Illegal mining destroys environment in Southern Venezuela

[protocol rv]

I found a very interesting article about illegal mining in the Caroni watershed, in English. It says the illegal miners have been cutting the forest down. If the forest is cut, the water runs off a lot faster in the rainy season, and the rivers have very little water in the dry season. It is reported that Caroni river water flow is very low now, this may be due to the combination of very dry weather and the ruin brought on the tropical forest by illegal miners.

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1109-atbc.html

[protocol rv]

1. Venezuela: Guri water level about 14 meters above danger level

They really ought to tell shopping centers to close on Wednesdays or something like that. We need to save electric power. And the illegal miners need to be moved out of the land, and trees replanted, and this should be done with urgency.

[Wilms]

2. No doubt. This is pretty bad. n/t

[protocol rv]

3. But there's no action, no comments, nothing

But there's no action. I found government websites where they published photos and described the illegal mining and deforestation problem, some from as far back as 2005. But no action has been taken, so the forest keeps dying, and this reduces the water entering the water reservoir. Today the newspapers report the water level at 13,64 meters as of yesterday, it drops at about 15 cm per day, so today we're at 13,5 meters above collapse. Because the reservoir has somewhat of a conical shape, as the level drops, the amount of water they draw to generate a given amount of electricity makes the level drop faster.

If it doesn't rain, we have 13 weeks left. Some say less, but I hope they do start cutting back by next week, so we can at least get a rational power saving scheme in place. According to some experts, the heavy rain may be delayed until late May. Unless there's action taken now, then it'll be too late because the rain takes time to move from where it falls to the reservoir, so it can be used by the plant.

And yet there's no significant movement to impose a real rationing system in Caracas. They really do need to start closing shopping centers and other sites, say one-two days per week. To make matters even worse, it has been very hot and the city has been very polluted, which means those who have them have been running their air conditioners.

They also need to move to reduce driving, to do this they have to increase gasoline prices. The city's pollution is mostly caused by the huge amount of vehicles sitting in traffic, idling all the time, because traffic grinds to a halt - too many cars and there has been almost no new construction to improve traffic flow.

The price of gasoline in Venezuela is so low, the tip for the attendant who cleans the windshield and checks the oil is higher than the cost to fill up. It's ridiculous. We even have trucks with propaganda signs circulating in the streets, they use gasoline, pollute the air, create more traffic problems, and all so we can see an advertisement for Avatar or imported disposable diapers. This place is crazy.

[Wilms]

4. Why don't you stick a cork in it.

Your own link denies your "there's no action" claim even while it complains not enough has been done.

By the time I finish reading your reply you're totally off-topic and doing your usual spin.

Sorry I bothered responding to your thread. I don't mind that you're here to push an agenda. It's just that it stinks so bad.

[protocol rv]

5. But there is no action to save the forest

There is talk of action, but the forest is being destroyed, and it goes on and on and on. It's so unfortunate, the actions of a few foreign illegal miners helping to cause a national crisis, and destroying such a beautiful habitat.

Am I pushing an agenda? of course not. I'm merely making sure the pristine forest has a chance.

[protocol rv]

6. What agenda?

I feel sorry for people who are having power cuts all the time. I'm one who owns a small generator. And the gasoline for it is sold cheaper than water, which is a thing that really bothers me, because I don't think it's reasonable to sell it that way.

I am just ahead of the times. I tell you, they should raise the price of gasoline. They will do it in the future, and like the actions to be build power plants, it will be late. Plus all the new power plants they build use liquid fuels, when we could be building plants to burn natural gas? It doesn't make a lot of sense.

:-(

[naaman fletcher]

8. "By the time I finish reading your reply you're totally off-topic and doing your usual spin. "

Ever read anything that PeacePartiot writes?

[protocol rv]

7. Guri Dam Water Level

Now it's repoted to be at 13,5 meters above the point where they have to turn off the main generators. The loss rate is 15 cm per day. Where is the common sense? They need to order the shopping malls to close at least two days per week, and close the industrial plants which use a lot of electricity.