
The Joe Rogan Experience #2441 - Paul Rosolie
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Jan 20, 2026 Paul Rosolie, a dedicated conservationist and filmmaker, shares gripping tales from the Amazon. He recounts his experiences with uncontacted tribes and their requests for food. The conversation dives into fascinating topics like prehistoric ecology, indigenous rights, and the amazing medicinal properties of Amazonian plants. Paul also describes a dramatic rescue of a spider monkey and the challenges faced from narcos threatening his team. With urgency, he highlights the need for actionable optimism in conservation, urging listeners to prioritize the planet over distractions.
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Encounter With An Uncontacted Tribe
- Paul Rosolie describes contacting an uncontacted tribe who came to the river asking for plantains and rope. He and anthropologists gave plantains across the water without physical contact and observed desperate competition for food.
Amazon Loss Threatens Its Rain Cycle
- Rosolie explains logging, mining and ranching are driving Amazon loss and breaking the moisture cycle. He warns that destroying ~20% of the Amazon risks collapsing the rainfall system that sustains the forest.
Development Hypocrisy At High-Profile Events
- Joe and Paul verify news that a highway was cut to host COP30 in Belem, exposing hypocrisy in building roads for a climate summit. The broader point: development decisions often contradict conservation rhetoric and cause real damage.







