Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world: size of the all of Western Europe or the W

1

• Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in
  the world size of the all of Western Europe or
  the WHOLE USA.
• 20,000,000 people 180,000 are Indigenous people
• It is thought to be the most diverse ecosystem on
  Earth, supporting around 60,000 plant species,
  1,000 bird species and more than 300 mammal
  species.

2

• THE PEOPLE OF THE AMAZON
• Living from nature and lacking the technology to
  dominate their environment, native peoples have
  learned to watch their surroundings and
  understand the intricacies of the rainforest.
• After the arrival of Europeans, 90 of the
  indigenous population was decimated.
• These people rely on this ancient forest for
  their way of life. It provides almost everything
  from food and shelter to tools and medicines as
  well as playing a crucial role in people's
  spiritual and cultural life.
• Their environment is now threatenedand therefore
  their culture is threatened too!

3

• THREATS TO THE RAINFOREST

• In January 2001 the Brazilian government
  announced its plans for "Avança Brasil" (Advance
  Brazil). This is a US40 billion plan to cover
  much of the Amazon rainforest with 10,000 km of
  highways, hydroelectric dams, power lines, mines,
  gas and oilfields, canals, ports, logging
  concessions and other industrial developments.
• Scientists predict that these planned
  developments will lead to the damage or loss of
  between 33-42 percent of Brazil's remaining
  Amazon forest.
• Between 60 and 80 percent of all logging in the
  Brazilian Amazon is estimated to  be illegal.
• Importing nations such as the US, Italy, France,
  UK, China and Japan have taken few steps to
  ensure that the products they import from Brazil
  come from even legal, let alone ecologically
  responsible, sources.

4
JUNE 1992 -RIO EARTH SUMMIT

• United Nations Conference on Environment and
  Development
• 172 Governments attended
• Largest Earth Summit in UN history.
• UN sought to help Governments rethink economic
  development and find ways to halt the destruction
  of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution
  of the planet. Hundreds of thousands of people
  from all walks of life were drawn into the Rio
  process. They persuaded their leaders to go to
  Rio and join other nations in making the
  difficult decisions needed to ensure a healthy
  planet for generations to come.
• Goals were drawn up how to sustain our natural
  environment in all parts of the world.
• Amazon Rainforest was a big part of the deal.

5

• YOUR ASSIGNMENT
• In small groups you will each be assigned a
  character in the given dialog about the impact of
  the Rio conference on Amazon Rainforest
  environment.
• You will represent your person in a discussion
  about the dialogue.
• Your group will be responsible for answering
  questions that deal with the issues brought about
  by the dialogue.