Pursuing a Wild Dream

The first thing that jumped to my mind was the Amazon Forests when "Al-Sharq al-Awsat" newspaper assigned me to go to Brazil to cover the United Nations Conference of Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and attended by world leaders. The melodies of samba, the enchanting beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, the glamorous bodies, the aroma of Brazilian coffee, and the bride of Latin America Rio de Janeiro intertwined in my mind.

The first thing that came to mind was the Amazon rainforests when 'Al-Sharq al-Awsat' newspaper assigned me to go to Brazil to cover the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro that has been held in 1992 and attended by the world leaders. The melodies of the samba, enchanting beaches, charming bronze bodies, the aroma of Brazilian coffee and Rio de Janeiro city, the bride of Latin America.

I set before my eyes two goals: first, my visit to the Amazon should not be that of a tourist who has money and time and wants to find an amusing topic to talk about with his friends after his return. This does not require any investigation or prior research about where you are going than reading a tourist book from those brochures that you usually see in the hands of tourists.

Secondly, I was aware that the time would be available for me not enough to do academic research. Such research is like taking a walking tour to discover a vast continent in a few days.

Practical program

I set before my eyes two goals: first, my visit to the Amazon should not be that of a tourist who has money and time and wants to find an amusing topic to talk about with his friends after his return this does not require any investigation or prior research about where you are going than reading a tourist book from those brochures that you usually see in the hands of tourists.

Secondly, I was aware that the time would be available for me not enough to do academic research. Such research is like taking a walking tour to discover a vast continent in a few days.

Therefore it is essential to develop a practical program for a survey tour in the widest surroundings possible in the forest I can carry out. That needs a few days more after the conference, otherwise, the journalist who is required to send daily coverage to his newspaper at a specific hour with four hours time difference between Rio de Janeiro and London that is not to his advantage is lucky if he spares enough time for a tour of Copacabana or Ipanema beaches and has a sip or two fresh coconut juice in front of wooden booths that are scattered there.

I decided to approach the editor-in-chief with this matter.

Meeting the Boss

Having an extra time there was a problem, so I decided to talk to the editor-in-chief. I was sure the project willinteresting first, because a such investigation of the Amazon forests is new to the Arab press. Second, the publication of such articles is a hit because the region is an essential part of this summit.

I explained my idea, wishing he agree to extend my stay there for a few days. He asked whether it be one topic or more and whether to publish them simultaneously with the conference or after. It will be after, I said, it will be more than one but do not know how many, beside it is impossible to publish them with the conferance, because my commitment to send a daily report to the newspaper. my visit to the forest will be for information gathering, then working on them upon my return. He wished me a good luck and all the success.

A surprise obstacle

I explained my project to the local doctor, and he asked about my departure, I said next week. “ You need vaccines for half a dozen epidemics some will not activate for at least two months?”. “Do what you can, I am going even without these vaccines,” I said. “You are an environmentalist then.” He gave me an injection, broke a capsule in my mouth, then prescribed some pills, saying one of them is for antimalaria, the other for yellow fever, and such and such.
I explained my project to Koo our local doctor, and he asked me about my travel date. I told him it is next week. He looked at me and said, “Do you know that you need vaccines for half a dozen epidemics, and some of these vaccines do not start working until at least two months have passed?” I told him, “Do what you can, I am going to Brazil even without these vaccines.” “You are an environmentalist, then!” he said with a laugh. I envy you!” Then he gave me a number of injections, broke a capsule in my mouth, from which a bitter-tasting liquid poured into my throat, then wrote a recipe for some pills saying one is antimalaria, the other is for yellow fever and such and such.

MeetingKalache family

There are two things left to accomplish before leaving for Rio. First, finding, through my friends in London, some contacts in Rio who can meet them upon my arrival to obtain necessary information and help regarding my program. Second, to find people in London with some knowledge of Brazil in general and Amazon Forests in particular. The first name that came to my mind was Dr Alex Kalache, an old friend who works as a research doctor in the field of ageing in a London hospital. I knew his father is of Syrian origin immigrated to Brazil at an early age. He worked in trade with his uncle in Rio, then set up his own store, eventually becoming an owner of a ready-made garment factory that employed more than two hundred workers before he retired. He said he will phone him this evening to let him know about my arrival. He also gave me his address and phone number.

Picture: Dr. Alex Calachi with his mother Lorda

I knew that "London School of Economics and Political Sciences", in which I was preparin my posgraduate thesis, has an environmental studies department. I contacted Professor Fred Halliday, who was supervising my doctoral study, and explaind my project. He asked me if I was serious about it. I said yes, what would you do if you had such an opportunity? He promised me that he would do what he could in this regard.

