stop this. Companies like Tetra, API, and others have been around for a while, and have the money and the resources to do something to help stop the dam.

If we like our fish so much, why don't some of us get together and tell the companies and corporations support us to pitch in? It seems like a perfect idea to me; why should we just stand by and watch iconic species like L46 be annhiliated when we could truly show the world how much we care?

This is just an idea; I don't know enough about laws and such to say what an effort like the one above could bring about, but I feel like we're missing an opportunity to step in and deal the final blow to an already shaky project.

Mate, company's like Tetra will not invest no way no how,you will never stop any of this from happening, I admire you passion though.

[Zeno]

I understand your sadness, but as said above, these are things you have to accept. There is too much money involved.

Concerning L46, I don't think we will lose it because it's well spread in captivity worldwide.

At the other hand; we will probably lose some species which will be still unknown to us, at the moment their habitat disappears ...

Zeno

[Mike_Noren]

I think there's an opportunity to press the Brazilian government this summer. As I posted earlier they're hosting the "United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development", and are probably very sensitive about public and vocal environmental critique. And it's hard to get any less sustainable than Belo Monte, which seems intentionally designed to be as environmentally destructive as humanly possible.

One thing one can do is contact environmental organizations about Belo Monte. Most environmental organizations totally ignore the destruction wrought by dams because of some vague idea that dams are renewable energy and therefore somehow environmentally friendly, and besides International Rivers I don't think a single one cares about any organism living below the surface of the water.

EDIT: I also kind of wonder if the Brazilian opponents of the dam couldn't sue the government for breach of the legally binding Convention on Biological Diversity. I Am Not A Lawyer, but to me it seems that endangering "several hundred" species is hard to reconcile with this legally binding convention which Brazil has signed.

[Janne]

EDIT: I also kind of wonder if the Brazilian opponents of the dam couldn't sue the government for breach of the legally binding Convention on Biological Diversity. I Am Not A Lawyer, but to me it seems that endangering "several hundred" species is hard to reconcile with this legally binding convention which Brazil has signed.

You need to prove that hundreds of species will become endangered and or extinct, with other words it's probably possible to sue the government after the dam is finished if the environmental impact study was properly made... was it?

Janne

[Suckermouth]

NYTimes article on unrest in building the Jirau Dam on the Madeira: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/world ... &seid=auto

[Suckermouth]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but here's an NYTimes video on damming the Amazon.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/05/ ... mazon.html

[mpfsr]

Great news for the Xingu river fishies!!! Lets all hope this appeal holds up!!
Sorry if posted in wrong location!!

http://www.internationalrivers.org/reso ... court-7631

[kruseman]

Great news!

[racoll]

Good news indeed, and thanks for posting, but as this is neither taxonomy nor science it should perhaps be in a different forum.

Best place is probably this thread here, as most Belo Monte updates seem to be there.

The mods will move this I expect, so you don't need to do anything.

P.S. mods, is it worth moving that thread as a sticky perhaps?

[plecoboy]

Awesome news!!

[MattP]

Result!!

Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk 2

[Jools]

Yes, I will merge this with the post about this that was already present.

Jools

[Jools]

P.S. mods, is it worth moving that thread as a sticky perhaps?

As you ably demonstrated, it's not exactly hard to find this post. I am keen to avoid too many stickies.

Jools

[HaakonH]

some more uplifting news about recent events:

http://www.internationalrivers.org/reso ... alted-7650

Haakon

[Mike_Noren]

Well, it does seem a bit more hopeful than the last few times the dam was stopped. Maybe it can actually succeed this time.

If anyone feels they'd like to contribute, International Rivers is asking for donations to fight the dam. I've donated.

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with International Rivers.

[Janne]

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with International Rivers.

Why not? It's one of few organisations that does make something good.

Janne

[Suckermouth]

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with International Rivers.

Why not? It's one of few organisations that does make something good.

Janne

I think what he means is that he doesn't work for International Rivers and is dispelling fears of conflict of interest.

I'm surprised how low their target is, $2500 isn't much at all.

[Janne]

I'm surprised how low their target is, $2500 isn't much at all.

Yes, I agree and since I'm not working with raising founds I also feel the target is misleading. There are some other contributors to finance the work that is far higher than these U$ 2500 to fill the gap. But if I check the last 5 years for example, the donations from people that "loves nature" is ridiculous low... maybe better to ask for an amount that is possible to reach than to ask for an amount that never will be reached, the only way to get enough money is through few private donators, the public is only to raise awareness since the general interest is to low to save our nature.

Janne

[TwoTankAmin]

If I sound like the eternal pessimist on this topic, its because I am

BRASILIA | Mon Aug 27, 2012 10:34pm EDT- (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge said on Monday construction could resume on the controversial $13 billion Belo Monte dam in the Amazon, alleviating concerns that key work would not be done ahead of the rainy season. The judge overturned an order by a lower court that had suspended work last week but still has to consider the merits of the case. The lower court had called for an immediate halt to construction after years of high-profile criticism. The likes of Hollywood director James Cameron and the Inter-American Court on Human Rights have said Belo Monte would displace indigenous people in the Amazon rain forest.

[har_eh]

Sad but expected..

[Dave Rinaldo]

The link below also says this...

However, the decision by Supreme Court President Carlos Ayres Britto could be revised when the court examines the case further,......

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-08-brazil-sup ... n.html#jCp

[TwoTankAmin]

Fishermen and their families approach the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam construction site during a protest near Altamira
Some 50 fishermen, who claim that the construction of a temporary levee to change the river's course is ruining their fishing grounds, are protesting by navigating their boats daily near the work area, causing the construction company to halt operations.

From http://www.trust.org/alertnet/multimedi ... 8c5a424c60

I wonder how long it will take to start impacting more than just the fish being caught for food. What will kill off the fish first- the actual working dam or the work of building the dam? I think the latter.

[racoll]

Damming the Río Xingu: field update.

http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2012/12/ ... ld-update/

[SilverDub]

Ive just been reading about proposed gold mining operation in the Volta Grande by Belo Sun
http://www.belosun.com/Projects/Volta-G ... fault.aspx
"The Company currently controls the mining and exploration rights over an area covering 130,541 hectares(1,305 sq. km) of the area known for artisanal gold mining"
And i thought the dam was for the people or is it for the millionaire investors in raw materials? So it seems they preparing to nail the lid on the big bends coffin!

RIP Lower Xingu