Seismic testing was done in the Ecuadorian Amazon and once oil was found, its fate was sealed. Oil companies are destroying this land without consideration for the Wani and Kichua families that occupy it. Animals were killed in masses and the people of the Amazon were not even permitted to use the remains for substance.They were left to starve or they were poisoned on the land that they have known forever. These communities believe that the forest has many different deities all under two living spirits whic ...

Property owners in British Columbia are scrambling for options after a court said indigenous groups have a right to reclaim ownership of land taken from them scores of years ago https://t.co/WImshhXrzz ...

New Zealand has ended one of its longest-running land disputes by agreeing to return a vast tract of land at the top of the South Island to the descendants of the original indigenous Māori owners https://t.co/rDv7uZFb9H ...

A court ruling that granted an Indigenous group rights over some 800 acres of metro Vancouver is causing unease over private-property rights in Canada https://t.co/2oCaEHVzRZ ...

Environmental Concerns & Amazon's Significance - The Amazon basin, shared by eight countries, spans over 7 million square kilometers, almost the size of Europe, holding rich biodiversity [3][4] - The Amazon produces 20% of the world's oxygen, holds 20% of the world's fresh waters, 60% of tropical forests, and 10% of all animal and plant species [5][6] - The Amazon can absorb over 2 billion tons of CO2 annually, about 5% of global emissions, but deforestation is approaching a tipping point [6][7] - Deforestation has reached 17-20%, with the tipping point at 25%, potentially causing the rainforest to become a savannah-like ecosystem that releases CO2 [7][8] Threats & Environmental Crime - Illegal mining in areas like the Orinino mining arc in Venezuela, covering approximately 112,000 square kilometers (the size of Portugal), leads to environmental and humanitarian crises [13][14] - Environmental crime, including illegal mining, logging, land grabbing, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, is a vast network spanning the Amazon rainforest [17] Solutions & Call to Action - The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, comprising eight Amazonian nations, signed the Bellon declaration prioritizing security in the Amazon [21][22] - COP 30, the UN's climate change conference, will take place in the Amazon in Belém, Brazil, providing a platform for global leaders to address the issue [22] - Consumers can support environmentally friendly products with certifications like the Rainforest Alliance [24] - A call to action urges young people to push policymakers to cooperate and address the complex network of environmental crime [25][26]