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The magic of the Amazon: A river that flows invisibly all around us

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Antonio Donato Nobre |

TEDxAmazonia

• November 2010

The Amazon River is like a heart, pumping water from the seas through it, and up into the atmosphere through 600 billion trees, which act like lungs. Clouds form, rain falls and the forest thrives. In a lyrical talk, Antonio Donato Nobre talks us through the interconnected systems of this region, and how they provide environmental services to the entire world. A parable for the extraordinary symphony that is nature.

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The Amazon River is like a heart, pumping water from the seas through it, and up into the atmosphere through 600 billion trees, which act like lungs. Clouds form, rain falls and the forest thrives. In a lyrical talk, Antonio Donato Nobre talks us through the interconnected systems of this region, and how they provide environmental services to the entire world. A parable for the extraordinary symphony that is nature.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxAmazonia, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

Antonio Donato Nobre

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Antonio Donato Nobre researches the “ingenious systems” of the Amazon. His work illustrates the beautiful complexity of this region, as well as its fragility against a backdrop of climate change.

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This Airborne River May Be the Largest River on Earth

On a typical sunny day in the Amazon, 20 billion metric tons of water flow through the trees into the air, an invisible river flowing through the sky.

null - This Airborne River May Be the Largest River on Earth

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxAmazonia, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Antonio Donato Nobre: The magic of the Amazon: A river that flows invisibly all around us | TED Talk