Globo Amazônia has launched a really cool new feature where readers and activists can send in their videos discussing why the Amazon and environmental preservation are important.
Watch Cristiane Torloni’s video and then see if you can answer the following questions:
1. What two words does she use to describe “failure?”
2. What event does she discuss in the video?
3. What is the Portuguese word for “document?”
Even though the weather phenomenon El Niño takes place in the Pacific, its effects are far reaching. The north of the Amazon is currently experiencing a devastating drought, affecting the lives of fishermen and residents who live along the Rio Negro. There are so many dead fish, claims a visiting photographer, that you can smell the rotting from the airplane.
Read more about the drought, and click here to see photos”, which are quite powerful.
Language quiz:
1. How do you say drought in Portuguese?
2. What is a casa flutuante?
3. How do you say transportation in Portuguese?
4. What’s the word for a person who lives on/along the river?
Yesterday, British pop star Sting met with several indigenous leaders Caiapó tribe to discuss the Brazilian government’s plans to construct a massive hydroelectric plant in the state of Pará, which would affect the Caiapó’s lands.
Sting met the leaders twenty years ago on the Xingu reservation, which inspired him to create a non-profit, the Rainforest Foundation, which works to protect the environment as well as indigenous tribes in the Amazon. The NGO has donated funds to help the Caiapó tribe with education and protection from land invaders.
In the meantime, Sting met with the leaders to discuss the plans for the dam, to ensure that the indigenous tribes play a part in negotiations with the government. Environmental leaders are opposed to the project, which they say would be harmful to the Amazon, and the government has not yet acquired the necessary environmental permit to begin construction.
For some great photos of the meeting and more information, click here.
Al Gore is in Brazil this week, and attended an event at the Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo (the Sao Paulo Industrial Federation), where he gave a speech and discussed environmental conservation. 
While he stressed the issues of deforestation and conservation efforts, he was rightfully extremely careful to refer directly to environmental policy in Brazil, and apparently walked on eggshells, refusing to give an outright opinion on the Brazilian perspective. “If I was Brazilian, I’d discuss it, but I’m not, so I won’t,” he allegedly said.
He also apologized for discussing emissions, since the U.S. has higher carbon emissions than Brazil does, though he said he was optimistic about environmental policy change in the U.S. He also congratulated Brazil on the successful ethanol industry, which has the highest profits of any ethanol industry in the world.
At the end of the event, he was given an award by his hosts.
Today, we’re going to watch a video about the Amazon and an indigenous tribe there, and the work the tribe’s chief has done to combat deforestation and to use technology to connect his tribe to the world and to protect the environment. Part of the video is in Portuguese with English subtitles, and the other part involves simultaneous translation, so you’ll have to pay attention to make sure you understand.
Here are some questions to answer to see how well you understood!
1. How do you say “in the past,” according to the video?
2. The chief mentions using an “arco e flecha.” What is this in English?
3. What is “wisdom” in Portuguese?
4. How do you say “tool” or “instrument” in Portuguese?
5. What is “floresta” in English?
6. How do you say “alliance” or “partnership” in Portuguese?
Note: questions go up until 13:00.
