Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRASILIA2523
2006-11-30 17:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Brasilia
Cable title:  

SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 85

Tags:  SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7533
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0029
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 BRASILIA 002523 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV
TREASURY FOR USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: LIZ MAHEW
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN
INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: J WEAVER
JUSTICE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON
USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: G FLANLEY
NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR
SUBJECT: SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 85

BRASILIA 00002523 001.2 OF 014


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 BRASILIA 002523

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV
TREASURY FOR USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: LIZ MAHEW
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN
INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: J WEAVER
JUSTICE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON
USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: G FLANLEY
NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR
SUBJECT: SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 85

BRASILIA 00002523 001.2 OF 014



1. The following is the eighty-fifth in a series of newsletters,
published by the Brasilia Regional Environmental Hub, covering
environment, science and technology, and health news in South
America. The information below was gathered from news sources from
across the region, and the views expressed do not necessarily
reflect those of the Hub office or our constituent posts.
Addressees who would like to receive a user-friendly email version
of this newsletter should contact Larissa Stoner at
stonerla@state.gov. The e-mail version also contains a calendar of
upcoming ESTH events in the region.


2. Table of Contents

Agriculture
--(3)Brazil's Lula Gives Agribusiness the Green Light,
Environmentalists Protest
--(4)Argentina: Residents Say "Stop the Spraying!"
--(5)Argentine Biodiesel Might Fuel Monoculture, Too

Water Issues
--(6)Indian Activists Shut Down Peruvian-Amazon Oil Sites

Wildlife
--(7)Colombia: Protecting Bats Can Be Profitable
--(8)Endorsement by Chile and Suriname to the Migratory Species GEF
Proposal
--(9)Strengthening Regional Management for the Sustainable Use of
Amazonian Biodiversity
--(10)Venezuela: Flamingos Enjoy Good Health

Fishing & Marine Conservation
--(11)Chile to Protect Oceans through Ecotourism
--(12)Brazil: Growing Freshwater Pearls

Protected Areas
--(13)Goldman Sachs Wins Award for Chile Nature Reserve
--(14)Brazil Forbids GM Crops in Indigenous and Protected Areas

Pollution
--(15)Chile: Air Pollution Online
--(16)Brazil: Mega-Cities Far From Meeting Air Quality Standards


Climate Change

BRASILIA 00002523 002.4 OF 014


--(17)This Year's Ozone Hole is a Record Breaker
--(18)UN Plan Aims to Share Carbon Projects More Fairly

Energy
--(19)Brazil Opens First Ethanol-Biodiesel Plant
--(20)Brazil Prepares for Biodiesel, but Plans for Family Production
Begin to Fail
--(21)Argentina: Designing Eco-Friendly Heaters
--(22)Venezuela, Brazil Meet on Energy
--(23)Brazil Environment Minister Opposes Building of Nuclear Plant
--(24)Infinity Bio-Energy to Invest USD 75 Million in Brazil
Biodiesel

General
--(25)In Colombia, Minister Suspends Port Project
--(26)Brazilian NGOs Call Government Agencies for TFCA Talk
--(27)Bolivia: Protection for Isolated Peoples
--(28)Brazil: Measuring the Impact of Lightning

--------------
Agriculture
--------------


3. Brazil's Lula Gives Agribusiness the Green Light,
Environmentalists Protest

NOV. 25, 2006 - During a visit to the State of Mato Grosso, Luis
Inacio Lula da Silva stated that the country is ready to take the
leap of economic growth. Lula also guaranteed that during his
second term as President, agriculture will not be faced with the
same crisis as it faced these past two years. Standing beside Mato
Grosso's reelected governor, Blairo Maggi known as the King of Soy
(or the King of Deforestation, depending from which perspective),he
affirmed that the federal and state governments will work together
to solve these issues. "I am aware of what agriculture in Brazil
represents to the growth and wealth of this country. [...] we are
going to invest in roads and in energy." According to media
speculation, Lula has given Governor Blairo Maggi the right to
choose the new Minister of Agriculture. One of the 'favorite' names
is current Minister of Cities, Marcio Fortes de Almeida, who was the
Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture during the
presidency of Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Fifty-one environmental
defense organizations drafted a letter on Nov. 24 protesting against

BRASILIA 00002523 003.4 OF 014


Lula's words during his Mato Grosso visit during which he claimed
that "indigenous, traditional communities and environmental matters
as well as the Ministry of Justice" will not be an obstacle for
investments in the country, especially in the area of energy.

