Lemons to Lemonade – RPCV Global Village

While the recent change in Peace Corps medical standards has disqualified me from service, at least for the foreseeable future, it also opened my mind to other options. What has emerged from the neural net sprang from the thought that there is a deep well of Returned Peace Corps volunteers, who all have training and experience, technical and language skills that could be applied right here in parts of the US.

The grand scheme is for a facility where RPCVs would come for a service “vacation” and use their skills to serve under-served and needy populations, with guidance from a core of permanent residents. Maybe even a network of such centers. After consulting with my Peace Corps and non-profit gurus, the following phased plan has emerged.

I am now in the middle of Phase 1, funded by an old Esalen friend. Phase 2 will bring RPCVs from around the country to SW Florida and provide them with housing, food and transportation while they serve the local communities with their acquired Peace Corps technical and language skills. Phase 3 will be the construction of a base facility for the program. Phase 4 would be duplicating the plan in other parts of the US.

RPCV GLOBAL VILLAGE

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers serving in the USA – Bringing overseas experience home

Mission: To provide a means whereby Returned Peace Corps Volunteers can continue to use their acquired service skills in the US to provide needed services in rural Florida, as well as provide community for RPCVs and a demonstration platform for green and renewable technologies.

Executive Summary: Peace Corps volunteers gain unique skills during their service, in areas such as HIV prevention, general health care, sustainable agriculture, teaching English, water & sanitation, gender equality and youth development, as well as fluency in a foreign language. These skills can be put to use in the rural areas of South Florida, with its population of under-served immigrant farm worker families and high HIV rate. It would also provide an opportunity for continued community and service within the Peace Corps “family” of RPCVs.

Programs: Ongoing programs in Teaching English, HIV prevention, Hygiene, Gender equality, sustainable agriculture, water and sanitation, etc. take place at the facility or in local schools or in farmworker camps. Youth development camps would take place periodically. Some programs would be in cooperation with local and regional NGOs and schools. The target group of beneficiaries is the large immigrant farm worker population of the Glades agricultural area, along with others in these under-served rural areas.

Volunteers: RPCVs and other community volunteers would be able to fly in to SW Florida and be housed and fed on site short-term ( 1 week to 1 month) for no or low cost for a working service vacation, with a future option to buy or rent into long-term residence, while providing service to the facility operation and outreach service to the surrounding communities. Recently returned volunteers might use the facility to help transition back to civilian life. Transportation to/from the airport and local sites would be provided. Free time would include hikes, bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee, visits to nearby parks and enjoying the SW Florida weather and beaches.

Development Plan:

Phase 1 – Exploratory

Establish and register a Florida non-profit corporation and bank account, set-up social media and website, poll RPCVs for interest, meet with established aid agencies and farm workers to evaluate need and fiscal sponsorship. Funding for travel and expenses from private sources. Estimate $1000 for 6 month exploratory.

Phase 2 – Proof of Concept

Establish service opportunities, RPCVs would be housed and fed at no cost in shared motels or guest houses with van provided for transport to/from airport and service locations. RPCVs would fly to Fort Myers, FL (at their expense) for 1 or 2 weeks pre-established service programs. Programs in HIV prevention, general hygiene, teaching English, youth development, gender equality, environment and water/sanitation in cooperation with local aid agencies, as determined by Phase 1 results. Funding from tax-deductible contributions via a fiscal sponsor. 8 weeks of programs with 6 RPCVs each program @$1900 per week = $15,200 over 6 to 12 months.

