#Joe Biden Disappears Into The Amazon Rainforest

[rightnouveau]

Joe Biden vs. the Zamana Rainforest: Climate-drama hints at Post-presidential Shamanaic Lifepath?

Nov 20, 2024

In a world where the news cycle spins faster than a neocon's moral compass, we find ourselves once again captivated by the latest spectacle from the global political circus.

This time, our attention is drawn to the lush, verdant stage of the Amazon rainforest, where none other than President Joe Biden himself has decided to make a grand exit – quite literally.

In a story that combines climate action, political theater, and unintentional comedy, President Joe Biden recently made history as the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest. Or, as Biden himself hilariously dubbed it, the "Zamana Rainforest." This gaffe, while meme-worthy, is just the appetizer for a larger banquet of media spectacle, policy announcements, and some head-scratching moments.

The Zamana Rainforest Incident

Let's start with the elephant in the room, or should I say, the sloth in the jungle. In a moment that would make even the most seasoned comedians jealous, President Biden graced us with a linguistic gem by referring to the Amazon as the "Zamana Rainforest"[1]. One can't help but wonder if this was a Freudian slip revealing a secret eco-resort for world leaders or simply a testament to the challenges of global geography, and pronouncing hard words.

Biden’s trip was steeped in eco-friendly messaging, with helicopter rides over the deforested terrain and solemn discussions with Indigenous leaders. The President pledged an additional $50 million to Brazil's Zamana Fund (Amazon Fund), showcasing the U.S.’s commitment to combating deforestation. However, critics noted this sum barely scratches the surface of the $500 million Biden promised last year, making the effort feel more symbolic than substantial. I'm not complaining—just saying.

The rainforest, often called the "lungs of the Earth," has lost vast areas due to deforestation, droughts, and fires. Biden’s visit included stops at wildlife refuges and a biodiversity museum, lending an air of earnestness to his climate legacy. Yet, one can’t help but ask: is this about saving the planet, or just staging a dramatic farewell tour?

The G20 Shuffle

While Biden was busy playing hide-and-seek with the press in Peru and Brazil, the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro was unfolding like a soap opera. World leaders, realizing they might be seeing the last of Biden on the international stage, engaged in a flurry of backslapping and hugging that would put a high school reunion to shame.

Sandwiched between the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in Peru and the G20 summit in Brazil, the trip was as much about geopolitics as it was about greenery, or even accidental shamanism (more about US Presidential accidental shamanism later). Biden's speeches emphasized the Amazon’s role in global climate stability, but his administration’s track record is a tranny hot mess. While the racket funding clean energy has surged, the U.S. remains lagging behind Europe in climate committment—the math isn't mathing. Moreover, with Donald Trump’s climate-skeptical policies set to restore US economic dominance, some observers wonder if these Biden gestures are simply preemptive feather fluffing—maybe even damage control against criticism from Biden's own base asking, "where's the spending?!."

What’s more, the timing is suspicious. Biden’s trip conveniently coincides with rising domestic issues and global unrest. Could this rainforest escapade be a lushly green smokescreen for something bigger? From inflation worries to international tensions, what are we not supposed to notice right now?

The Bigger Picture

Now, as we chuckle at these antics, let's put on our skeptic's hat for a moment. What if this entire Amazonian adventure is nothing more than an elaborate distraction? While we're busy debating whether Biden has been adopted by a tribe of eco-warriors or is simply lost in the woods, what global machinations are unfolding behind the scenes?

Ukraine and ATACMS

Curiously, amidst all this Zamanian rainforest drama, the U.S. quietly allowed Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS missiles into Russian territory[1]. One might argue that's a slightly more pressing matter than watching a president play Tarzan, but hey, who are we to judge?

The Nuclear Doctrine Shift

Meanwhile, as if in response to a game of geopolitical chess that we're not privy to, Russia casually announced a revision to its nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for nuclear weapon use[1]. But sure, let's keep our eyes on the prize – Biden's nature walk.

The Media Circus

It's almost comical how the media latches onto these moments, isn't it? While the world teeters on the brink of various crises, we're treated to endless replays of a president disappearing into the greenery. It's as if the fourth estate has collectively decided that investigative journalism is less important than capturing the perfect meme-worthy moment.

