The Invisible War

Scott Wallace, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Connecticut, visited campus on Monday, April 6. His talk was titled “The Invisible War: Environmental Destruction and Human Rights in the Amazon rainforest.” Wallace began by describing the area and how the Amazon rainforest is slowly disappearing. 

Wallace focused on the Matis Tribe in the Jaravari Valley, which is in western Brazil, as well as the Awá tribe in the east. These groups both have contacted and uncontacted members, and how the illegal logging is hurting the contacted members of the Awá as they protect the uncontacted members. Wallace has made a lot of connections throughout his career traveling to Brazil, and he introduced us to the contacted members of the Awá.The contacted members have had to band together to patrol their land for loggers, and around six people have died. The land with uncontacted tribes are the only areas across the Amazon where the rainforest is still partially intact. 

Wallace also focused on the climate impact that the Amazon has on the world. As the dense rainforest declines, its ability to store carbon, produce rainfall and the biodiversity decreases. The indigenous land is what is left of the dense rainforest, making it a prime target for illegal activity. Legislation that protects uncontacted tribes and their land has endless benefits. 

Although there is a lot to be done to save the Amazon, the current government is providing more support and resources than previous administrations. Different government agencies are helping the tribes, and legislation is still continuing to be passed. There is hope, but more needs to be done, and the world needs to understand the severity and importance of the Amazon. 

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