 

Rough sketch of Village structures 

Phase 3 – RPCV Global Village facility

Establish a 501c3 non-profit. A permanent living facility would be built in Hendry County or western Palm Beach County, Florida. This rural area has relatively low land costs, excellent weather and a large population of immigrant farm workers. The facility would consist of tiny homes, motel-type quads and dormitories, with training rooms, recreation/crafts, communal food service, farm, aquaculture and garden. Renewable energy and green technology would be featured and would serve as a hands-on educational and training facility. Structures would be functional, safe and clean, but Spartan, as RPCVs are able to live with minimal creature comfort. Funding:  The initial land purchase and construction would be from private and crowd sourced donations and possibly a partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Continued operations funded by an endowment, resident buy-ins, rents and/or grants, with a possibility of tour or product sales revenue. Initial funding needed would be in the range of:

1.      Land      50 – 150 acres                  $250 -$500K (includes roads and drainage)

2.      Equipment                                         $100K

3.      Buildings – 22,600sf @$35           $700K - $800K

4.      Vehicles – truck, van, tractor       $100K

Project Coordinator: As an RPCV after 7 years of water & sanitation and renewable energy service in Peru and Panama, Greg Plimpton is uniquely qualified to lead this project, using his experience as a retired lawyer, building and maintenance contractor and land developer along with his passion for service, teaching, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and Peace Corps volunteers.

Please take the 3 minute survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WK9RHF8

So long, Peace Corps - It's been good to know you.

Yesterday, I got the news from Peace Corps Medical Review Board. They confirmed that I am not medically cleared to continue my PC service. It was a boiler-plate letter that failed to address the issues or explain how I was medically cleared 3 times in the last 4 years with identical medical indicators or give guidance on how I might get clearance in the future.

I’ve gone through the range of emotions – from shock to anger to self-pity to resentment and back again. I stewed about it for most of the day. I finally arrived at the peace of acceptance and gratitude for the 8 wonderful years I enjoyed as a Peace Corps volunteer. I was given the opportunity to use my skills and experience to serve and help a lot of people, to see parts of the world as a local instead of as a tourist and to wake up to adventure every day. Peace Corps gave me a vehicle and platform for all that, for which I will always be thankful. More than that, the many warm friendships I made during my service and the wonderful memories will always be with me. So, in that sense, I’m not leaving the Peace Corps. I will always be proud to be an RPCV – Returned Peace Corps Volunteer – one of the over 230,000 RPCVs who have served their country and the world in peace.

Time to move on. For now, I’ll put my construction skills to work as a volunteer at the local Habitat for Humanity and my love of nature (and gift for gab) as a volunteer Visitor Guide at a beautiful nearby park; and whatever other service opportunities present themselves. Plus, I’ll have more time to enjoy the company of my wonderful son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren and the gorgeous weather of SW Florida.

Peru Update

Well, at this point in time I had hoped to be in Peru, completing orientation and headed for Tarapoto to serve again as a water and sanitation specialist volunteer. But, I'm not.

The good news is that 3 of the 6 PCRVs in my group departed last week, despite the government shutdown. Their travel had to be arranged by overseas staff, since the DC office is pretty much shut down. Two of us are still waiting for medical clearance and one awaits security clearance. All of which is on hold, due to the government shutdown.

Just before the ridiculous government shutdown started, I was informed that Office of Medical Services declined to clear me (details below). My appeal to the Board of Review (originally scheduled for Jan 18th)  is now on hold, Peace Corps websites are not being maintained and I have no way of communicating with the few staff left on duty.

Overseas staff have not been furloughed, but can do little to help. They have indicated that they will try and get the 3 of us to Peru as soon as clearances come through. But, we may have to wait until August 3rd, when the next Response group to Peru is scheduled. So, I'm in Shutdown Limbo. My solace is that the weather here in Fort Myers, FL is heavenly and I get to spend more time with son Alden and 5 of my beautiful grandchildren. My heart goes out to the PC staff who are either furloughed or working without pay, as well as the millions of others suffering from the shutdown.


Details of my Medical Appeal follow for those interested in the details:

Peace Corps Office of Medical Services (OMS) Board of Review

Washington, D.C.

