I love flying because of the moment you get above the clouds. No matter what kind of weather is under them, you can see the sun and the image resembles heaven. The most usual view apart from clouds is the checquered landscape of fields, towns and small patches of woods, so typical for Europe. But flying back home from Latin America provided me with the most striking view I could ever imagine. When I detached my eyes from the pages of newspaper and looked down, all I could see was trees. Not a patchwork of woods, but trees as far as I could see, for hours, trees and trees crossed by squigly silver lines of rivers creating incredible pattern similar to letters of an ancient language lost for centuries. These meanders were speaking a language of nature and harmony. I could not stop looking, wondering when this wild and never ending forest ends and when the rivers come together to create the huge mass of Amazon river. And all of the suddenn there it was, after almost an hour I could see the massive river among the thousands of trees. Nothing but trees and river Amazon with small squigly lines feeding its massive waters.
During our trip we reached the edge of the Amazon forest and it was beautiful. But now, flying over it and seeing the its size, I finally realized what the lungs of the Earth meant. The size of the forest was bigger than everything I’ve ever seen*. We encountered with many indigenous tribes who told us about the dangers that Amazon forest and their natural environment are facing. Seeing its size convinced me even more about the importance to address these issues.
Destruction of the Amazon forest causes not only incredible environment degradation, extinction of species, but also massive displacement of people and deterioration of the climate of the entire planet. Most of this destruction is caused by mining and oil companies together with illegal massive tree cutting. While across the world hundreds of thousand people are being displaced and suffer from famine caused by environmental degradation of land, oil and wood companies in the Amazon region gradually start spinning of the vicious circle which in future could cause the same problems Somalia is facing not only in Latin America, but globally.
During our journey of Hecha y Derecha we met with AMWAE women organization from Waorani tribe in Puyo, Ecuador, which is one of the hundreds of tribe fighting for preservation of Amazon forest, their homes and natural environment. Degradation of their environment, which has been source of their food, shelter and livelihood, affects their lives in a big way. To preserve their traditions and safe their environment the women do not hesitate to stand face to face with the governments, international corporations nor lobby in the UN. Because their lives and lives of their children are worth it. Read more about Yasuni Rainforest Campaign and support the cause. If with nothing else by checking if some of the products you are using are not made of precious wood or oil from companies drilling in the Amazon.
*Yes, here would come the famous: That’s what she says…. But it is TRUE!