The Great white shark
This fear-inducing fish, the eternal poster shark for the "Jaws" fuelled anti-shark sentiment, the powerful Great white, also known as the 'White shark' is the ocean's top predator.
The White shark is also the largest of predatory fish, growing to lengths of over 6 meters (20 feet).
This shark is found in every ocean on the planet, and can adapt to sub-tropical and temperate waters alike. These sharks are the most feared of all shark species, and their jagged, exposed, multiple rows of teeth are certainly their most threatening feature.
Great whites have about 300 teeth at any given time, while back rows continually develop new teeth to replace ones lost over time. These sharks predate huge mammals such as seals, and they need strong jaws and sharp teeth to consume such large prey!
Despite the widely held belief White sharks are 'man-eating machines' and 'monsters of the sea', they are actually vulnerable, ancient, vital marine creatures, and deserve the respect of man.
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Ocean of loss, River of Hope
Nov 25, 2011
Rich, lush and bountiful. Rainforests, wild jungles, wetlands and river systems nurture and breathe life into themselves. Free from human exploitation, the world’s aquatic and terrestial ecosystems are pivotal forces in maintaining the planet’s climate and regulating gases in our atmosphere. We NEED nature; however, nature might fare better without US.
In the wake of global industrialization, technological revolutions and incessant modernization, our planet is quite literally being stripped bare of its raw materials, precious oil, gas, and wildlife. The vast majority of natural resources and building blocks of our working planet are being greedily extracted, mined, fished, and downright decimated. The planet’s existing resource stock is shrinking as exploitative efforts are aggressive and of monumental proportions. Each day, at least 80,000 acres of primary forests are permanently destroyed. And with this, fewer air-purifying trees can recycle oxygen and absorb rising amounts of Carbon Dioxyde from the air we breathe. Our constant manipulation of the global environment changes the very framework of life on earth. Short-term profits will soon be dwarfed by the calamity of the long-term effects we have yet to acknowledge with certainty.
In the midst of worldwide expansion and development there are still regions which have sustained marginal human impact. Deep in the heart of the isolated and far-removed pockets of nature, life pulsates with vigor and strength. These wild places harbor unique species and a biological and cultural heritage which is priceless; especially in our day in age.
The Xingu River Basin is a main tributary to the Amazon river, and lies in Brazil's north-eastern region. It flows almost exactly South to North, carving through the center of Brazil and through the the state of Mato Grosso (upriver) and Para (downriver), until if flows northbound to Porto de Moz where the river mouth meets the Amazon river. The Xingu river itself has a web of sub-tributaries with diverse indigenous settlements along its shores and within the surrounding forests. In total, there are 15 Xingu tribes encompassing all 4 Brazilian language groups. Some regions along the river are world-renowned for water clarity, and with over 600 species of fish, it is no surprise these waterways provide up to 70% of the protein to local tribes that depend of the bounty of the river for their survival.
Along the Xingu river is where one can find some some of the most traditional and culturally rich settlements, tribes with a history deeply rooted in the land and river. It is estimated over 12,000 natives ive along the Xingu river, with another 45,000 relying on its surrounding ecosystems. Approximately 100 mammal and 500 bird species have been identified as native to the Xingu region, while countless remain undiscovered within the depths of the forest and water.
The Belo Monte Dam, a Billion dollar project proposed by government owned 'Eletrobras', would cut up to 80% of the Xingu river's natural flow. Construction is planned in the river's 'Volta Grande' ('Big Bend') region and would build a network of dams, water reserves and a Hydroelectricity powerhouse. Bela Monte would be Brazil's, most unique dam, for upon completion it would be the 3rd largest in the world, capable of generating electricity for up to 23 million households. However, critics of Bela Monte are advocating that seasonal water level changes would affect the dam's power generation and the project would have to include the implementation of smaller dams on Xingu's sub-rivers in order to compensate for changing water levels.
Should construction of this dam begin, the project will directly displace 20,000 indigenous people from habitats in the regions of Altamira and Vitoria do Xingu.
Image © www.americanifra.com
With funding and support from the Brazilian Development Bank (BIVDES), and such mining and farming giants as Vale and Bertin, the Bela Monte Dam is a close as its ever been to becoming a reality. Protest against the project in the late 1980’s and 1990’s put enough pressure on the Brazilian government to halt construction of the dam. Recently, indigenous tribes have been educating themselves and learning the modern ‘business lingo’ in order to efficiently express their objections to all parties involved. Gatherings and demonstrations against the Bela Monte dam have attracted celebrities, international charities and Brazilian environmental organizations who have stood up alongside indigenous communities in protest.
Today the biggest threat to the Xingu river, its human settlements and native wildlife, is that the federal Brazilian government is in firm support of the Bela Monte project, and has publicly approved the commencement of construction and completion of the project by 2015. Furthermore, Brazil’s very own environmental agency IBAMA now approves the project as well.
Global opposition, public outcry, and a united indigenous force refusing to accept the demise of their natural habitat is causing once again debate and discussion among decision-making governments and industry executives. Stating they would “die fighting”, tribal leaders refuse to allow the dam project to go ahead, desperately trying to save more than 500 Km² of rainforest from flooding and tens of thousands of people and wildlife from being displaced.
The impacts on the ecology of the Xingu river region should Bela Monte project commence will be devastating to the land, animals, people, climate and continent. Vital precipitation cycles will be altered, and the carefully crafted balance of nature and man within this region will be lost forever.
There is no monetary value high enough, no government powerful enough, and no coorperation influential enough to justify the construction of the Bela Monte megadam. We are living with the effects of altering, genetically modifying, and shape-shifting our most precious natural resources, and we have made a dangerous habit of exhausting the very resources we depend on for survival on this planet.
The wise, connected and spirited hearts and minds of indigenous populations are actively fighting to save their and our environment. With their existence so inextricably tied to the earth and everyday rituals based in a genuine respect for nature, it is simply inconceivable to imagining how they will continue without it. Let us learn, see, open our eyes and hearts to what is threatening natural wonders such as the Amazon, but also the land, soil, rivers, and oceans everywhere around us. Humans are an absolute force to be reckoned with, and with this power harnessed for good, we can again regain our understanding of nature’s immeasurable worth. Let us be a part an environmental awakening. Starting now.
MJ Arsenault
References: Wikipedia "Belo Monte Dam", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belo_Monte_Dam, Mongabay.com "Indigeous do not have right to free, prior and informed consultation on Amazon dam, rules Brazilian court". 9.11.11, http://news.mongabay.com/2011/1109-belo_monte_no_fpic.html, Indigenous People's Cultural Support Trust "Heart of Brazil Expedition: Archive for the Xingu River; 'Environment and Geograpy' Category". http://ipcst.wordpress.com/category/xingu-river-environment-and-geography/