Dear Board of Review members:

I respectfully request that you re-consider medical clearance in support of my invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) in Tarapoto, Peru.  As you know from PC records, my involvement with Peace Corps dates from September 2011 and a two-year service as a WASH PCV, followed by a year as PCVC for Renewable Energy in the Lima office.  Since then, I have completed 3 PCRV assignments in Panama.  I have always complied with PCMO medical recommendations, as can easily be verified by the PCMOs who know me very well in both countries.  Indeed, I have endeavored to get fellow Volunteers, all far younger than myself, who expose themselves to risk in various ways, to comply with PCMO advice because it is in the interests of Peace Corps as an Agency.  PC post staff who know me, including Country Directors, know of my enthusiastic Peace Corps service, which has been a privilege, responsibility, and opportunity I have not taken lightly.  I was visited by former Director Carrie Hessler at one point and post staff will assert that my contributions to further the Peace Corps mission have been substantial and significant, including a published blog of my Peace Corps activities followed by 250+ subscribers and numerous manuals and educational materials used by volunteers.

In this context, I was very disappointed and surprised by the sudden negative finding on my current medical clearance.  This is what I was told by OMS:

“We have reviewed your medical information you provided. We regret to inform you that we are unable to medically clear you for service with Peace Corps at this time. Please know that this decision was not made lightly.

We are unable to clear you due to your coronary artery disease with a quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in 2014. Your coronary artery disease has not been treated for the past four years, and you have only started a statin this month.  Your BMI is 30, you have had at least one elevated blood pressure to 170/100 and had a recent elevated fasting blood sugar of 105.  This places you at an increased risk of a myocardial infarction and for developing diabetes.  You will need close monitoring of your coronary artery disease, blood pressure, weight, blood sugar and kidney function. We are concerned that we cannot reasonably accommodate appropriate close monitoring and follow-up of your medical conditions without unreasonable disruption to service.”

While I truly do appreciate the mission of the OMS to ensure the well-being of volunteers in the field, I feel that in this instance, the decision may not be fully informed and possibly over-cautious. I wish to add that this also comes after OMS required many extra and expensive tests, all of which I paid for out of pocket and passed well, with positive letters of health and fitness from my primary care physician and my cardiologist. While I am aware that conditions may change, this is all the more puzzling because I have been medically cleared with exactly the same medical conditions three times since 2015 and I completed all my recent Response services in tropical Panama without incident. Therefore, I wish to address the reasons for this denial of medical clearance in a full appeal, with all due respect, by clarifying and providing more information to you.

OMS:  “We are unable to clear you due to your coronary artery disease with a quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in 2014.” – This has been my condition since 2015 and I have been medically cleared 3 times since then and completed 3 Response services in rural Panama without monitoring or incident, in conditions nearly identical to Tarapoto, Peru.

OMS:  “Your coronary artery disease has not been treated for the past four years, and you have only started a statin this month.” – No treatment has been prescribed because it was not deemed imperative, neither by my PCP, nor my cardiologist nor by PCMO and OMS who have overseen my health for much of the time over these past 4 years. Lipid panels have all been within normal ranges. A statin and aspirin were only recently prescribed in response to the PCMO suggestion as a prophylactic measure, not out of medical necessity, and of course I am complying with this recommendation.  Besides treatment, I have always led a healthy lifestyle, full of exercise and healthy eating.

OMS:  “Your BMI is 30” – My weight fluctuates between 205 and 215 pounds, giving me a BMI of 29 to 30. I have a large frame and am athletic , so the BMI is not a good indicator of a weight issue. Moreover, a recent Harvard Medical article outlines why BMI is NOT a good indicator of health or risk for adverse cardio events. (https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo201617) I exercise daily, eat wisely and monitor my BP with a home cuff frequently. I do not smoke or drink alcohol. Moreover, neither my PCP nor cardiologist view this as a serious health risk, and advise control with diet and exercise, monitored in annual check-ups.

OMS:  “You have had at least one elevated blood pressure to 170/100” – In 2016, nearly 3  years ago, I had a single high BP reading as indicated. I had just changed a flat tire and was concerned about low air in the spare, so was under stress at the time. I was also smoking at the time. Since then, I’ve had no less than eight documented clinical BP readings in the normal range.