Sources - FSP, Documento, and Valor Econtmico


4. Argentina: Residents Say "Stop the Spraying!"

NOV. 11, 2006 - Cultivation of genetically modified soybeans is
expanding in Argentina, and with it, the use of herbicides. The
"Paren de fumigar" (Stop the Fumigation) campaign warns against
agro-chemical spraying in urban areas, as activists collect
information about its impacts in order to denounce it. Behind the
initiative are the Rural Reflection Group (GRR),the Nature
Protection Center and neighborhood organizations. In the last 15
years, genetically modified (GM) soybean farming has extended its
zone of influence, and today is Argentina's leading crop, as well as
the country's principal export. The latest harvest of 15.5 million
hectares consumed 160 million liters of glyphosate -- six times more
than a decade ago. The serious problem, according to the groups'
complaint, is that this chemical, which kills all plants except for
the transgenic crop itself, is sprayed within meters of people's
homes. Historically, forests, dairy farms and pastures surrounded
the towns, and mitigated the impact of chemical spraying of fields.
But now those protective barriers have disappeared.

Source - Tierramerica


5. Argentine Biodiesel Might Fuel Monoculture, Too

NOV. 2006 - Biodiesel is drawing particularly strong interest on
account of Argentina's position as one of the world's foremost
growers of oilseeds, which could be used to make the fuel. The
third leading soybean producer behind the United States and Brazil,
Argentina ranks first among the world's soy-oil exporters, sending
5.5 million tons abroad annually. But as interest in biofuels has
grown, so, too, have concerns that corresponding pressure to
intensify soy cultivation-the vast majority of which employs
transgenic varieties-will worsen already serious problems of soil
depletion, deforestation and erosion. Though current Argentine
biofuels production is minimal, there are signs of change. In May,
for instance, the national Congress passed legislation requiring

BRASILIA 00002523 004.4 OF 014


that by 2010, biofuels must account for 5 percent of the country's
fuel use. The law also creates fiscal incentives including a
fuel-tax exemption for biofuels and value-added tax rebates for
biofuels producers. Currently, 26 biofuels projects-the vast
majority focusing on biodiesel-are planned in Argentina, according
to the Argentine Biofuels and Hydrogen Association (AABH). Their
various investors range from the Spanish oil company Repsol YPF to
financier and philanthropist George Soros.

Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
article)

--------------
Water Issues
--------------


6. Indian Activists Shut Down Peruvian-Amazon Oil Sites

NOV. 2006 - Accusing the government of ignoring their health and
environmental concerns, Achuar indigenous communities in the
Corrientes River Valley last month blocked access routes and took
over oil wells in the Peruvian Amazon, forcing the PlusPetrol Norte
oil company to halt operations. The 13-day protest cost the company
about USD 15 million in lost production, according to Peru's
Ministry of Energy and Mines. Achuar affiliated with the Federation
of Native Communities of the Corrientes River (Feconaco) lifted the
blockade in Blocks 1AB and 8 on Oct. 22, after signing an agreement
with the company and the national and regional governments on
environmental and health issues. Among the Achuar's key objectives
was to get PlusPetrol to stop contaminating local waterways with
production water, the saline, heavy-metals-tainted water that is
brought to the surface during oil extraction. Of the 1.3 million
barrels of production water PlusPetrol generates daily, some 230,000
are pumped back underground, or reinjected, with the rest disposed
of on the surface.

Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
article)

--------------
Wildlife
--------------


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7. Colombia: Protecting Bats Can Be Profitable

NOV. 20, 2006 - Researchers at the National University of Colombia
are working to raise awareness in local communities about the
importance of preserving the caves where bats (Miniopterus
schreibersii) seek refuge, and that bat guano is useful as organic
fertilizer. Manuela Herrera, at the public University of the
Atlantic, told Tierramerica that if the farmers take care of the
caves and don't scare the bats or interfere with the flying mammal's
life cycle, they will obtain significant quantities of guano, which
they may also sell on the market. The bats are important in pest
control, says Herrera, because they catch as many as 600 mosquitoes
per hour, and a bat colony can consume up to 125 tons per night.