The Vanishing Act

And now for the pièce de résistance: after wrapping up his visit, Biden was reportedly spotted wandering deeper into the rainforest than planned. The internet is already having a field day imagining him as the accidental shaman of an undiscovered tribe. Did he find himself a new career path?

Picture this: Biden, having just pontificated on the perils of deforestation, turns his back on the cameras and ambles off into the dense foliage. One can almost hear David Attenborough narrating, "Here we see the rare American President, venturing into uncharted territory, perhaps in search of that elusive bipartisan agreement." Or is he just Biden taking his “build back better” mantra a little too literally by personally rebuilding the rainforest?

Conclusion: The Lost President

As we wrap up this whirlwind tour of Biden's excellent adventure, one can't help but wonder: Is he still out there? Has he found a new calling as a shaman for a remote Amazonian tribe? Is he engaged in deep philosophical discussions with a particularly wise toucan?

Whatever the case, one thing is clear – in the grand theater of global politics, sometimes the most memorable acts are the ones that go off-script. So here's to you, Mr. President, may your wanderings be fruitful, and may you always find your way back to your handler, Dr. Jill – eventually.

While Biden’s climate efforts have heart, the execution leaves room for critique—and parody. As the media churns out glowing headlines about his “historic” visit, we’re left to wonder whether this trip was a genuine effort to tackle climate issues or just another expertly crafted distraction.

Either way, if Biden emerges from the Zamana (oops, Amazon) wearing a headdress and clutching a staff, you heard it here first.

Citations: [1] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/story-behind-joe-bidens-viral-fade-out-into-amazon-rainforest-7062059

References:

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/ckg7x15jg28o

https://apnews.com/article/biden-amazon-peru-g20-3cc827382d1e3c32865a14616ddfe467

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/17/politics/biden-amazon-rainforest-visit-brazil/index.html

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/story-behind-joe-bidens-viral-fade-out-into-amazon-rainforest-7062059

https://youtu.be/-xpH2-QoNhQ?si=hRwgqpjHztvPYK2t

[immortal-elements]

Joe Biden becomes the first US President to disappear into the Amazon rainforest and never be seen again.

[fumpkins]

From the North Pole to the Amazon: 4 new documentaries, reviewed

This week, the Mountainfilm Festival — an annual celebration of the indomitable spirit of environmental activists and outdoor adventurers — kicked off in Telluride, Colorado. The festival will be showing more than 120 feature-length documentaries and shorts, which you can stream from home, for a fee, throughout next week. The films will transport you from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to the steppes of Mongolia, from cauldron-like volcanoes to ancient, disappearing glaciers.

As the media sponsor for this year’s festival, Livescience.Tech reviewed four new feature-length documentaries. These movies explore a pivotal moment in the U.S. climate movement, the seizure of Indigenous land in the Amazon, a quest to reach the North Pole as warming temperatures destabilize the region, and the plight of people defending their land in one of the riskiest countries in the world. Some were uplifting, some were gripping, and some left us craving a deeper examination of the issues they touched on. 

To The End

Courtesy of Mountainfilm

If there’s one thing that Rachel Lears’ new documentary gets spot on, it’s the dueling despair and optimism that characterize the U.S. climate movement. “The big thing that we’re up against … is cynicism,” Alexandra Rojas, executive director of the political action committee Justice Democrats, says in the film as she addresses a room full of tired-looking volunteers and coworkers. “We have to be hopeful, we have to keep coming.” 

To the End follows Rojas, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, policy expert Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash in their valiant, and often frustrated, attempts to advance transformative climate policy. The documentary begins the late Trump era with the advent of the “Green New Deal” — a far-reaching vision to shift the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels while at the same time creating jobs and advancing social justice — and concludes at the beginning of the Biden administration. 

As the years wear on, it becomes clear just how hard it can be to keep cynicism at bay. Roadblocks abound: Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, blocks the passage of critical climate policy at the federal level. Climate-focused candidates lose congressional races to their far-right opponents.