To wit:
12/02/16             170/100              PCP exam (under stress from changing tire and smoking)

01/11/17             130/95                 Cardio exam Daytona Heart
08/12/18             134/80                 Peace Corps COS exam
08/20/18             110/64                 PCP Annual Exam Dr Johnson
10/12/18             124/78                 PCP referral exam Dr Johnson
11/21/18             128/70                 PCP referral exam (Lee Health – Dr Islam)
12/06/18             130/86                 Cardio exam (Lee Health Dr Brownstein)
12/10/18             130/75                 PCP consult (Lee Health Dr Islam)
12/14/18             128/70                 PCP consult (Lee Health Dr Islam)

Again, I have been medically cleared by OMS/PCMO 3 times since that aberrant high BP reading. My PCP and cardiologist have both specifically stated that I do not have hypertension, nor do I require monitoring for BP, other than my usual self-monitoring.

OMS:  “(You) had a recent elevated fasting blood sugar of 105” – This is only slightly elevated. Other blood sugar readings since 2015 have been normal. There are no other indications or diagnosis of diabetes. The reading is stable per the most recent labs and is well controlled and does not indicate “close monitoring” nor serious medical concern, per my physician.

OMS:  “You will need close monitoring of your coronary artery disease, blood pressure, weight, blood sugar and kidney function” – Both my PCP and cardiologist have stated that my health risks are minimal. I already monitor my health and daily exercise and healthy eating is second nature to me. My PCP and cardiologist both feel the continuation of my healthy lifestyle and an annual check-up is all that is required.   Without wishing to be repetitive, I have in fact been medically cleared 3 times with exactly the same physical conditions as presented here and I have served without incident or concern in those assignments in tropical climates very similar to this assignment in Tarapoto, Peru.  This includes making strenuous jungle hikes.  However, I am more than willing to adjust any activities in-country based on PCMO recommendation and my own regular self-monitoring.

OMS:  “We are concerned that we cannot reasonably accommodate appropriate close monitoring and follow-up of your medical conditions without unreasonable disruption to service.” – While I am not sure of the appropriate close monitoring yo feel is needed, I am not opposed to that and I am committed to following PCMO recommendations. I have recently (2016. 2017 and 2018) served as a PCRV in rural Panama while being 12 hours from the capital city. In Tarapoto, which is a mid-sized city, I would have access to excellent medical facilities and be just 1.5 hours by plane from Lima, with 5 flights available daily, in the unlikely event I needed higher level medical attention. This assignment is not publicized with any special medical risks and access to specialist care in Tarapoto, unlike many rural PC sites, is readily available. Should PCMO decide that I do need more regular check-ups as part of monitoring, then that can be easily done in Tarapoto, where I will be living, with minimal or no interruption to my service.  Again, I will gladly comply with all PCMO recommendations, including anything specific related to monitoring. Chief PCMO Peru, Dr Jorge Bazan is a good and trusted friend and I would be happy to work with him.

In summary, I have no other conclusion at this point except to think that OMS is expressing undue concern for my health, giving too much weight to risk factors and risk for hypertension, kidney problems and diabetes, in contradiction of what  my physicians and OMS/PCMO have indicated over the last four years, per my medical data. I have been medically cleared 3 times since 2015 with identical indicators and have served Peace Corps well and without extra monitoring or incident in a strenuous tropical climate identical to Tarapoto, Peru. Local medical care in the city of Tarapoto is plentiful and exceeds that available in my recent rural Panama assignments and this would appear to be sufficient medical accommodation. Again, I will comply with any and all recommendations by PCMO.   I am a robust and healthy individual with excellent strength and stamina. Few individuals my age have my physical health and habits, which is important to PC in recruiting in my age bracket.  I exercise daily, eat well, do not smoke or drink and monitor my BP frequently. I am, and have always been a committed, dedicated and compliant Peace Corps Volunteer, and very proud of my outstanding Peace Corps service.

I hope you will take the time to review all this clarification, new information and the attachments I am enclosing.  I am committed to this appeal and to complying with PCMO recommendations.

I do hereby respectfully request medical clearance to serve with Peace Corps once again.

