© Steve Morgan / Greenpeace
Top news: Brazilians say no to dam construction; Tar oil is dirtier than crude oil; Bicycle Sauna
Hydroelectric power: Protesters took to the streets of Sao Paulo over the weekend, fighting the government’s plan to build the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. The Belo Monte dam will displace thousands and destroy the livelihoods of indigenous tribes living along the Amazon. Verena Glass, head of the Xingu Conservancy, condemns the project as “the worst ever from the social, environmental, economic and energetic point-of view.”
Tar sands: Over the next two weeks more than 2,000 protesters will be gathering in front of the White House to prevent the construction of a pipeline set to carry the dirtiest fuel on earth: tar oil. If built, the pipeline will carry oil from Alberta, Canada to Texas, contributing to the deforestation of Canadian boreal forest and making water sources en route prone to oil spills. Worst of all, on average, oil sand petroleum releases more carbon dioxide than crude oil. U.S. climatologist James Hansen warns that if the line is approved, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be compromised.
Micro-climate: This week, Flemish celebrities from the arts and entertainment world will be biking across Belgium in protest against global warming. But they won’t be cycling on just any bicycles. Rather they will be sweating on enclosed bikes, made to simulate the greenhouse effect. With a bike like that, who needs a sauna membership?