Amazon Watch News!!

Dear Francisco,

On the heels of the BP disaster, there is a growing public outcry for alternatives to our oil-dependent economy. Recently, the Ecuadorian government took an enormous step forward for the planet by signing a historic agreement with the United Nations for a trust fund in exchange for refraining from drilling 20 percent of the country's oil reserves in the Yasuni National Park. Meanwhile, Avatar director James Cameron has become a powerful ally in helping Amazon Watch and indigenous peoples defend a real Pandora on Earth in the Brazilian Amazon.

This month we welcome all you new supporters, many Avatar fans, who joined us in TAKING ACTION and signing the petition to stop the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil. We are grateful that you have added your voice to the global movement to protect the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous peoples there. Please continue to share this petition with your friends.

For Future Generations,



Atossa Soltani
Executive Director
Amazon Watch
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James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver Campaign to Stop the Belo Monte Dam!

The campaign to Stop the Belo Monte Dam is reaching a new level of visibility as James Cameron teamed up with Amazon Watch to produce "A Message from Pandora," a feature due out this Fall as part of the Special Edition DVD of Avatar (view trailer). Meanwhile, Amazon Watch and International Rivers created a Google Earth 3-D tour and video narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver showing the devastating impacts of the dam and available alternatives. Thousands of you have already watched and shared the videos. Please continue to spread the word.

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Ecuador Signs Historic Deal to Keep Oil in the Soil

Ecuador's Historic Deal to Keep Oil in the Soil and CO2 out of the Atmosphere

In August, Ecuador signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) to open a trust fund to compensate the government for agreeing to indefinitely refrain from drilling the 900 million barrel heavy crude reserve found beneath the fragile Yasuni National Park. Amazon Watch welcomes this pioneering initiative to create an alternative to oil drilling and protect an important part of Yasuni National Park as it contains some of the highest levels of biodiversity found anywhere on the planet and is home to isolated indigenous tribes.

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Communities Still Devastated by Chevron's Toxic Dumping

Amazon Watch campaigners Mitch Anderson, Han Shan and Kevin Koenig visited Lago Agrio, Ecuador to inspect and document the oil contamination left behind by Chevron and to gather testimonies of those still suffering a health crisis. They visited numerous waste pits, including sites allegedly remediated by Chevron. In meetings with people affected by Chevron's toxic legacy, our team assured them that we will continue to share their powerful story until Chevron finally accepts its responsibility and funds a full-scale cleanup.

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View a Compelling Photo Essay from Achuar Lands in Peru

Last month, Amazon Watch's Mitch Anderson traveled deep into the Peruvian Amazon to meet with Achuar communities and investigate the oil industry's activities in their homeland. For centuries, the Achuar people have lived in harmony with the rainforest. But now, the unrelenting drive for oil is reaching the deepest regions of their territory. Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc. has already cleared hundreds of kilometers of seismic lines in the area, and is now beginning to drill exploratory wells. View the photo essay of his trip, and then please take the pledge to support the Achuar people.

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