Attachments:
Letter from PCP Dr Islam; Letter from Cardiologist Dr Brownstein; Site and Mission Specific Considerations; Data from 2 recent office visits; Lab results from 12/13/18; Letter from former PC Country Director Sanjay Mather

Site and Mission Specific Considerations

Tarapoto, Peru, where I would be living, is the 20^th largest city in Peru. With a population of about 170,000, it is the largest city in the San Martin Region and a major commercial and tourist hub. It is comparable in size to Providence, RI or Chattanooga, TN. There are 8 major hospitals within the city limits, including the teaching hospital at the National University. There are 5 flights daily to and from Lima, with a travel time of about 1 hr 30 min.

The PC Response assignment in Tarapoto involves working with the Ministry of Health to develop educational programs and teaching tools for water conservation, home disinfection, and water committee functions. It does not entail water system inspections, as did my last Response assignment in Panama, which required strenuous hikes in steep tropical terrain, which I completed earlier this year (2018) without incident.

Robert “Goyo” Plimpton is a 67 year old retired attorney, general contractor and inventor and the grandfather of 5. He has served with the Peace Corps as a Water & Sanitation Volunteer since 2011 in Panama and Peru, where he was honored with the Volunteer Excellence Award and was invited to serve a third year as PCVC.

The Amazon’s “Other” Plant – Coca

A small coca farmer tends his hillside plot

The Amazon Basin is the source of many gifts of natural resource to the world – latex rubber, quinine, aspirin, rotenone (insecticide), chocolate, orchids, passion fruit, Brazil nuts and many more medicinals. But none have been as controversial as an ordinary looking bush (a cousin to the northern Bay tree) , whose leaves contain a powerful chemical called cocaine.

 

Coca leaves are openly and legally sold in Peruvian markets
Even the raw leaves and coca tea are illegal in the US

Coca has been used for over 8,000 years by the indigenous folks of the Amazon basin and the adjacent Andes mountains as an important part of their culture. When chewed and activated with a pinch of lime (the mineral, not the fruit), it produces a numbing effect in the mouth, dulling hunger and providing an energy boost akin to a strong cup of coffee. A tea made from coca leaves can alleviate high altitude sickness. When the Spanish arrived, they found it useful as a tool to extract more work from their enslaved Indians. But it was not until 1860 when a German chemist purified the active plant component – cocaine hydrochloride, C17H21NO4 – and the genie came out of the bottle. At first, the genie seemed benign and found use as a surgical anesthetic and vasoconstrictor and gained popularity as a cure for opiate addiction, headache and “malaise”, mostly in patent medicines and even a popular soft drink (Coca-Cola). Though it found early use and abuse by recreational users, as well, and was subsequently banned in the US in 1922.

A coca plantation. The shrub is hardy and grows fast.

It was not until the 1970’s that the drug found widespread popularity in the US, touching off an economic boom in the Amazon’s traditionally small and quiet coca production areas in the sub-tropical highlands, centered in the Huellaga River valley of Peru and the Coqueta River valley of Colombia. Large coca plantations supplemented the traditional small family plots and for a decade the regions thrived. Drug cartels made billions and employed most every able-bodied man and woman in the area, directly or indirectly. The boom was not without a dark side, with bloody conflicts between the cartels for control. The violence escalated in the early 80’s, when the “Shining Path” revolutionaries entered the fray, adding a brutal political factor to the mix.  Still, the area’s estimated 200,000 acres of coca fueled the drug trade, relatively unabated.

At the same time the US Congress decided the best way to stem the flow of cocaine was to stop it at the source. Their initial funding of a $400 million eradication campaign, carried out by the Peruvian Army, was fraught with corruption and lack of local enthusiasm and destroyed a grand total of 150 of the existing 250 million acres. When Reagan took office, he declared the drug a threat to national security and ordered the US Military to intervene. The military was reluctant, but the CIA and DEA happily complied with funding, training and covert operations, none of which proved particularly successful. In large part, the failures were due to a total lack of local cooperation. Agents were often given false information or drug cartels were warned of attacks well in advance. Moreover, with an estimated 4 million traditional local users of the coca leaf, the US attacks were seen as an assault on their heritage and culture. In total, an estimated 5,000 acres were eradicated, but quickly replaced by other plantings of the fast growing and hardy shrub.