Source - Tierramerica


8. Endorsement by Chile and Suriname to the Migratory Species GEF
Proposal

NOV. 20, 2006 - "The Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative
(WHMSI) Interim Steering Committee is pleased to announce that Chile
and Suriname have submitted letters of endorsement for the WHMSI
Project, assigning USD 156,250 each from their GEF RAF funds. We
congratulate Chile's Environmental Commission-CONAMA (GEF Focal
Point) and Agricultural Service-SAG (WHMSI Focal Point),as well as
Suriname's Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and
Environment-MILIEU (GEF Focal Point) and Forest Service (WHMSI Focal
Point) for their leadership and support to WHMSI."

Source - a message from the WHMSI bulletin


9. Strengthening Regional Management for the Sustainable Use of
Amazonian Biodiversity

NOV. 21, 2006 - The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)
carried out the "First Meeting of National Coordinators for the
Project 'Strengthening of Regional Management for the Sustainable
Use of Amazonian Biodiversity'" in Brasilia (Brazil) October 25-27,

2006.
A total of USD 2.4 million will be allocated for the project, of
which USD 1.9 will come from IDB, USD 0.3 million from ACTO, and USD
0.2 million from each Amazon Basin country. The execution period
for the project is 3.5 years. The project is made up of three

BRASILIA 00002523 006.4 OF 014


components and in general consists of the hiring of technical
experts to formulate action plans in the region: A) Formulating a
strategic framework and regional action plan on biodiversity (USD
122,000); B) Strengthening the capacity of coordinating applied
research and generating public information accessible regionally
(USD 820,000); and C) Strengthening the capacity for coordinating
and supporting conservation in priority areas (USD 928,000).

Source - BRASILIA 00002448


10. Venezuela: Flamingos Enjoy Good Health

NOV. 11, 2006 - So far in 2006, in the northwestern Venezuelan marsh
of Los Olivitos alone, 6,700 Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus
ruber ruber) have hatched, reports Betsabey Motta, from the
Environment Ministry's office of biodiversity. The flamingo
population in northern Venezuela has grown continuously over the
past 10 years, said Motta. Flamingos "are an overprotected species
in Venezuela, as they require a simple habitat, even with scant
vegetation, but salt mining continues to threaten all of the flora
in marshes like Los Olivitos, to the detriment of other bird
species," Jorge Hinestroza, professor of ecology at the University
of Zulia, told Tierramerica. The rainy season -- longer and more
intense this year -- helped in the production of more plants as
food, sought by migratory birds like the flamingo in the southern
extension of the Caribbean Basin.

Source - Tierramerica

--------------
Fishing & Marine Conservation
--------------


11. Chile to Protect Oceans through Ecotourism

NOV. 22, 2006 - Chile's National Environmental Commission (Conama)
has launched a new initiative to protect marine resources while at
the same time cashing in on the tourism boom Chile is currently
enjoying. The National Network for Protected and Multiple-Use
Marine Areas and Coast (AMCP-MU) will work with local communities to
promote economic growth through sustainable industries as well as
conservation and scientific exploration. Sports such as diving,
whale watching and sports fishing will be developed. The initiative

BRASILIA 00002523 007.4 OF 014


comes at a time when, according to Chile's state-owned newspaper, La
Nacion, "the loss in marine ecosystems is not only growing, but
growing at an alarming rate." The government project first began in
2003 and aims to "ensure the conservation and restoration of
ecosystems by reducing the rate of loss in biodiversity by 2010."
Three regions have been designated as protected marine areas under
the scheme: Isla Grande in Atacama (Region Three),Lafken Mapu
Lahual (Region Ten) and Francisco Coloane near the Magellan Straits
(Region Twelve).

Source - Santiago Times (no link)


12. Brazil: Growing Freshwater Pearls

Nov 20, 2006 - In a pioneering initiative in Brazil, the University
of Sao Paulo is studying the viability of in vitro cultivation of
two threatened bivalve mollusk species in order to use some of them
for producing freshwater pearls. Larvae of the Anodontites
trapesialis and Diplodon rotundus gratus will be introduced in
rivers in Sao Paulo state. The two species are endangered because of
water pollution, the construction of dams and the presence of
invasive species. "The production of pearls would begin in four or
five years, when we complete the research and repopulation phase,
and we are assured that the project doesn't hurt the environment,"
biologist Ricardo Cunha Lima, author of the research, told
Tierramerica. Freshwater pearls cost less, and are less shiny and
darker colored than saltwater pearls.

