SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 112

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 18 BRASILIA 001219

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 FOR NPS: JONATHAN PUTNAM
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 112

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1. The following is part of 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.
NOTE: THE NEWSLETTER IS NOW ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE BRASILIA INTRANET
PAGE, BY CLICKING ON THE 'HUB' LINK.


2. Table of Contents

Agriculture
--(3)Climate Threat to Brazil's Soya Exports
--(4)Argentina: Soy - High Profits Now, Hell to Pay Later

Water Issues
--(5)Chile Starts Effort to Protect Watersheds

Forests
--(6)Amazon Rainforest Threatened by New Oil and Gas Exploration
--(7)Brazil Launches Ambitious Fund for Amazon Forest
--(8)Argentina: Forest Impacts of Pig-Iron Plant Debated
--(9)Brazil President Signs Decrees Toughening Environmental
Enforcement in Amazon
--(10)Guyana to Get US$200,000 from Forest Carbon Partnership
--(11)Dow Gives $1.5 Million to Preserve, Restore Brazil's Atlantic
Forest

Protected Areas
--(12)Chile: Six New Wilderness Areas
--(13)Iron, Diamonds May Turn Legal to Mine in Amazon Indigenous
Reserves
--(14)Brazil Mulls Sugar Cane Limit to Protect Wetland

Science & Technology
--(15)Brazil Harnesses Space Technology to Monitor Deforestation

Energy
--(16)Argentina, Brazil to Develop Nuclear Energy Agency

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--(17)Chilean Government Pushes Solar Energy Incentives for
Households
--(18)Brazil's Biofuel Plane Fleet Grows
--(19)Brazil Wants United States Help Managing Nuclear Waste
--(20)Biodiesel to Bring Electricity to Amazon Villages
--(21)Brazil: Petrobras Launches Biofuels Subsidiary
--(22)Russia and Venezuela Will Coordinate on Energy

Climate Change
--(23)Peru Mountain Glaciers 'Receding Rapidly'

Sustainable Development
--(24)Bolivia: Businesses Take On the Green Challenge
--(25)Latin America: Ingenuity at the Service of Sustainable
Business
--(26)Implementing a Butterfly Farm: Guyana's Latest Sustainable
Initiative

SPECIAL FEATURE!!NEWS FROM THE FRONT
*US Embassy ESTH Work in South America*
-(27)Colombia: Marine Environmental Security Workshop
-(28)Ecuador: Sustainable Urban Mobility Expert
-(29)Chile and Argentina: Renewable Energy Speaker from NREL; EPA
Environmental Law Enforcement Training
-(33)Peru: Sustainable Biofuels Workshops
-(34)Suriname: Fighting Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
-(35)Guyana: Aquaculture Partnership
-(36)Bolivia: Biofuels Energy Workshop

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Agriculture
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3. Climate Threat to Brazil's Soya Exports
AUG. 10 2008 - Brazil's soya exports could slump by more than a
quarter over the next 12 years as a result of climate change,
according to a study to be presented at an agribusiness conference
in Sao Paulo. The study will add to concern over worsening food
shortages around the world. It shows that even moderate rises in
temperatures would cause significant damage to a range of
agricultural products in Brazil, which has emerged over the past
decade as one of the world's biggest suppliers of food crops. By

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2020, the study says, the value of six of Brazil's food crops -
rice, coffee, beans, manioc, maize and soya - could fall by between
6.5bn reals ($4bn) and 7.1bn reals if average temperatures rose by
between 1:C and 2:C. The most serious damage would be to soya. The
amount of land suitable for soya cultivation would fall by more than
21 per cent under the best-case scenario, which assumes that action
is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and by almost 24 per
cent if emissions continue at present rates.
Source - Financial Times


