Some Fear Catastrophe From Amazon Highway

[sintax]

Some Fear Catastrophe From Amazon Highway


Sunday May 29, 2005 3:01 AM

By ALAN CLENDENNING

AP Business Writer

``BR163 needs to happen,'' Paludo said. ``It would really improve our competitiveness with the North Americans, and has turned into a question of economic viability.''

But Indians living near the road say loggers are already illegally cutting some of the trees they use to make their traditional canoes, and they worry that the road will bring farmers who will cut down more trees to make way for cattle, soy and other crops.

``The forest gives us our life,'' said Francinaldo Rocha, a leader of about 150 Munduruku Indians who fish, hunt and grow manioc and corn along a tributary of the Amazon River. ``The asphalt is really just for the rich.''

The road also would benefit multinational companies like Honda Motor Co. and Royal Philips Electronics NV which set up shop decades ago in the remote free-trade-zone city of Manaus.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5038467,00.html

[aquaman]

1. This world is so messed up....

Short-term focus, money now, screw the long-term impact. The Amazon is the earth's lungs, take that away and we are screwed. But hey, gotta make some money!!!

[Jack_DeLeon]

2. Totally fucked up...

people should not be building cities, or carving up roads through the Amazon.

[funflower]

3. We need to be reforesting the planet, not deforesting one more inch.

:banghead:

[Gregorian]

4. Need money? Pimp your mother.

It's noted in history that societies that deforest are doomed to failure. There are lots of ways to make money. Sell your blood. Become a hitman. Rob a bank. Deforest your lands. If you have shit for brains, these are all good ideas.