James Cameron uses his “Avatar” mojo to stop a dam in Brazil

Director James Cameron can be called a lot of things but wallflower isn’t one of them. He famously shouted “I’m the king of the world!” after winning an Oscar and called Fox News’ Glenn Beck “a f---ing a--hole.” Cameron has toned down his act a bit to save what many are calling a real life Pandora in Brazil.

Cameron freely admits that filmmaking isn’t the greenest profession around but tries to make smart choices in his personal life. He drives a hybrid car, has an organic garden, and his wife wore a sustainable dress to the Oscars. He wanted to use the worldwide attention he got from Avatar to shed light on worthy environmental causes.

The Belo Monte dam shares the same story as Avatar; the bad guy wants to plunder the resources of a community for their own gain. The dam has been in the works for twenty years but the government has decided to fast track the project due to rising energy needs. It would have the capacity to produce 11 gigawatts of power that Cameron says will serve nearby aluminum smelters.

The most important issue for Mr. Cameron is the impact of the dam on the land and the indigenous people. Once built, Belo Monte will be the third largest dam in the world and divert over three-quarters of the water from the Xingu River. The diversion will result in a 62 mile stretch of land without water and prevent migratory fish from going up the river. Without a steady supply of the fish, locals will lose one of their largest sources of food.

To find room for the giant structure tens of thousands will be displaced, including small farmers while thousands of workers start construction. Those workers will be carrying diseases that locals have never been exposed to and may create a medical mess with waterborne diseases like malaria.

Cameron traveled to Brazil to show his commitment to the cause and met with the tribes that would be hurt most by the dam. He joined public protests, met with officials, and wrote an open letter to Brazil’s President Lula.

He explained, "I wrote to him that, 'This is an opportunity for you to be a hero, a visionary leader of the 21st century, and modify Brazil's path in such a way that you have sustainable economic growth instead of economic growth that has serious consequences for certain sectors of the population.”

Cameron’s efforts in Brazil could be seen as a PR stunt since Avatar’s DVD release is only days away. However, he is taking a rational approach to the situation. If he’s going to have so many media outlets watching his every move, why not sneak in some information about a worthy cause like Belo Monte?