At one point, Prakash simply says, “I feel like crying a lot,” although she vows to keep the movement going.

To the End covers a lot of ground, allowing only a somewhat shallow focus on any of the protagonists’ lives or their ideas. Veteran climate advocates may already be familiar with most of the concepts in the film, but it is sure to elicit an emotional response from those who have been fighting tooth and nail for climate action — and coming up hard against the weight of the fossil fuel industry, a broken political system, and the status quo.

 — Joseph Winters

The Territory

Neidinha Bandeira, an environmental activist, bathes in a river in the Amazon rainforest. Alex Pritz / Amazon Land Documentary / Courtesy of Mountainfilm

After working on other peoples’ land his whole life, Sérgio, a 49-year-old Brazilian farm worker, says he just wants something for himself. “When you feel the suffering around you, you begin to realize what needs to change,” says Sérgio as he sweats and works under the watchful eye of a man on horseback. “The Uru-eu-wau-wau.” Referring to the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau, Sérgio believes the only way he can succeed is if the Uru-eu-wau-wau are removed from their traditional homelands. This perspective is what underscores the biggest problem with the new film The Territory, which offers an important look into the ongoing crisis for Indigenous people in the Amazon, but gives entirely too much space to the settler perspective. 

That focus on settlers is especially troubling as the stakes of their invasion to seize land ratchet up. When a young Uru-eu-wau-wau leader is murdered by unknown assassins, the film does little to place the killing in the context of decades, if not centuries, of escalating violence against Indigenous land defenders in Brazil. Only briefly do the filmmakers include reference to President Jair Bolsonaro’s government, which has ruthlessly pushed for development of Indigenous land, and even then, it’s in passing. 

Sérgio, a prominent character in the film, eventually becomes the president of an association attempting to secure legal title to Indigenous land, but his story arc is balanced by Martins, a settler who refuses to wait for government permission. This, he says as he hacks and burns his way through the forest, is how every road in the country was built. 

We also meet Bitaté, a young Uru-eu-wau-wau man, who becomes a leader of his community and organizes defenses of their land, but for most of the documentary, the main characters are the people he is trying to stop.

Toward the end of the movie, the Uru-eu-wau-wau pick up cameras and begin to document their own story as they arrest 30 land invaders. Brazilian media coverage of these arrests leads to politicians withdrawing support for Sérgio’s association — however, because we see it from his perspective it becomes a somber moment, rather than the triumph it surely was from the Uru-eu-wau-wau point of view. 

The film also never explains what happens to those arrested. Do they face justice in the form of criminal charges or fines? Will they simply return to the forest and resume their invasion when the cameras aren’t there? As legal and illegal land invaders redouble their efforts throughout the Amazon, audiences are left with a false sense of hope that video footage could be enough to combat generations of state-sponsored violence, abuse, and land theft. 

— Joseph Lee

Exposure

There is no land under the North Pole. Instead, there is an ever-shifting, ever-churning sheet of sea ice — one that, as Holly Morris’ new documentary reminds us, is becoming even weaker and more mercurial due to climate change. Nowadays, every human-powered expedition to the pole could be its last; before long, the ice will become too thin.

Chronicling Earth’s changing climate is one component of Exposure; tracking its changing social climate is another. In the mid-2010s, British adventurer and outdoor leader Felicity Aston put out a call for women — “no experience necessary” — to join an expedition to the North Pole. Aston sought, in particular, a group that was equal parts Arab and European. The result is a team of 11 women whose backgrounds are as varied as their outdoor experience: A polar bear biologist from Sweden — who carries a rifle, in case bears get too close — rubs shoulders with a member of the royal family of Qatar.

Once the expedition begins, differences fall away. Beyond occasional prayers performed on Arctic ice and a discussion of Islamic polygamous traditions, there is little to mark the cultural diversity of the team. Instead, the struggles are distinctly universal: frostbite suffered at -38 degrees Fahrenheit, a blizzard during training that collapses a tent, the fear of coming so close to the North Pole only to have to abandon the mission. Moments of conflict between the women appear and then fade away, like the Arctic ice floes; one gets the sense that Morris wants to counteract the view, espoused by the Omani outdoor leader Anisa at the beginning of the film, that women “have a lot more drama.” 

