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April 16, 2010
The Avatar director and one of its stars have played a part in halting an industrial development project that threatens indigenous people of the Amazon.
Earlier this week, we brought you the story of James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver's trip to Brazil to raise awareness of the indigenous communities’ battles to stop the massive Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon rainforest. We are now happy to report that the Dam Project Auctions have been canceled, and both stars are now in Washington DC for meetings with US Government officials.
The Federal Court ordered the suspension of the preliminary license for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam and the cancellation of the auction, scheduled for next Tuesday (20/04).
Judge Antonio Carlos de Almeida Campelo granted a preliminary injunction (urgent) seeing “danger of irreparable harm” considering the imminence of the auction. The decision is the result of the assessment of one of two public civil actions filed by federal prosecutors dealing with irregularities of the enterprise. It focuses specifically on the lack of regulation of Article 176 of the Federal Constitution of Brazil, which requires the issuing of an ordinary law for the use of hydraulic potential on Indian lands.
"It remains proven unequivocally that the Belo Monte hydroelectric will exploit the hydro energetic potential in areas occupied by indigenous people who will be directly affected by the construction and development of the project," the judge said in his statement.
If built, the project would divert 80 percent of the flow of the Xingu River along a 100-km length of the river, drying the lifeline of tens of thousands who depend on the river for their survival. Over 20,000 people would be forced from their homes.
You can watch video footage of James Cameron’s trip here.
Photo by Atossa Soltani, Amazon Watch
Source: Amazon Watch
almost 2 years ago
No, Belo Monte was not cancelled. As much as I know Obama allowed drillings in Alaska. Why not bother with his own country ? Everything for a good self promotion !!
almost 2 years ago
James Cameron, you should be knighted for this...thank you for your consciousness that brought us Avatar, which showed how connected everything is, in a way the public could digest it. Now this.
I've got news for Disney World, they are not the most magical place on earth, the Amazon Rainforest is!
The Amazon is the lungs of our planet, and the Indigenous people who live there are stewards to this vast natural habitat which houses more than 200,000 varieties of plants and 25% of our medicines come from the Rainforest. much of it is being destroyed, along with our future cures. Deforestation is also a huge contribution to Global Warming, as the trees trap carbon dioxide (car exhaust) and turn it into Oxygen we breathe.
The rainforest is in grave trouble because of logging, cattle grazing for our hamburgers, and pollution from companies like Chevron and other large corps who's bottom lines do not care what or who they destroy.
James Cameron heard the call, and to you Sir, I say thank you very, very much for this effort and outcome.
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