To this day, the coca and cocaine trade in the Amazon basin continues as an important economic sector. Efforts to stop it are paltry and cosmetic. The Peruvian government seems to have reached a truce of sorts with the drug traffickers – you stay in your areas and don’t bother the civilian population and we’ll leave you alone. It is a gentlemen’s agreement that eliminates bloody conflict and provides billions in foreign capital every year.

Something Old and Something New

As my departure to my next Peace Corps assignment draws near – just 6 weeks away – I’ve started scouting the Tarapoto area online. Much will be familiar : the tropical rainforest, living at or near sea-level and proximity to the equator. My last sites have been at latitudes of -13, -11, +9 and now +6, as I inch my way ever closer to the center-line. The big difference will be that for the first time, I’ll be far away from the ocean - trading rivers, waterfalls and lakes for beaches and seafood.

As usual, I’ll be doing water and sanitation work, helping folks get access to more and better water and improving sanitation conditions wherever possible. And promoting renewable energy where I can. But, this time, I’ll be working through the Ministry of Health, rather than directly with small villages. And I’ll have the company of at least 2 other PCRVs living in the same city, which should make for a nice local ex-pat community and some inter-program synergy.

The online images of Tarapoto look spectacular. But then folks tend to post just the pretty face of an area. Be assured that I’ll be showing the complete picture of the area, warts and all.

Amazonian Exploitation and Devastation

While the search for gold and the latex rubber boom were certainly devastating to the indigenous people of the Amazon, they did little to degrade the environment and pale in comparison to the exploitation that was to come. Deforestation is measured in square miles, not acres. Such is the scale of destruction. To date, an estimated 230,000 sq miles have been affected, with another 11,000 sq miles added every year. Man has removed 20% of the rainforest and shows no signs of slowing the pace.

First to suffer were the trees. When it was discovered that the bark of the Chinchona tree contained quinine, a substance that lessened the symptoms and susceptibility to malaria, the tree began a decline to near extinction. The species was saved only by the process to synthesize the compound in the 1940’s, oddly by employees at Polaroid, who found it also was an excellent light polarizer. Next, a similar fate befell the exotic Amazonian hardwoods, like mahogany, ebony, cocobolo, rosewood and teak. The demand from North America and Europe for the gorgeous woods, created a rush the cut every tree possible, regardless of size. While the harvest was vast, clearcutting was not common and the main deforestation in this regard is caused by construction of the access roads required to get the wood to market.  In sum, this has only accounted for about 4 – 5% of the total.

Next came the big one – cattle ranches. About 80% of Amazon deforestation has been done to produce an ever increasing quantity of beef and leather. While Amazonian countries like Brazil have given lip service to controlling the rampant deforestation by the cattlemen, most of the politicians involved are either owners or investors. This makes Brazil the largest beef exporter in the world, shipping over 2 Million Metric Tons (4.5 Billion pounds) a year. It is the only major exporter that has to clear cut and burn land for beef production. Oddly, the US will have no Brazilian beef since that country vaccinates its herd against foot & mouth disease. Only outside refusal to consume Brazilian beef will stop the devastation, as the industry will continue to rape the environment for profit.

Another growing cause of deforestation is soybean production. While it currently accounts for only about 5% of the denuded land area, it is increasing rapidly. Worse than cattle ranching, it rapidly depletes the soil, resulting in an environmental wasteland that is slow to recover.

Other Amazon exploitations include : oil and gas extraction, mining for gold and precious minerals and hydro-electric dam projects. While all are small potatoes compared to cattle ranching, the greater environmental harm of the first two is caused by pollution. Again, the affected governments all pass legislation to prevent the toxic pollution, but none truly enforce them – probably since the governments are populated by owners and investors in these industries.