Experts help

I told Rowland that I am going to cover the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, also planning to go to the Amazon region to write a series of articles about the forest for my newspaper. He laughed and said, “I am also going to the summit with the British nongovernmental (NGO) delegation. He asked me if I had set my travel date, I said it will be on May 30th. He laughed again saying “Then we will be on the same plane.” I said to myself that the smile of luck sometimes could be a wide one!

A puplic relation!

Roland gave me a lot of his time. We talked about the Earth Summit and the nongovermental global symposium. He was enthusiastic about the latter considered its participants to be the ones who care about the safety of our planet. As for the official summit, it is nothing more than a public relations demonstration, even the draft treaties that will be discussed in it are fragile and insufficient to limit environmental pollution. Then he talked about the economic interests of these countries and the influence of major industrial companies whose factories are polluting the environment.
He suggested to read two books in particular and gave me their titles as they contain good information about the forest for those like me, who want to go there, not as a biologist, nor as a tourist, but as a journalist interested in environment who wants to spend a few days there for general observation.

I knew that the college in which I was studying my postgraduate LSE "London School of Economics and Political Sciences" has a department of environmental studies, but I did not know anyone ther, so I went to see Professor Fred Halliday, who was supervising my study there, and told him about my Brazil task and my project to write about the Amazon forests, and what I need is to get to know someone in the environmental department. He promised that he would do what he could in this regard.
The person that Fred Halliday suggested next day was Dr. Rowland, one of the professors in the college. He said he talked to him and is ready to meet me. He also gave me the name and phone number of a Brazilian academic, called Dr. Fernandez, and he, too is willing to provide me with some information.

I met Dr Fernandez in a café in West London, explained to him my plan, then he replied: "the westerners are ones who pollute our planet with their their factories emission , their waste, and the greediness of their lifestyle, not us." He paused for a moment and asked: What is the ecological importance of the Amazon Forests? I replied: "You are from that region and asking me about its ecological importance, is it not the lung of our Planet?" ” this is an exaggeration” he said, “You know the planet absorb carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen during the day, using the carbon to produce sugar for their food, this process reverse at night, it absorbs oxygen and emits carbon dioxide. Hence, you see the oxygen released by the forests during the day, consumed by itself at night. It is an equation that has existed since time immemorial. So, where is the excess oxygen the forest provides to the lungs of our planet?"Where is the oxygen? I replied: This means that you doubt the results of hundreds of researches carried out by environmental scientists. Are you telling me that the existence and absence of the forest are equal in terms of their importance? He answered that he does not doubt anyone's opinion and does not say that the existence and non-existence of the forests are the same, but he is talking about specific scientific issues. Saying the Amazon is the lung of the planet is an exaggerated statement, and it is not a scientific fact. He hinted that this campaign aims to prevent Brazil from exploiting the Amazon region, which is rich in natural resources, especially precious metals, for the benefit of its population.

Westerners have a romantic idea of the Amazon Forests and its inhabitants, their enthusiasm increase and decreased according to the fashion. They don't even know what is the real problems threatening that region. The don't even know what is the real problems threatening that region. They assume that the devastation that befalls the forest is the result of burning large parts of it or cutting down its trees, but they do not bother to question the reasons behind these acts. The Amazon Indians lived there for hundreds of thousands of years, and they have preserved the forests throughout these ages, so, why these people begin suddenly destroying the area in which they live? The main problem of the Amazon, he said, lies in the political and economic corruption of the ruling regimes in Latin America. The interest shown by Western countries towards the Amazon and the call to save it under the pretext of protecting the environment, is a word of truth that is meant to be false.

Picture: Burning parts of the forest and cutting down its trees

Unexpected setback!

I came out of the café feeling that the convictions that were deep rooted in my mind were started to shaken, and that the enthusiasm that I was riding towards the Amazon should calm down a bit to make room for more reading and careful investigation. I gradually became convinced of Dr. Fernandez's opinion that the devastation afflicting on the Amazon is actually caused by the political and economic corruption of the Latin American regimes, and the responsibility of the West in feeding such corruption in those countries. The burning of forests and the cutting down of its trees, turning the vast areas into pastures for livestock by the new settlers, the establishment of paper mills that feed on the trees of the forest, and the deep valleys the forest are clear marks of western companies greediness for searching minerals. So, the problem of the Amazon is not environmental but economic and political one.

I bought a good camera, binoculars a dark sunglasses with some clothes to fit that region's climate. On the appointed day, I headed to Heathrow Airport where the giant Jumbo Jet plane was ready for fourteen hours night flight direct to the city of San Paulo, and from there another hour to Rio de Janeiro.

My Travel to Amazon Forests (1)