RE: News from what remains of the Jungle

From: "Eduardo Goncalves" edggon at hotmail.com> on 2001.05.20 at 03:21:48(6525) Dear Jon, Let me add a few comments on your message. In fact, there are many native botanists in South America, some of them, top notch experts. Unfortunately, only a few of them are able to publish regularly in English. It is not so surprise. If the scientific language still was the Latin, how many Anglo-saxonic scientists will be silent for the rest of the world? German scientists discovering many interesting things in the beginning of the century and north American are discovering this things again, like it was the first time! Another important thing is that the `publication` culture is not so important here, i.e., it wasn?t so important. Anyway, based on the lack of priority of the government, we are too many! Yes, we are not so scientific but things are changing. Take a look at the recent literature. South Americans, Hindus and Chinese are everywhere, from Botany to Physics. In the last International Aroid Conference, there was many Colombians, Brazilians and other non-English-speakers, all with very interesting posters and/or conferences. I know we are not enough (considering the complexity of our biomes), but we are trying to be at the party too. In the last two Aroideanas, there was many articles from Brazilians. Just like India, there are two worlds together here in Brazil. We have good scientific institutions, with a very competent staff... And we have the extreme poverty. It is hard to understand, but these worlds speak the same language! And some of us (like me) are even studying aroids! Best wishes, Eduardo. +More >There are very few expert native botanists. They just don't exist. I'm not >being condescending. I'm being realistic. And another realistic note, in >the >countries we are speaking of (Brazil in particular) the masses of poor you >so wish to save are as ignorant about the value of the plants I wish to >acquire as they are about what fair market value is. Their economy is so >out >of whack that fair value/legalities/decent living is very confusing. > >And just FYI, it is very easy to get legal material out of Brazil. I do it >every month. And each plant shipment is government documented, inspected, >and approved. There is protocol and that must be followed. I have been >lucky >to find several friends in Brazil who are as concerned about the native >plants to be sensible to cultivate and export. All the plants that I have >received are from cultivated material produced from years of growing from >either seeds, cuttings, or division. I am in the process of setting up a >growing area/production facility in Brazil to produce mass quantities of >native flora, everything from Aroids, bulbs, flowering trees, and palms to >gingers and heliconias. It is merely a matter of time to get the monies >together. The Brazilian permits are all lined up and ready to go. This >would >not only sustain Brazilian natives (if only in the cultivated sense because >their "natives" will destroy the wild forms) but also educate the employees >as well as supply them will decent housing and income. > >John Ingram > _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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