amazonrainforest
By Timothy J. Killeen Mining and energy companies invest in the Amazon because it is profitable. Opportunities are large because of geology, but development is costly due to the region’s isolation and lack of infrastructure. The decision to pursue a mineral exploitation project depends on several factors, but there are two primary technical criteria: (a) the richness of the mineral deposit, which determines the cost of extraction; and (b) the volume of the geological formation, which determines the productive lifetime of a mine or oil and gas field. Taken together, these two factors allow inve...
Mongabay
By Timothy J. Killeen Gold is universally recognized as a form of money that has retained value over decades, centuries and millennia. Since it is non-corrosive and precious, approximately 95% of the gold mined since the dawn of civilization remains in circulation (~205 million tonnes). The largest share (~47%) is held as jewelry, which in addition to its sentimental value is an important store of family wealth. Governments hold ~17%, which was used historically to back the value of national currencies and, although this is no longer the case, these reserves are often used in times of politica...
Mongabay
By Jenny Gonzales Faced with the global challenge of ending the deforestation of tropical forests without enough resources for the task, at the end of 2023, the Brazilian government launched a mechanism to encourage forest conservation. How? Creating a payment system per hectare of preserved or recovered forest to those responsible for its preservation. If a hectare ends up deforested instead of preserved, the opposite happens: Landowners no longer receive the equivalent of 100 times the value of the preserved hectare. “Tropical forests are essential for biodiversity,” Minister of Environment ...
Mongabay
By Timothy J. Killeen Mineral extraction is a major cause of contention among the inhabitants of the Pan Amazon. Thousands of families depend on economic activity that originates, directly or indirectly, from the mining and hydrocarbon industries. Simultaneously, thousands of families suffer, directly or indirectly, from the impacts caused by the exploitation of non-renewable natural resources. The mineral sector can be organized into three areas based on the type of commodity being extracted: (1) Industrial minerals, such as iron ore, bauxite, copper, zinc, magnesium, nickel, lead, molybdenum...
Mongabay
By Liz Kimbrough A team of paleontologists found a giant fossilized skull along the shore of the Napo River in the Peruvian Amazon. To their surprise, the relic belonged to a newly described species of giant freshwater dolphin. This colossal creature swam in the rivers of the Amazon around 16 million years ago and is considered the largest-known species of river dolphin to have ever lived, measuring 3-3.5 meters (9.8-11.5 feet). Artistic reconstruction of Pebanista yacuruna in the murky waters of the Peruvian proto-Amazonia. Image by Jamie Bran. “As soon as I recognized it, I saw the teeth soc...
Mongabay
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