The effects of deforestation are well known and I’ll not belabor them here. Decrease in oxygen production, increase in greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane), lower rainfall and perhaps most importantly, loss of biodiversity from eco-system and habitat destruction.

The systematic destruction of the Amazon rainforest must stop if we are to prevent its total demise.

Amazon’s White Gold – Latex

While Amazon explorers failed to find the fabled El Dorado (City of Gold), the jungle contained a treasure far more valuable, that was hidden in plain view. Latex, the dried sap from the Hevea (Rubber tree) , is the raw material of rubber – a critical component of the industrial revolution. For centuries, the indigenous people of the Amazon had tapped the Hevea and collected its sap for use in making balls, water sacks and for water-proofing clothing, footwear and shelters. This is done by scoring the bark of the tree with a knife and collecting the white sap in gourds, much the way New England natives collected Maple sap.

This remarkable material was overlooked by explorers until botanist Charles LaCondamine brought some samples back to France. He was also the fellow who discovered that the bark of the cinchona tree contained quinine – a curative for malaria. As the latex samples moved around Europe, it was found to be quite useful, as it could be used to lift pencil marks off the page by “rubbing” them out. Thus, the common name for latex – rubber. Latex erasers became ubiquitous in every home and office. The material also found limited use in rubber shoes and children’s balls.

But, the natural latex is unstable and breaks down over time, especially when exposed to sun. That all changed when American Charles Goodyear developed the process of vulcanization in the 1830’s. He found that when exposed to heat and elemental sulphur, latex became stronger, more elastic and durable. And the rubber game was on. The new material, now universally called rubber, found use in footwear, washers, conveyor belts and as insulation for the new electrical wires. The industry exploded with the advent of the bicycle, which became a world-wide craze at the turn of the century and required rubber for tires. That fad gave way to an even bigger market – automobile tires, belts and hoses.

Still one of the world's great opera houses
Teatro Amazonas in Manau, Brazil

All this demand created a “white gold rush” in the Amazon. As rubber trees grew only in their native Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, a flood of Europeans moved in to scoop up the profits. Those who succeeded, became rich beyond the imagination. Their collective plantations, using slave labor, gave instant birth to the Amazon cities of Belem, Manaus and Iquitos. Their homes, opera houses and public buildings rivaled any European grandeur. Rubber Barons lit their Cuban cigars with money and their pets lived in opulence. The Amazonian monopoly was carefully guarded and the punishment for exporting rubber trees or seeds was death.

It was a clever and enterprising young Brit, Henry Wickham, who smuggled some 20,000 Hevea seeds out of Brazil, carefully hidden inside hollowed-out fruit lined with (what else?) latex. These were taken to the renowned Kew Gardens and selected for vitality and disease resistance, then transported to Southeast Asia for plantation planting. Sounding the first death knell for the Rubber Barons. Wickham’s piracy was rewarded with a knighthood and a generous annuity from the British rubber plantations in Asia.

As the Brazilian collection of latex from wild trees could not compete with the cost of Asian plantations, the Amazon rubber industry began a steady decline. When Allied supplies of latex were cut off by the Japanese in WWII, it was the BF Goodrich scientists who came to the rescue with the first practical petroleum -based synthetic rubber (Ameripol), further exacerbating the decline of the natural product. Efforts by Ford and Firestone to institute plantation style production in Brazil were unsuccessful, as the wild trees withered and fell victim to disease when planted as a monoculture.

While the natural rubber industry is a small fraction of its peak production, the demand is still large and growing. The vulcanized natural latex is more elastic than its synthetic cousin and has uses in gloves and other products that can’t be replaced by synthetics. Indeed, 15% to 40% of the rubber in tires is still natural, as 100% synthetic rubber would degrade and stiffen too quickly.

So, natural latex collection in the Amazon continues, much as it has since the 1830’s, albeit at a much lower level, with new protections for workers and production quotas. The “Amazon White Gold” continues to flow from the world’s greatest river.

There was more treasure to be plundered from the Amazon – timber, cattle, gold, oil and minerals. Details in the next post.