TIME Magazine - Amazon Rainforest

(Before getting into this, I urge you to first read Matt Sandy's story on this project here: The Tipping Point.)

Earlier this year, Steve and I were fortunate enough to spend some time in a place I’d dreamt of seeing since I was a kid — the Amazon rainforest.

Thanks to stacks of ZooBooks, countless nature and wildlife encyclopedias, and the early-’90s hit computer game The Amazon Trail, my imagination of this place ran wild. But finally seeing it with my own eyes was more disturbing than it was fulfilling. I was saddened and disappointed. Not by the Amazon, but by the choices people have made — or have been forced to make — and what the world and its people will be experiencing because of it.

Illegal settlements become easier to establish as roads are carved out of the landscape and eventually paved — making way for more and more infrastructure.

We spent just under two weeks in Rondônia state, near the Bolivian border in the North Region of Brazil. From the capital city of Porto Velho, we traveled as far as six hours north by truck to Realidade, a frontier settlement along the BR-319, and as far as an hour south by plane, over the indigenous Karipuna lands.

Cattle grazing in a deforested area in southern Rondônia, near the indigenous Karipuna lands.

Along the way, our job was to use photogrammetry to create 3D models of objects that supplement the larger written piece by Matt, who also served as our guide and translator (and whose story you read before continuing with this post). These 3D models were made for TIME’s new augmented reality app, TIME Immersive — available in iOS and Android App Stores — and include a 200-meter deforested patch; a lumberyard; and the Karipuna village.

Once in the app, you can view a projection of these scans through your mobile device on any flat surface. You can then move around and explore the space; click on some photos and videos; and listen to Jane Goodall tell you more about what it is you’re looking at.

Progress is necessary for survival, but unchecked progress comes at a price. And even though the majority of us may never understand all of the angles of the situation, it doesn't take an expert to see that things aren’t going well.

This will soon no longer be just an Amazon problem — it will be a world problem. And although nature will always win, it’s something that never should have turned into a game in the first place.

Check out some of the following organizations to learn more about what’s happening and, if you’re able, consider making a donation.

And if you still haven’t read Matt’s story, read it now: The Tipping Point

BR-319

The BR-319 spans 540 miles – mostly through forest – to connect Porto Velho, Rondônia, in the south, and Manaus, Amazonas, in the north. Most of the highway remains unpaved, but illegal settlements established along its path call for increased infrastructure — ultimately leading to increased deforestation of the surrounding areas to bring in the business of soy and cattle farms.

BR-319

Driving north from Porto Velho, after dodging crater-like potholes for 45 minutes, the pavement turns to clay. A few more hours of driving takes you to Realidade, a frontier town of about 5,000 people. They’ve moved up from the south to take advantage of cheap land on which to build and call their own.

Rainforest Scars

A 1,500-meter long deforested patch sits almost a mile off of the BR-319. Snaking through the forests are secret roads hidden beneath the canopy, where loggers travel to find spots to harvest the most valuable trees first, before eventually clearing entire areas. With no enforcement this far out, it’s difficult to keep tabs on who’s abiding by the country’s timber regulations.

Realidade Lumber Mills

It’s hardly 7 a.m. and the lumber mills are firing up for another day of work in Realidade.

Illegal Settlements

Illegal settlements become easier to establish as roads are carved out of the landscape and eventually paved — making way for more and more infrastructure.

União Bandeirantes

Smoke rises from lumber mills in União Bandeirantes. For the last 20 years, this growing settlement that’s been pushing deforestation closer to the indigenous Karipuna village a few miles to the east — much of the surrounding forest is already gone.

Amazon 2019

Scenes like this were plentiful during a 3-hour flight over parts of Rondônia not far from União Bandeirantes.

Soya Fields

Soya is quickly becoming one of the top businesses driving deforestation in the Amazon as product yield is much higher and effective than raising cattle.

Cattle Farms

Many livestock operations operate unsustainably, clearing vast amounts of forests for only several dozen head of cattle.

Amazon 2019

Scenes like this were plentiful during a 3-hour flight over parts of Rondônia not far from União Bandeirantes.

Encroachment

The Karipuna are on the frontline of destruction as illegal logging creeps into their lands.

Encroachment

The Karipuna are on the frontline of destruction as illegal logging creeps into their lands.

Encroachment

The Karipuna are on the frontline of destruction as illegal logging creeps into their lands.

Karipuna Village

The Karipuna have faced growing threats of encroachment over the last several years as deforestation makes its way closer to their home. With Brazilian President Bolsonaro’s recent election, the Karipuna are fearful of policies that will make their fight even more difficult.

Jaci Paraná

Patches of deforestation are seen continuing into the distance along the Jaci Paraná River in Rondônia state.