The “Center for Biological Diversity” has this article posted on their site and is requesting that people contact:

• Paul Hanrahan, CEO AES Corporation
• Richard Darman, Board Chairman AES Corporation
• Patrick Kron, CEO, Alstom
• Aloisio Vasconcelos, Alstom Brazil
• Hidroecologica del Teribe S.A.
• Hilda Candanedo, Director of Managing Watersheds, ANAM
• Natalia Young, Director of Protecting Environmental Quality, ANAM
• Soren Langvad, CEO, E. Pihl & Son A.S.
• Ligia Castro de Doens, General Administrator, ANAM
• Javier Giorgio, General Manager AES Panama
• Eduardo Reyes, General Subadministrator, ANAM
• Ruben Blades, Minister of Tourism
• Kristian May, CEO, MT Hojgaard a/s
• Humberto Gonzalez, Project Director AES Changuinola S.A.
• Empresas Publicas de Medellin
• Lars Josefsson, CEO, Vattenfall AB

and urge them to not further fund or participate in the hydroelectric projects along the Changuinola and Bonyic Rivers in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama.

What do you know about this project & how do you feel about it? Thanks, Barbara

“Save Panama Biosphere Reserve from Dams”   

article taken from Center for Biological Diversity

Four proposed hydroelectric dam projects threaten free-flowing Panamanian rivers, rare tropical species, indigenous cultures and a biologically diverse World Heritage site in the remote rainforest of western Panama. Promoted by the Panamanian government, the Colombian-owned Hidroecologica del Teribe (HET), and the U.S.-based AES Corporation, the dam projects would forever alter the pristine rivers of the Changuinola/Teribe watershed.

HET would operate a dam on the Bonyic River, within indigenous Naso territory. The remaining three dams would be constructed and operated by AES Corporation, which has recently faced lawsuits in the Dominican Republic for the alleged dumping of rock-ash. AES also had to pull out of the controversial Bujagali dam project in Uganda for issues similar to those in Panama. And more than 5,000 people protested a proposed electric plant in El Salvador this summer. In Panama, construction of the lowest Changuinola dam alone would biologically deplete more than 500 miles of streams. These four dams and their roads, bridges, and power lines would devastate unique native fish, damage the ecosystem, and open the remote jungle to development.

La Amistad Reserve contains Central America’s largest intact tropical rainforest, is a United Nations designated World Heritage site, and harbors incredible biodiversity including more than 40 species of fish. Most of the fish in the watershed depend on access to the ocean to complete their life cycles, but the dams would hinder migration, possibly leading to the disappearance of up to 11 aquatic species. The dams would also flood indigenous Naso and Ngobe territories, displacing several thousand people.

Please join the growing international movement to protect this ecological jewel and voice your opposition to the proposed Hydroelectric Projects.

Hi there,

I saw a program called “Man vs. Wild” on the Discovery channel last night and it was filmed in Panama with several members of my family, my father-in-law, Aseroy, and two of my brothers-in-law are on it, Erito and Ruben. They take the host Bear Grylls hunting in the jungle. I am sure they will re-run it so watch for it. The family had told me about filming it and how crazy they thought he was for eating bugs and snakes raw. They did say he was very nice.

Be warned that much of what he says about Panama are extreme exaggerations when he makes statements like “Panama is one of the most inhospitable places on earth”!? huh? He also talks about how you could die at any moment in the jungle, not quite. But when he talks about the “20 foot long crocs and the great white sharks in the mangrove swamps on the Caribbean coast” I had to laugh. We do not even have salt water crocs in Panama and great whites are cold water sharks and I have never heard of them in the Caribbean at all. He makes it look very dramatic and dangerous. Guess it makes better TV, but if you have been there or consider going do not be put off by his comments, it is much safer than he makes out.

I also did not appreciate seeing him kill and eat the snake and insects while they were still moving, especially since I know the guide who was with him and where he was exactly and he did not have to eat them for survival. He could have made his point without actually eating them. Again, all about “good TV”.

It was very fun to see the family on TV here in the US.

take care,

Anne