The result is an uplifting film about female courage and perseverance, but one that misses a deeper discussion about the warming planet, the role of women in Islam, or sexism. At one point, the women reach a rift in the sea ice that exposes open water, an unwelcome gift of global warming. They skirt around it, avoiding the ice-cold water — and the most uncomfortable topics. 

— Shannon Osaka

Delikado

Delikado opens with extraordinary footage of “para-enforcers” — citizens attempting to uphold conservation laws — as they slip through the jungle and surprise illegal loggers, confiscating their chainsaws. In Palawan, a lush, tropical archipelago in the Philippines, these land defenders are risking their lives to preserve the islands’ old-growth rainforests. Delikado (Tagalog for dangerous) offers a rare glimpse into their experiences and the deadly threats that they face.

The film follows Bobby, an attorney whose NGO cracks down on illegal logging and fishing while the government turns a blind eye, Tata, a former logger who leads daring missions for the organization, and Nieves, a local mayor trying to stand up against unchecked development.

After its dramatic opening, the film zooms out to reveal the larger issues at play, including the razing of the forest to make way for palm plantations and tourist resorts. Standing between one of the richest ecosystems on Earth and decimation are regular people showing astonishing bravery in the face of harassment, intimidation, and violence. In 2020, the Philippines ranked third in the world for the number of land defenders killed.

Throughout the film, the scale of the destruction and who exactly is responsible remains vague; the script is light on statistics and exposition, and instead follows the personal narratives of the land defenders. In doing so, Delikado thrusts you into their world and immerses you in their weariness and anger. Although the film doesn’t provide any false hope that things will turn out OK, it underscores the defenders’ comradery, their deep commitment to preserving the land for future generations, and, most of all, their remarkable courage. After a friend is shot and killed, Tata asks, with tears in his eyes: “Who else will do this? No one else, right? We are the only ones.”

— Julia Kane

This story was originally published by Livescience.Tech with the headline From the North Pole to the Amazon: 4 new documentaries, reviewed on May 27, 2022.

New post published on: https://livescience.tech/2022/05/27/from-the-north-pole-to-the-amazon-4-new-documentaries-reviewed/

[chankinyi1965]

Deforestation in Brazil Amazon rainforest soars 67%

May begins the dry season in the Amazon rainforest, making it easier for loggers and other industries to cut down trees.

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Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose for a third consecutive month in May, preliminary government data showed on Friday, with President Jair Bolsonaro yet to follow through on his April pledge to boost funding for environmental enforcement.

Deforestation soared 67% in May from the same month last year, according to Brazil's national space research institute INPE, with much of the land targeted for cattle ranches, farms and logging.

For the first five months of the year, the data show deforestation was up 25% compared with a year earlier, with 2,548 Km^2 destroyed -- an area more than three times the size of New York City.

Deforestation peaks during the dry season -- from May to October -- when it is easier for illegal loggers to access the forest for valuable wood.

Bolsonaro pledged at an Earth Day summit in April to double the funding for environmental enforcement. The next day, he signed the 2021 federal budget that slashed environmental spending.

Environment Minister Ricardo Salles immediately submitted a proposal for the Economy Ministry to increase environmental spending, but that request has gone unanswered for more than a month.

Bolsonaro’s office did not respond immediately to a request for comment from the Reuters news agency.

Deforestation in the Amazon has surged under Bolsonaro, who took office in 2019 and has called for the development of protected nature reserves and criticised environmental enforcement.

US President Joe Biden's administration has been negotiating with Brazil on potentially funding efforts to conserve the Amazon. But the US officials say they do not expect immediate action.

“Unfortunately the Bolsonaro regime has rolled back some of the environmental enforcement”, the US climate envoy, John Kerry, told a congressional hearing last month. “We've had this conservation. They say they are committed now to raise the budget.

“If we don't talk to them, you're guaranteed that that forest is going to disappear.”

Bolsonaro's strategy to protect the Amazon has relied heavily on expensive military deployments that first began in late 2019. But the government withdrew the armed forces at the end of April, having failed to return deforestation to pre-Bolsonaro levels.