Source - Tierramerica

--------------
Protected Areas
--------------


13. Goldman Sachs Wins Award for Chile Nature Reserve

NOV. 9, 2006 - The U.S. Secretary of State's 2006 Award for
Corporate Excellence (ACE) went to Goldman Sachs for their donation
of 680,000 acres of wilderness in Chile's southern Tierra del Fuego
to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Situated on Chile's
southernmost Tierra del Fuego Island, the area contains native beech
tree forests, peat bogs, alpine meadows, river systems and
snow-capped mountains. It is home to several rare species of

BRASILIA 00002523 008.4 OF 014


wildlife including the Magellenic woodpecker, the Firecrown
hummingbird and the Culpeo fox. The investment bank obtained the
property in 2003 in a routine business transaction and worked with
Chilean government officials and the WCS to set up a nature reserve
instead of liquidating the property. Goldman Sachs also set up a USD
7 million endowment to fund the future park. The ACE award is given
out each year by the U.S. Secretary of State in recognition of the
role that U.S. businesses play in advancing good corporate
citizenship, innovation and democratic principles abroad.

Source - Santiago Times (no link)


14. Brazil Forbids GM Crops in Indigenous and Protected Areas

NOV. 09, 2006 - Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva signed
a temporary measure on October 31, which prohibits experimental and
commercial genetically modified (GM) crops in Indigenous areas and
in protected areas in Brazil. However, a decree signed by Lula on
the same day reduces the minimum distance separating GM crops from
protected areas - the so called 'buffer zones.' According to the
new law, the minimum distance between GM crops and a protected area
will be determined on a case-by-case basis for each GM variety.

Source - SciDev

--------------
Pollution
--------------


15. Chile: Air Pollution Online

NOV. 11, 2006 - The levels of air pollution recorded each hour by
the seven monitoring stations in the Chilean capital are published
in real time on the web page of the Metropolitan Region's health
authority (http://www.asrm.cl),which previously only reported the
daily average. The regional health ministry decided to make the
data available after three citizen organizations sued the agency for
access to public information. The ministry had refused over the
course of three months to respond to several requests. In Santiago,
a city hemmed in by mountains, the worst air pollution is recorded
between April and September. In 2005 there were seven environmental
alerts and two pre-emergencies declared by the authorities.


BRASILIA 00002523 009.4 OF 014


Source - Tierramerica


16. Brazil: Mega-Cities Far From Meeting Air Quality Standards

NOV. 11, 2006 - Brazil's major cities will have to reduce their air
pollution much more if they hope to comply with the new parameters
for air quality established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO reduced the acceptable maximum level of the annual average
for suspended particulates from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic meter,
cut the daily maximum limit of ozone from 120 to 100 micrograms, and
the daily average of sulfur dioxide from 120 to 25 micrograms. Sao
Paulo, for example, has an average of 45 micrograms of suspended
particulates per cubic meter -- more than twice the WHO recommended
limit. Every year, air pollution is responsible for the deaths of
some 50,000 people in Brazil.

Source - Tierramerica

--------------
Climate Change
--------------


17. This Year's Ozone Hole is a Record Breaker

NOV. 2006 - The so-called ozone hole over Antarctica and the
southern regions of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia set new records
this year for both area and depth, according to NASA. Meanwhile,
scientists say that based on improvements in modeling, they now
forecast the area of extreme ozone thinning won't begin to heal
until 2024-well over a decade later than previously thought.
Scientists say the hole's increased size this year was due not to
concentrations of ozone-depleting chemicals, which thanks to
international efforts have been on the decline since the mid-1990s,
but to fluctuating weather patterns. Chile and Argentina have made
similar efforts to protect people in Patagonia from the increased
ultraviolet radiation that occurs when the ozone hole appears. Both
nations issue color-coded ozone alerts for locals. Distributed
through the local media, the alerts assign colors according to the
intensity of the ultraviolet radiation. In 2003, Argentina and
Chile agreed to conduct joint research on the effects of ozone
depletion in the Patagonian and Antarctic regions. They also
pledged close collaboration on climate-change research and the
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. But scientists on both sides of

BRASILIA 00002523 010.4 OF 014


the Andes complain the two governments have failed to follow
through. In early 2004, a binational meeting was held, followed by
the formation of a binational commission charged with developing
ozone-hole impact studies. The research, however, has not been
carried out on account of a lack of domestic and international
funding.

Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
article)


18. UN Plan Aims to Share Carbon Projects More Fairly

NOV. 16, 2006 - The UN has launched a new initiative to help
developing nations participate in carbon finance funds, such as the
Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. The Nairobi
Framework was announced November 15 at the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change held in Nairobi, Kenya, following urgent requests
from leaders of developing nations for help to cope with the impacts
of climate change that already affect their countries. As part of
the initiative, a partnership between the UN Development Program
(UNDP) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) will provide rapid
response services for governments seeking to account for climate
change in their infrastructure projects - 'climate proofing' - and
other development plans. Several prospective European donors have
already pledged funding to the scheme. Spain pledged USD 2 million,
with half going to Africa and the other half to Latin America.

Source - SciDev

--------------
Energy
--------------


19. Brazil Opens First Ethanol-Biodiesel Plant

NOV. 22, 2006 - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva showcased
Brazil's prowess in the alternative fuels industry on Nov. 21 when
he inaugurated Barralcool, the first integrated biofuels plant that
will produce cane-based ethanol and biodiesel from oilseeds.
Brazil, with its huge agricultural potential, has for decades had
the world's most advanced biofuels market. After the oil crisis in
the early 1970s, it launched the ProAlcool ethanol program to
lighten dependence on crude imports. The ethanol-biodiesel plant in

BRASILIA 00002523 011.4 OF 014


Barra do Bugres, Mato Grosso, in the heart of Brazil's center-west
soybean belt, has produced ethanol from surrounding cane fields for
over 20 years but Dedini, a leading provider of sugar-ethanol,
biodiesel and cogeneration plants in Brazil, recently constructed
the integrated biodiesel plant on the site after investments of 27
million reais (USD 13 million).

Source - Stuff.co.nz


20. Brazil Prepares for Biodiesel, but Plans for Family Production
Begin to Fail

NOV. 21, 2006 - Brazilian economic groups connected to the soybean
agro-industry are investing heavily in biodiesel plants to prepare
for the Government's 2007 deadline for the implementation of a 2
percent mix of the new green fuel to Brazil's diesel supply (the mix
will be upped to 5 percent in 2010). According to press reports,
the new plants will process soybeans. Brazil plans to spur family
agriculture by incorporating them into the biodiesel cycle by
producing it from other crops have been facing severe difficulties
with technology transfer, transportation, legal disputes, among
others.

Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia


21. Argentina: Designing Eco-Friendly Heaters

NOV. 20, 2006 - Argentine researchers will present a project in
innovations of gas heater design in order to double their efficiency
and reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. "The heaters on the
market transmit only 40 to 60 percent of the calories in the fuel,"
Luis Juanico, coordinator of the project in which the National
Council of Scientific Research and the National Commission of Atomic
Energy are also participating, told Tierramerica. The innovations,
which will be presented to executives in the business sector,
consists of "introducing small fans between the cabinet and the
chamber of gas, painting the chamber black, and using a cabinet that
is more open and lets the heat pass," he said. This allows 85
percent transference of heat but makes the heaters just 3.8 percent
more expensive.

Source - Tierramerica


BRASILIA 00002523 012.4 OF 014



22. Venezuela, Brazil Meet on Energy

NOV. 15, 2006 - Venezuelan state energy officials said it would cost
some USD 9 billion to develop the oil-rich Orinoco River deposits in
a joint operation with Brazil's state-owned Petrobras. The heavy
-crude reserves at Orinoco -- the country's most lucrative oil field
-- could yield up to 7.6 billion barrels, according to Venezuelan's
state-run PVDSA. The announcement came during a visit Nov. 14 to
Venezuela by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who
arrived just weeks ahead of the presidential election in which
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez is leading by double digits. Chavez
has diverted a large portion of the country's oil revenue to social
programs, including education and health. Last year, the two
countries -- both oil independent -- broke ground on a USD 2.5
billion refinery in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco.

