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What is Amazonia.vc?
Amazonia.vc is an application that offers a map
with the latest data from the National Institute for Space
Research, known as INPE, about fires and deforestation in the
Amazon. Installed on Orkut, the application offers the
opportunity to protest against specific active fires and
deforestation areas and shows a rank of users who protest the
most. It also generates summarized data about the destruction of
the Amazon. Amazonia.vc is the result of a partnership between
Fantástico TV show and Globo.com.
How can I protest in Amazonia.vc?
You need to log on to Orkut and, on the left hand
column, click on “Add Apps”. A list of applications will come
up. Click on the link to Amazonia.vc. If the application is not
in the list, write “Amazonia.vc” in the search field on the
right top of the page. Then, follow the instructions that appear
on the screen.
I can’t find Amazonia.vc in Orkut.
Amazonia.vc can be found at
http://www.orkut.com.br/AppDirectory.aspx. If the application
does not appear in the list, write "Amazônia.vc" in
the search field on the right top of the page.
If I am not an Orkut member, can I participate?
It is necessary to have an Orkut account to protest in
Amazonia.vc. You can create one at http://www.orkut.com. If you
don’t want to sign up for Orkut, but would like to follow the
fires and deforestation, you can view the map at
http://globoamazonia.com.
Why should I protest?
When you protest against the fires or
deforestation, you are showing the world your dissatisfaction
with the destruction of the forest. Although your protest is not
a formal record, it is a way of pressing for measures against
the devastation of the Amazon. The protests can also become
features broadcasted on Fantástico or published on the Globo
Amazônia website.
Is my protest sent to authorities?
No, the protests are published on Orkut and
Amazonia.vc webpage, but they are not sent to the authorities.
To make a formal complaint, you can use the Green Line set up by
the federal environmental agency, known as Ibama, at
http://www.ibama.gov.br/linhaverde.
Why can’t I see the flames or smoke when I zoom in the map?
The satellite images presented in the application
are not the same used by the space research institute to
identify the fire and deforestation points in the Amazon. What
you see in the map are previous images to which the fire and
deforestation points are juxtaposed to, so it is not possible to
see the destruction of the forest.
How frequently is the information about fires and
deforestation updated?
The data about fires are published by the INPE and
fed into a map daily. The deforestation areas are harder to
identify so they are updated at the end of each month. The data
refers to what was detected in the previous month.
Read also: Globo Amazônia surpasses 13 million protests against deforestation
