1. By Rachel Wilsey

2. Click on the bullet to view a chapter
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

3. CHAPTER ONE
Destination: Natal, Brazil

5. The Amazon
Rainforest, home
to many natural
wonders...
Is quickly
disappearing.

6. When the forest is
cut, the area
surrounding the
cut loses moisture.
This area of the
the forest dies
quickly.
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7. 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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8. 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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9. 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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10. 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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11. To see more,
click on an icon.
Radar map of the
Letter home
amazon
Action alert «—» Distance
H
Currency and Master Travelouge
other souvenirs
i
•Bibliography •Back to table of contents

12. 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 Wilsey
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13. 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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14. 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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15. Area City Chosen Miles Days Present Cost of Salary Bonus New
Visiting traveled Traveled Bank Travel Earned Drawn Balance
long/lat
Cum. Cum. Balance (Subtract) (Add) (Add)
Natal
Latin 5361 1 0 0
America
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Middle
East
Europe
Asia
Australia/
New Zealand
North
America

16. Area City Chosen Miles Days Present Cost of Salary Bonus New
Visiting traveled Traveled Bank Travel Earned Drawn Balance
long/lat
Cum. Cum. Balance (Subtract) (Add) (Add)
Natal,
Latin Brazil 5361 1 0 0 $15
America
Khartoum,
Sub-Saharan 10316
Sudan
Africa
Middle
East
Europe
Asia
Australia/
New Zealand
North
America

17. Area City Chosen Miles Days Present Cost of Salary Bonus New
Visiting traveled Traveled Bank Travel Earned Drawn Balance
long/lat
Cum. Cum. Balance (Subtract) (Add) (Add)
Natal,
Latin Brazil 5361 1 0 0 $15
America
Khartoum,
Sub-Saharan 10316
Sudan
Africa
Middle Baghdad,
Iraq
1799
East
Europe
Asia
Australia/
New Zealand
North
America

18. Picture of Capoeira,
a traditional form of
dance/martial art
Silver butterfly
earrings from
the Galeria
10,000 Cruzeiros Soho
Sergio Mendes
and Brasil ‘66
album. Mendes
is a renowned
Portuguese: Bom dia (good morning)
Brazilian
Spanish: Hola keyboardist

19. 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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