By Rachel Wilsey
By Rachel Wilsey
Chapter One: Latin America
Chapter Two: Sub-Saharan Africa
Chapter Three: Middle East
Chapter Four: Europe
Chapter Five: Asia
Chapter Six: Australia/New Zealand
Chapter Seven: North America
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CHAPTER ONEDestination: Natal, Brazil
The Amazon Rainforest, home to many natural wonders...
Is quickly disappearing.
When the forest is cut, the area surrounding the cut loses moisture. This area of the the forest dies quickly.
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Most of the deforestation is done through slash and burn techniques. Sometimes the smoke from these fires is so thick that schools have to be closed and flights have to be delayed or canceled.
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Tribal life is disappearing. The peoples and cultures of the amazon are being wiped out or assimilated.
It is not uncommon for ranchers to terrorize, kill and force the removal of Indians. Once they have done so, they bulldoze the land to erase the evidence of the Indian's presence.
This pattern of genocide has yet to be investigated by the police, although the government grants “equal protection” to indigenous peoples under the constitution.
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Women, the last hope for the Ecuadorian Amazon?
The Atlantic Richfield Oil Co. has begun construction of a pipeline through the Panshpanshu Biological reserve in Ecuador. If this project is allowed to continue, it will destroy the ecosystem and end the natural way of life for the Shuar and Quichua peoples. They will be forced to either live on the petroleum contaminated, clear cut “dead zones” or migrate to the city.
While the men of these indigenous communities fall into the trap of corporate deceit, the women demand that their voices be heard. They organized the First Congress of Women of the Amazon in 1996. They continue to provide bi-cultural and bi-lingual education for their children. These remarkable women have even created a Natural Indigenous University where foreign students are able to experience natural living and health restoration traditions.
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One half the species on earth live in the rainforest, and they too are loosing their homes.
If nothing is done to prevent it, By the year 2035, all the tropical rainforests in the world will be gone.
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Action alert
Radar map of the amazon
To see more,
click on an icon.
Letter home
«—» Distance
Master TravelougeH
i
H
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Currency and other souvenirs
•Bibliography •Back to table of contents
Dear Mother Earth,
I am currently in Brazil visiting your amazing Amazon rainforest. It is so shocking to learn what is going on here. So much of the forest is gone, it has been cut down
for its natural resources; for the tropical hardwood, oil, gas, uranium, gold, iron, diamonds and for farming. It’s amazing to think Brazil has more remaining rainforest then any other
country, when I see so much being destroyed. They tell me that if the current rate of deforestation continues, there will be no tropical rainforests left in the world in a mere 35
years. What will we do when the “lungs of the earth” are gone? You give us natural wonders to sustain our life, and we destroy them.
It angers me that people slash and burn to clear the land for agriculture. Farming in the Amazon is not even efficient. Once the land has been cleared, it can sustain intense
farming for two to three years. After that, soil erosion renders the fields unusable.
Think of all the different species of plants and animals that will become extinct. And what about all the indigenous people, they are having their way of life ripped out from under them. They are faced with an ultimatum, abandon their homes and way fo life to move to the city or die. It saddens me to see us throw away such a wealth of life and culture. Today ’s society allows affluent, “civilized” people to determine the fate of the indigenous peoples. No human being on this earth has the right to hold the welfare and life of another human in their hands.
Being here has made me more aware of the problem. But it has also made me more aware of the solution. This is not a problem of the distant future, something for my children ’s, children to deal with. Now is the time for action to prevent any further destruction. There are many things that an individual can do, such as write letters and petition the government. To see some current issues and find out what you can do to help,see the action alert page.
Love your daughter,
Rachel WilseyBack to link page
This space radar image of a tropical rainforest in western Brazil shows the rapidly changing and use. The pink areas are pristine tropical rainforest. The blue and green areas have been cleared for agriculture.
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Distance between Denver, Colorado, United States and Natal, Brazil, as the crow flies:5361 miles (8628 km) (4659 nautical miles)
Initial heading from Denver to Natal:east-southeast (107.6 degrees)
Initial heading from Natal to Denver:northwest (312.5 degrees)
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Area Visiting
Latin America
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Middle
East
Europe
Asia
Australia/
New Zealand
North
America
City Chosen
long/lat
Miles traveled Cum.
Days Traveled Cum.
Present Bank Balance
Cost of Travel (Subtract)
Salary Earned (Add)
Bonus Drawn (Add)
New Balance
5361 1Natal
0 0
Area Visiting
Latin America
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Middle
East
Europe
Asia
Australia/
New Zealand
North
America
City Chosen
long/lat
Miles traveled Cum.
Days Traveled Cum.
Present Bank Balance
Cost of Travel (Subtract)
Salary Earned (Add)
Bonus Drawn (Add)
New Balance
5361 1Natal,Brazil 0 0
Khartoum,
Sudan10316
$15
Area Visiting
Latin America
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Middle
East
Europe
Asia
Australia/
New Zealand
North
America
City Chosen
long/lat
Miles traveled Cum.
Days Traveled Cum.
Present Bank Balance
Cost of Travel (Subtract)
Salary Earned (Add)
Bonus Drawn (Add)
New Balance
5361 1Natal,Brazil 0 0
Khartoum,
Sudan10316
$15
Baghdad,
Iraq1799
10,000 Cruzeiros
Picture of Capoeira, a traditional form of
dance/martial art
Silver butterfly earrings from
the Galeria Soho
Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66
album. Mendes is a renowned
Brazilian keyboardist
Portuguese: Bom dia (good morning)
Spanish: Hola
ABC World Book, http://www.theodora.com
Amazon, the green inferno, http://www.barralink.com.br/hbell/amazon.html
http://www.barralink.com.br/hball/amazon2.html
Anthony’s currency, coins and collectables, http://www.currencyandcoins.com
Brazil, http://www.barralink.com.br/hbell/brazil.html
http://www.barralink.com.br.hbell/brazil2.html
Brazil Online http://www.brazilonline.com/lita/phmen.html
Brazil Rainforest, http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/radar/sircxsar/radon.html
Carnival One, http://members.aol.com/musicco/CARNIVAL/HTM
Icon Bazaar, http://www.iconbazzar.com
Lonely Planet, http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/dest.sam/graphics/map-bra.htm
Native Web, http://abyayala.nativeweb.org/cultures/equador/amazon/women.html
http://abayala/nativeweb.org/cultures/brazil/xavante.html
Tropical American Tree Farms, http://tropicaltrees.co.cr/htm/main/tropical_rainforests.htm
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