Thursday, April 15, 2010

James Cameron battles a "real-life Avatar" situation in Brazil

Director James Cameron spent the past few days in Brazil near the Xingu River, the cite where the country is looking to build a huge hydroelectric dam. Cameron has been visiting with indigenous tribes who would be hurt by the build, and his support for the opposition likely played a major role in a Brazilian judge's recent decision to temporary halt bidding on the dam. Cameron calls the debate a "real-life Avatar" battle in the Amazon.
We've talked a lot in class about the importance of protecting the Amazon, but we've also discussed the issues involved in telling a country what to do with its own natural resources. Does Brazil have the right to cause extreme harm to the environment within its own national borders for the sake of electricity, or does it have a responsibility to protect the forest for the good of the entire world?

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