How an Amazonian Tribe Is Mastering the Modern World

The Surui people from the Brazilian rainforest are fighting to stop the destruction of their homeland. But instead of bows and arrows, they are using the Internet, GPS and Google Earth. Next they plan to start carbon emissions trading.

Chief Almir Narayamoga Surui is the man behind his tribe's online offensive. Using the Internet, Google Earth, and GPS he is fighting the clearing of the forest.

Almir talks about satellite images, the million trees he intends to plant, and the 16.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide he wants to sell on the global emissions market. Almir's father still hunts with a bow and arrow while Almir now has an iPhone.

In one day he generated 49,600 hits. He has five different e-mail addresses, and 324 friends on Facebook.

The Amazon Basin contains 40 percent of the world's tropical rainforests. If the Surui carry on "business as usual," they estimate that their forest will be gone by the end of the century.

The Prince of Wales sits alongside an animated frog in a clip from a 90-second film to launch the Prince's Rainforests Project. Chief Almir Narayamoga Surui has met Prince Charles. Al Gore intends to visit Almir soon.

So far, the Surui have planted 120,000 trees. Another 40,000 are to be added this year. But despite their efforts, they are still a long way from Almir's dream of a million new trees -- partly because of persistent illegal logging.

Almir estimates it will cost $120 million (€99.6 million) to protect his forests for 44 years. Stopping the logging will also prevent 16,475,469 tonnes of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere.

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