Photo: flickr.com | international rivers

Urge the Brazilian government to defend the the Amazon and its people and stop the Belo Monte Dam Complex. Sign the Amazon Watch petition.

Watch this 10-minute video which highlights the dam’s harmful impact on the Xingu River and greener alternatives.

Narrated by Sigourney Weaver.

Reservoirs would flood 668 square kilometers + displace more than 20,000 people

If built, the Belo Monte would be the third-largest hydroelectric dam in the world. It would divert the flow of the Xingu River, one of the most important tributaries of the Amazon River, in order to produce electricity for industrial mining operations in the region. The dam’s reservoirs would flood 668 square kilometers, displace more than 20,000 people, and generate methane, a lethal greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Late last week, the Brazilian government signed the concession to build the $17 billion-dollar project, ignoring local, national, and international opposition, proven financial and technical risks, and the ready availability of clean energy alternatives.

James Cameron produced this special feature about Avatar… I mean, the battle to defend the Amazon Rainforest and indigenous people.

3 ways to help.

• Donate to Amazon Watch.
• Sign the petition.
• Share this with as many people as you know via twitter, facebook… bull horn, if necessary.

About Amazon Watch:

Amazon Watch works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. They partner with indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability and the preservation of the Amazon’s ecological systems. For more information, visit http://www.amazonwatch.org.