4. Argentina: Soy - High Profits Now, Hell to Pay Later
JUL. 29, 2008- At a time when the price of soy, Argentina's main
export crop, has reached record highs on the international markets,
family agriculture experts and environmental groups are warning
about its severe social and environmental effects. Covering 16.6
million hectares, more than half of the country's cultivated land,
soybeans command prices of around 600 dollars a ton and are
expanding at the expense of maize, wheat, citrus fruits and cattle
ranching, among other farming activities. This expansion is likely
to continue after the recent repeal of the controversial hike in
export taxes on soy adopted by the government in March. "Soy is an
example of the 'boom and bust' model, much like fishing, mining or
intensive logging," said Jorge Cappato, of the Fundacisn Proteger.
"An ecosystem is pressured beyond its limits, to generate enormous
profits in the short term, at the cost of renewable natural
resources."
Source - IPS News

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Water Issues
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5. Chile Starts Effort to Protect Watersheds
JULY 2008 - Watershed protection, one of Chilean President Michelle
Bachelet's chief campaign promises to environmental advocates, has
officially gotten underway with three pilot projects. The projects
are being conducted on the Copiaps River in the north, the Rapel
River in the country's center and the Baker River in southern
Patagonia. Ana Lya Uriarte, Chile's environment minister, said
recently that the pilot projects will seek to "analyze the behavior
of the water, install a public-private planning model and involve in
a sustainable way all activities around these resources." Uriarte

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added that the Baker River, the proposed site for a controversial
hydroelectric project, lies "in an area of our country with
particularly special ecosystem characteristics, a large quantity of
virgin zones, and important tourism development". At the national
level, the new strategy calls for the creation of an
inter-ministerial Watershed Ministry Council to propose
watershed-management policies that "will reconcile diverse
interests". To assist the council, the government is creating a
technical secretariat to be managed jointly by Chile's Water Agency
and the National Environment Commission (Conama).The new strategy
also contemplates the creation of local bodies charged with drafting
and implementing watershed-management plans. These public-private
Watershed Organizations would include water users, government
officials, green activists and other relevant stakeholders.
Source - EcoAmericas

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Forests
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6. Amazon Rainforest Threatened by new Oil and Gas Exploration
AUG. 13, 2008 - Vast swathes of the western Amazon - including
Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia - are to be opened up
for oil and gas exploration, putting some of the planet's most
pristine and biodiverse forests at risk, conservationists have
warned. A survey of land earmarked for exploration by energy
companies revealed a steep rise in recent years, to around 180
zones, which together cover an area of 688,000 sq km, almost
equivalent to the size of Texas. Detailed mapping of the region
shows the majority of planned oil and gas projects, which are
operated by at least 35 multinational companies, are in the most
species-rich areas of the Amazon for mammals, birds and amphibians.
Researchers used government information on land that has been leased
to state or multinational energy companies over the past four years
to create oil and gas exploration maps for western Brazil, Peru,
Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia. The maps showed that in Peru and
Ecuador, regions designated for oil and gas projects already cover
more than two thirds of the Amazon in their countries. Of 64 oil and
gas regions that cover 72% of the Peruvian Amazon, all but eight
were approved since 2003. Major increases in activity are expected
in Bolivia and western Brazil.
Source - Guardian

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7. Brazil: INPE Releases Numbers of Amazon Deforestation for
2007-2008
Brazil's Space Research Institute (INPE) revealed that, according to
its real-time deforestation detection system (DETER),8,147 square
kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested between August 2007
and July 2008. According to INPE, these numbers do not correspond
to the annual rate of deforestation, which is calculated by PRODES,
a more detailed system which only considers deforestation in its
final stage (i.e. clear-cutting).
For more information please refer to


8. Brazil Launches Ambitious Fund for Amazon Forest
AUG. 04, 2008 - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
launched an international fund to finance conservation and
sustainable development in the Amazon as deforestation rates rise.
The fund will support forest conservation, scientific research and
sustainable development projects, such as rubber tapping, forestry
management, enhanced concession programs, and development of
pharmaceutical drugs from rainforest plants. The government hopes
to raise US$1 billion within one year and as much as US$21 billion
by 2021, according to Brazil's National Development Bank (BNDES),
which will manage the fund. It is open to companies, countries and
nongovernmental organizations. In September, Norway will make the
first donation -- US$100 million -- said Eduardo Bandeira de Mello,
head of Environment and Social Responsibilities at BNDES.
Source - Planet Ark http://www.planetark.org. SEE ALSO BRASILIA
1159


