A dumping ground deep in the heart of the Amazon is spewing toxins into the river â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Â
 [An aerial photo showing Norsk Hydro's aluminum refinery in Bacarena, Brazil]( Yes, this is in the middle of the Amazon. {NAME}, It reads like a futuristic dystopian novel: deep in the heart of the Amazon, where there should be untouched nature, thereâs a grotesque aluminum refinery. Five years ago, the refinery, owned by megacorp Norsk Hydro, dumped untreated wastewater into the river. The company itself called it âunacceptableâ. But now, as locals are sick and dying, their blood showing off-the-charts readings of heavy metals, their babies born with malformationsâ¦Norsk refuses to help. So 11,000 affected families took matters into their own hands â and sued the company in the Netherlands. Theyâve waited for years, but finally the trial is approaching. Our team has spoken with the community leaders. Theyâre ready for trial, but also dealing with an ongoing crisis. Theyâre trying to install water filters and build a local health clinic for medical help â but they donât have the funds to do it, and people are still sick and getting sicker. They canât just wait to see what happens in court and hope for the best. {NAME}, if enough of us chip in, we can ensure the communityâs health isnât left to the whims and the timelines of a court far away. We can rush them a donation and get the clinic built and filters developed â now. Can you help heal this community in the heart of the Amazon? [Donate $3]( another amount]( Itâs a perfect case study of whatâs wrong with colonial capitalism. An indifferent $11 billion company goes on churning out aluminum at the second biggest aluminum refinery in the world â selling it to Ford to build F-150 trucks â while the community around them suffers and dies because the company treats nature like its dumping ground. And they donât even have the guts to take responsibility. Not only that, they go around using technicalities to try to get out of the lawsuit. The community initially brought claims in Brazil, but the justice system has worked at a snailâs pace. Needing urgent relief, the victims turned to the Netherlands. And Norsk saysâ¦please sit around and wait for this to be handled in Brazil. With this kind of record, itâs impossible to feel locals should wait around for the case to be concluded and âsee what happensâ; surely Norsk will find more ways to delay. This is the kind of fight EkÅ was made for. A vulnerable group of people is being exploited and mistreated by a massive corporation that just wants to avoid accountability. {NAME}, weâve won these battles before, and itâs time to do it again. Can you chip in to help this community from the heart of the Amazon get the health care it urgently needs? [Donate $3]( another amount]( Anything extra raised will power EkÅ and our campaigns worldwide fighting for people and the planet. Thanks for all that you do,
Danny and the EkÅ team --------------------------------------------------------------- More information: [Pollution, illness, threats and murder: is this Amazon factory the link?,]( The Guardian, 16 March 2023. [Norsk Hydro accused of Amazon toxic spill, admits âclandestine pipelineâ]( Mongabay, 27 February 2018. [Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro sued by Brazilian group over alleged pollution]( Reuters, 9 February 2021.   EkÅ is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. | [Unsubscribe]( Â