Environmental agencies like Ibama are again taking the lead on protecting the forest, but the government has not increased their funding or staff.

Marcio Astrini, head of the Climate Observatory environmental advocacy group, said rising deforestation is proof that Bolsonaro’s recent promises to protect the Amazon should not be taken seriously.

“It seems to be more empty talk, Astrini said.

Adding to the peril for the Amazonian rainforest has been a drier than usual rainy season, running roughly from November until April, raising the risk of severe fires. INPE data show that leaves the area under greatest threat is in an area known as the “arc of deforestation”.

“The rainy season is already finished and it was a bad rainy season”, said Marcelo Seluchi, a meteorologist in the Science Ministry’s disaster monitoring centre. “The fire season will probably be bad”.

Illustrations:

* Indigenous people from the Mura tribe show a deforested area in unmarked indigenous lands inside the Amazon rainforest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil.

* An aerial view shows a river and a deforested plot of the Amazon near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil.

* Greenpeace activists paint the slogan ‘Stop deforestation’ on the hull of a cargo ship from the Cerrado region in Brazil, carrying 60,000 tonnes of soybean meal, off the port of Saint-Nazaire on the Atlantic coast of France ‘to denounce the lack of action by the French government on the question of imported deforestation’.

Copy from ALJAZEERA, aljazeera.com

Reuters News Agency.

[rightnouveau]

Breaking: President Biden Renounces Modern Presidency to Pursue Life as Shaman of the “Zamana Rainforest”

In a move that has left political analysts, G20 attendees, and probably his Secret Service detail speechless, President Joe Biden has reportedly vanished into the depths of the Amazon Rainforest—newly christened by him as the Zamana Rainforest—to embrace his cosmic calling as the shaman of a recently discovered Indigenous tribe. While the world’s most powerful leaders focused on trade and climate policy at the G20 Summit in Brazil, Biden’s abrupt pivot to tribal mysticism was, well, unexpected.

From Commander-in-Chief to “Keeper of the Sacred Zamana”

Reports suggest that Biden’s decision wasn’t spontaneous but rather a culmination of astral guidance he received the night before his visit to Manaus. “The spirits of the rainforest spoke to me,” Biden allegedly declared to staffers while donning a ceremonial feathered headdress gifted to him by tribal elders. “This is my new mission: I am not just Joe from Scranton. I am Joe of Zamana now.”

The renaming of the Amazon to Zamana—announced via an impassioned speech during a biodiversity exhibit—was initially met with polite applause. However, its gravity became clear only after Biden wandered off into the jungle, presumably to begin his shamanic apprenticeship. Sources on-site describe Biden as unusually serene, carrying only a walking stick, a thermos of chamomile tea, and what aides are calling his “soul GPS.”

What Happened at the G20 Summit?

While world leaders debated billionaire taxes and climate change, the U.S. delegation scrambled to reframe Biden’s sudden rainforest detour as a bold act of global leadership. “This renaming and Biden’s symbolic immersion into tribal life underscore America’s commitment to the planet’s future,” said one official, with a straight face.

However, critics, especially on social media, are calling this the latest in a series of “Joe-isms.” The hashtag #WhereIsBiden began trending as memes flooded the internet, showing the President presiding over tribal ceremonies, deciphering animal tracks, and possibly hosting forest fireside chats about democracy.

The Tribe of the Grieved Democrat?

Details about the Indigenous group Biden has joined remain sketchy. Still, early reports indicate they’ve adopted him as an honorary elder, referring to him affectionately as “Grandfather of Zamana.” Whether Biden intends to return to the U.S. before January 2025—or if he even considers this new chapter temporary—is unclear.

Political commentators are already speculating how this move could impact Biden’s legacy. “This is the first time a sitting U.S. President has disappeared into the jungle mid-term,” noted one expert. “But is it eccentricity or brilliance? Only time will tell.”

For now, one thing remains certain: the rainforest, now Zamana, is the home of Joe Biden, the shaman-in-chief, whose mystical escapade redefines the meaning of post-presidency plans.