DISCLAIMER

****NOTE****
This blog is fictional. All persons mentioned are fake.

The Day From Down Under

I was on edge all day. I was jumpy and nervous and of course did no work. I felt like everyones eyes were on me. It wasn't until Reggie delivered a note to me that I got really, really scared. It read:
"9 o'clock sharp in my office. -Cortez"

After that I really couldnt work. I snuck out through the woods and find our camp site. By then it was almost 7 and I'd walked for hours. They're probably looking for me. I looked around the gorunds and saw no one. There were papers sperad all over the ground and a cold pot of beans over a pile of soot. They were gone. My squad left me here. Maybe they went to go request help from headquarters, yeah that's probably what they did. After pondering that idea for awhile I decided to take a look and the documents on the ground. They were fact sheets about the situation here in Brazil with things like the total amount of forest lost since the 90's (-42,329,000ha, -8.1%), the annual deforestation rate (-.6%), and the change in deforestation rate since the 90's (22.0%). There was nothing for me to see that I haven't already. It was almost 8 and I had to get back to the factory to meet with Cortez.
*****
I got completely lost. I wondered around for at least an hour and a half and was exhausted. I knew I was never going to make it to that meeting. Then I was jumped. Someone grabbed me from behind and put a bag over my head. I struggeled for a moment but then it all went black.
*****
I woke up in Cortez's office. It was quiet and dark and I knew what was going to happen to me. This will be my last post. if someone reads this try to contact Jack and the POD Squad. Wish me luck.
peacelove&trees
~Eco~Girl
p.s. Always remember to SAY NO TO DEFORESTATION.

Our World's Greatest Magician

Did you know that most magicians have a trick? A slide of hand, when you're looking over here, you won't see what's going on over there. In terms of the envirnment Cortez is quickly becoming one of the world's greatest magicians. My initial inference was correct, he does have a pull in the system. As I arrived at the meeting I immediately noticed that you sit by rank in the company. I, being fairly new sat in the back with the other newbies. It was like a little government. The room was split into three sections, Cortez and his advisors, the workers, and the people who handle international trade. In the front of the room stood a man who was very familiar. Then it hit me, he's the senator of Copenhagen(Brazil) Felipe De Cedar. I believe my identity has now been compromised. ~Last fall the POD Squad and I led a rally in order to raise awareness about deforestation. Well, it got a little out of hand and me, Jack, and a former member Bobby got arrested for trespassing on government/private property. Of course it was Senator De Cedar whom had called the police and pressed charges.~ Once I snapped back into reality De Cedar was giving a lecture on how we've slowed down in production and why he's not happy about it. After a good 10 minutes of being scorned he began to segway into what is going to happen next. He said that he was going to hold a press conference in a few days and announce his support for deforestation. He told us that his plan is to blame poverty. That putting restrictions on deforestation is taking away the people's only opportunity to escape poverty. He will go on to say that he supports the cutting down and burning of forests in order to put down roads and power lines to provide for a better tomorrow. Felipe doesn't want to save the people from poverty, Felipe wants to make himself rich. As all of these thoughts were going through my head I made my fatal mistake. I looked up to make eye contact with the senator. There was a flicker in his eye and I knew right then that he knew who I was. Maybe I shouldn't go to "work" tomorrow, theyll probably kill me, or even worse, make me cut down a tree.
FUN FACT OF THE DAY:Did you know that in 2003 17 people were arrested for the illegal logging of 10,000 hectares worth of timber?
peacelove&trees
~Eco~Girl

Call Me Bond, Jane Bond.

Here's a copter-shot of the land they cut yesterday. (Before I got here).

My first day undercover was really overwhelming. They had me make up a fake identity with a resume and everything. My new name is Jane Arbol and I transferred to this CMFT (Cut and Modernize Forest Technology)-or as i like to say "creating money from trees"- facility to be closer to my family. Turns out they have over a dozen facilities around the world! Some facilities are stationed in Panama, Malagasy, Borneo, Eastern Angola, Yanomami, Sumatra, New Guinea, Bolivia, and possibly others. No wonder global deforestation is so high! If we take down Cortez then maybe he'll drag the other companies with him! In other news I learned how to cut down a tree effectively today. Reggie, a lumberjack who came to CMFT as one of Brazil's best black market loggers, taught me (on previously harvested trees) how to work the forwarder and their new invention, the silent chainsaw, to cut, harvest, and obtain trees without being caught. Its ihumane what they are doing here. The workers are treated so unfairly. After i got taught the ropes I was thrown into the field. I witnessed men and women get beaten and yelled at. The majority of these people are already in poverty so this job is all they have. They get paied bellow minimum wage to be treated the way no man should be. I've only been here a day and have already seen five people lose a finger or break and arm on the newer machinary. The techonology developing now a days is creating a swifter getaway for criminals such as these, but at a price. Its unbelievable how much CO2 these organizations are releasing into the environment. The number of CO2 emissions in Brazil are steadily increasing and the worst of all are China's numbers! The constant slash and burning of forests for the building of volatge lines, railroads, and highways is racking up the numbers on the CO2 emissions chart. With 21.5% of the worlds CO2 emissions and 6.103,493 metric tons of emissions. i've sent the data I've recovered about the techonology and associated facilities to Jack Maple, our POD Squad leader. I have to go we have a meeting tonight about our next shipment! How are they getting away with this? They must be in the goods with some powerfull people...I'll keep you posted.

FUN FACT OF THE DAY: Did you know that scientists say that one day's deforestation is the same as the carbon footprint of 8 MILLION people flying to New York?
peacelove&trees
~Eco~Girl

One Down and unknown (our intelligence estimates a crew of 50) to go!

THERE HE IS!!!! El jefe! His name is Juan Pedro Georgio Armani Cortez. He runs the operations down here, and we only know of him by satellite and candid images like this one, None of us have actually seen Cortez up close and personal. An undercover operation opportunity has come up and I think I might get it! If I do I'll document every word and action that goes on in these woods wish me luck!!

FUN FACT OF THE DAY: Did you know that each year 16 million hectares disappear and only seven countries such as Russia, Brazil, Canada, The U.S, China, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo account for 60% of the total amount of original forest land?

peacelove&trees

~Eco~girl

Our Fist Mission

We've been camped out in here in Amazon for almost a week now. Our group, the POD squad (People Opposed to Deforestation), is investigating illegal logging. Our mission here is to stop deforestation, lessen the emission of greenhouse gases, and stop the loss of biodiversity. Did you know that deforestation was one of the MAJOR causes of the loss of biodiversity and climate change? We've been out here trying to catch these heartless and eco-enemies in the act. Did you know that almost half of the worlds forests have been destroyed? I bet not. There isn't enough action these days against logging and deforestation. The only legislature passed on the subject was here in Brazil. The climate change bill is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20.9% and deforestation by 80%! Way to go President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva! Oh, I think I hear someone coming! I'll let you know if we catch any criminals!

FUN FACT OF THE DAY: If we save the trees we will keep up the production of things such as plywood, round wood, pulp for paper and boxes, sponges, bark, dyes, fiber, gums, incense, latex, oil, resins, shellac, tanning compounds, waxes, fruits, nuts, berries, and maple syrup!

'Till next week!

peacelove&trees

~Eco~girl