Carlos Nobre is a prominent Brazilian Earth systems scientist and a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of São Paulo. He has been calling attention to the global importance of, and threats to, the Amazon rainforest for decades, emphasizing the role of deforestation in climate change and the risk of reaching tipping points in the Amazon, where megadiverse forest will inevitably retreat into savannah. He spearheads the Amazonia 4.0 initiative, while also serving as co-chair of the interdisciplinary and transboundary Science Panel for the Amazon.

We had an enlightening InterDialogue in late 2022 focused on his vision for establishing an Amazonia Institute of Technology, and how he believes the Amazon can be sustainably developed into a standing-forest flowing-river bioeconomy. We spoke about the importance of weaving together traditional Indigenous knowledge with technology and modern science, the Science Panel for the Amazon, and the role of decentralized energy in the Amazon, and also about the urgency of fostering evidence-based policy and better science communication.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

01:25 – The Vision for a Standing Forest Bioeconomy for the Amazon

03:20 – The Importance of Biodiversity

05:16 – Sustainable Infrastructure and the Urban Amazon

09:41 – Merging Traditional Knowledge with Modern Science

25:05 – Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development

35:23 – The Future of Mega Dams in the Amazon

47:45 – The Science Panel for the Amazon