Source - UPI


23. Brazil Environment Minister Opposes Building of Nuclear Plant

Nov. 13, 2006 - Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva said she
opposes the construction of a third nuclear power plant in the
country, putting into question a state-run company's plan to build
one as early as next year. "Brazil has enough renewable energy to
hold off on the usage of nuclear energy," Silva said in an interview
in Brasilia. "The ministry opposes the construction as it's still
not sure how safe this energy could be.'' Eletronuclear, a Rio de
Janeiro-based state company, has drafted plans to build a 7.6
billion reais (USD 3.5 billion) reactor, to be called Angra 3. The
construction of the plant is part of the company's 10-year plan to
meet rising energy demand in Latin America's biggest economy.
Brazil's energy demand may grow by more than half by 2015.

Source - Bloomberg


24. Infinity Bio-Energy to Invest USD 75 Million in Brazil
Biodiesel

OCT. 31, 2006 - Infinity Bio-Energy Ltd., a fund that bought three
sugar and ethanol mills in Brazil, plans to buy and build biodiesel
plants in the country as demand for alternative fuels rises.
Bermuda-based Infinity plans to invest about USD 75 million to buy a
biodiesel project and build two more over the next two years, Chief

BRASILIA 00002523 013.4 OF 014


Executive Officer Sergio Thompson-Flores said. Infinity will
produce as much as 400 million liters (105.5 million gallons) of
diesel from vegetable oils annually by 2008.

Source - Bloomberg

--------------
General
--------------


25. In Colombia, Minister Suspends Port Project

NOV. 2006 - Worried by reports of environmental damage and abuses of
Indian rights, Colombia has suspended a USD 13 million port project
in the Caribbean department of Guajira until the company involved
can address the objections of conservationists and indigenous
leaders. Brisa, a private Colombian company, began building the
Brisa Multipurpose Port in September at the foot of the Sierra
Nevada de Santa Marta, the world's highest coastal range. It said
the port would spur regional development, handle exports of more
than three million tons annually of limestone, coal and other raw
materials and generate 3,500 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs. But
environmentalists argue work on the port would harm local,
small-scale fishing as well as two wetlands that harbor important
species of fish, migratory birds and reptiles. Among the animals
that would be affected, they say, are the critically endangered
American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and hawksbill turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricata). The government's current lead
environmental official, Juan Lozano, says he suspended construction
of the port in part because Brisa had failed to consult with Indian
communities as required by law. He also cites evidence construction
was impeding water flows between two important wetlands, one a
mangrove swamp. His action does not, however, amount to a
cancellation of the project.

Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
article)


26. Brazilian NGOs Call Government Agencies for TFCA Talk

NOV. 21, 2006 - A group of Brazilian NGOs invited the Ministry of
the Environment and the Brazilian Treasury for a discussion about
including Brazil in the debt conversion/reduction process under the

BRASILIA 00002523 014.4 OF 014


TFCA (Tropical Forest Conservation Act). To date, no formal
agreement has been made with the USG under the TFCA. This meeting
was intended to spur the process.

Source - BRASILIA 00002449


27. Bolivia: Protection for Isolated Peoples

NOV. 20, 2006 - At a conference Nov. 20-22 in the Bolivian city of
Santa Cruz, experts, indigenous communities and government officials
will propose public policies to protect isolated populations in
South America's tropical jungles. These communities, also known as
"uncontacted", are descendants of those who resisted the inhumane
exploitation of the rubber baron era in the 19th and early 20th
centuries, and hid deep in the forests. They are also survivors of
the oil drilling that is going on today, as well as the extension of
roads, the logging industry and the expansion of the agricultural
frontier. Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are the
countries with the most isolated indigenous communities.

Source - Tierramerica


28. Brazil: Measuring the Impact of Lightning

NOV. 06, 2006 - Every year, there are 61 million lightning strikes
in Brazil, killing an average of 100 people and causing economic
losses, according to a study by the atmospheric electricity group at
the National Institute of Space Research. "It is the first precise
estimate of the average number of lightning strikes from 1998 to
2005, based on satellite data and a national monitoring network,"
Kleber Naccarato, a researcher on the team, told Tierramerica. The
lightning study is the latest worldwide. In the southern hemisphere
summer these electric charges multiply, and provoke clashes of cold,
humid winds with warm, dry winds. However, says Naccarato, "we lack
data to blame the increase in lightning activity on global warming."


Source - Tierramerica

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