Stop Gigantic Dam from Drowning Kayapo Tribe !
- al: Emmeline Craig
- destinatario: President Dilma Vanna Rousseff of Brazil, Government of Brazil
The Belo Monte Dam Complex, agreed upon by President Dilma Vana Rousseff of Brazil, despite tens of thousands of letters and emails addressed to her and which were ignored, will inundate at least 400,000 hectares of forest, an area bigger than the Panama Canal, thus expelling 40,000 indigenous and local populations and destroying habitat valuable for many species - all to produce electricity at a high social, economic and environmental cost, which could easily be generated with greater investments in energy efficiency.
Environmental advocates are being murdered in Brazil, and greatly accelerated cutting of the rain forests is under way because of the use of newer equipment.
We the undersigned, are asking you respectfully but urgently to revise your decision about the Belo Monte Dam Complex on the Xingu River in the Amazon.
This project would be pursued in violation of the human rights of indigenous people and other threatened populations, despite warnings by renowned Brazilian scientists, engineers, economists and religious leaders about the project's huge social and environmental costs and lack of economic viability.
I support the demands of Brazilian civil society that the Brazilian government immediately stop the Belo Monte Dam Complex, and instead:
- Implement Brazilian legislation and international agreements on protecting human rights and the environment.
- Promote and support energy efficiency and alternative energy sources to meet Brazil's legitimate energy needs.
- Support sustainable development and safeguard the region's delicate ecosystems.
We understand that you might be submitted to huge pressure from short sighted profit makers and greedy companies, but this is worth your personal investment and integrity before all.
The world is watching: by stopping this very destructive project Brazil can become an example of enlightened leadership !
Respectfully,
Emmeline Craig
