random science: the secret life of chaos

The Secret Life Of Chaos by jfhack7

(fixed Feb 2013)

logging the Amazon

expanded logging in the Brazilian Amazon   

(photo and text from AVAAZ)

 

To President Dilma Rousseff : We call on you to take immediate action to save Brazil's precious forests by vetoing the changes to the forest law. We also urge you to prevent further murders of environmental activists and workers by increasing the enforcement against illegal loggers and ramping up protection for people at risk from violence or death. The world needs Brazil to be an international leader on the environment, your strong action now will safeguard the planet for future generations. 

view the petition

rain garden

random sounds 23: Bobby Breen

From 'Way Down South', 1939. Bobby Breen on You Tube

The Intelligence² Debate: Is the Catholic Church a force for good in the world?

Christopher Hitchens:

The Intelligence² Debate - Christopher Hitchens... by Xrunner17
Stephan Fry:

The Intelligence² Debate - Stephen Fry (Unedited) by Xrunner17

 The full debate on YouTube

Intelligence Squared

SoundCloud public tracks

Intelligence Squared Australia

Intelligence Squared US

Last stand against the Belo Monte Dam

The Brazilian government is preparing to give the green light for the Belo Monte Dam to be built on the Xingu River in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. If built, it would be the third-largest dam in the world. The dam complex would divert nearly the entire flow of the Xingu River along 100 kilometers and devastate an extensive area of the Amazon rainforest, threatening the survival of indigenous and traditional peoples and displacing up to 40,000 people. With more than 80 percent of the Belo Monte dam to be funded by BNDES (the Brazilian National Development Bank), Belo Monte is a critical battle in the fight for the Amazon and for Latin America’s future. Belo Monte is the gateway dam for 70 proposed dams throughout the Amazon (from Amazon Watch).

Additionally, a number of distinct species of rainforst fish  face  extinction as a result of this project. Here's a partial list (from AMAZONAS 31, September/Oktober 2010 The Belo Monte project):
links will take you to a photograph at PlanetCatfish, FishBase, KillicoUK, SeriouslyFish, or Hypancistrus.
Aequidens michaeli 
Anostomoides passionis 
Astaynax dnophos
 Moenkhausia heikoi 
Ossubtus xinguense
 Parancistrus nudiventris 
Pituna xinguensis 
Plesiolebias altamira 
Simpsonichthys reticulatus  
Teleocichla centisquama
L013 Peckoltia sp.
L014 Scobinancistrus aureatus
L015 Peckoltia vittata
L017 Hopliancistrus sp.
L018 Baryancistrus sp.
L019 Baryancistrus sp.
L020 Oligancistrus sp.
L046 Hypancistrus zebra
 L047 Baryancistrus sp .
L048 Scobinancistrus sp.
L066 Hypancistrus sp.
L075 Peckoltia sabaji (Xingu Population)
L081 Baryancistrus sp.
L082 Ancistrini sp.
L172 Ancistrini sp.
L173 Hypancistrus sp.
L174 Hypancistrus sp.
L177 Baryancistrus sp.
L236 Hypancistrus sp.
L250 Hypancistrus sp.
L252 Ancistrini sp.
L253 Scobinancistrus sp.
L254 Spectracanthicus sp.
L258 Parancistrus sp.
L315 Spectracanthicus sp.
L333 Hypancistrus sp.
L353 Oligancistrus sp.
L354 Oligancistrus sp.
L399 Hypancistrus sp.
L400 Hypancistrus sp.
Hypancistrus sp. „Unterer Xingu“ Artenkomplex
Leporacanthicus heterodon



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random sounds 22: Saint Janis with Big Brother