9. Argentina: Forest impacts of pig-iron plant debated
JULY 2008 - Chaco, located on the border with Paraguay, ranks among
Argentina's poorest provinces. The region's income comes mostly from
farming and logging. That, in large part, explains why provincial
authorities have leapt to the defense of a proposal by Vetorial, a
Brazilian company, to build a US$200 million pig iron plant near
Resistencia, Chaco's capital. Pig iron is a key ingredient in the
manufacture of steel, and project proponents say the Chaco plant
will generate jobs by helping to supply steel mills not only in
Argentina, but eventually also in Brazil and southeast Asia.
Conservationists contend that the project would accelerate
deforestation as trees are extracted from native woodlands to
produce charcoal that is used to make the pig iron. Citing the

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project's environmental-impact study, they point out that the
Vetorial facility would consume 90,000 tons of charcoal annually for
the first three or four years, then double that amount as production
rises. Chaco already produces approximately 220,000 tons of
charcoal annually, the provincial government says. The new plant,
which would be the first of its kind in Argentina, also would draw
wood for charcoal from forests in Formosa and Santiago del Estero
provinces.
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
article)


10. Brazil President Signs Decrees Toughening Environmental
Enforcement in Amazon
JULY 23, 2008 - Brazil's president signed two new decrees Tuesday
aimed at cracking down on illegal deforestation in the Amazon. The
first decree gives inspectors the power to seize property and goods
from people caught with illegally logged wood, and shortens the
period during which landowners can appeal fines for environmental
violations from eight years to one. The other decree provides for
more agents to police the vast Amazon basin, which covers an area
larger than Western Europe. The number of new agents is still to be
determined. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the measures
are necessary to keep Brazilian soybeans and biofuels competitive
worldwide, explaining that some consumers might boycott those goods
if they feel their production is hurting the rain forest. "Not
protecting the environment would hurt Brazil's competitive
advantage," Silva said. "We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot."
Brazil has some of the world's toughest environmental legislation.
But enforcement is spotty, and environmentalists say less than 1
percent of fines levied in the Amazon were collected in 2007.
Source - International Herald Tribune


11. Guyana to Get US$200,000 from Forest Carbon Partnership
JULY 25, 2008 - Guyana will receive US$200,000 from the World Bank's
Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) to prepare its Readiness
Plan (R-Plan) for combating tropical deforestation. The R-Plan will
outline among other activities, the methodologies to be used in
carrying out assessments of historical and current greenhouse gas
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation at a national
level. It will also look at mechanisms to project and model future
emissions from deforestation and degradation, and to update biomass
field estimates across all land uses, both of which will be done at

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the national level. The World Bank named Guyana as one of 14
developing countries selected as the first states to receive money
for combating tropical deforestation and climate change from an
initial US$82M partnership between those countries and nine
industrialized states. The FCPF aims to reduce deforestation and
forest degradation by compensating developing countries for
greenhouse gas emission reductions. The 14 tropical and sub-tropical
countries will receive grant support as they build their capacity to
reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD)
and tap into future systems of positive incentives for REDD.
Source - Stabroeknews


12. Dow Chemical Gives $1.5 Million to Preserve, Restore Brazil's
Atlantic Forest
JULY 17, 2008 - The Dow Chemical Co. is collaborating with The
Nature Conservancy to restore the shoreline of the Cachoeira
reservoir in the Cantareira System in Brazil's Atlantic Forest.
Dow's $1.5 million pledge through its charitable foundation was
announced at the company's first-ever Latin American Sustainability
Forum. The reforestation will take place in a highly degraded
landscape. The land's freshwater services are critical to the
health and well-being of millions of people in Brazil. Goals of the
reforestation project include sequestering carbon to mitigate
climate change, and ultimately selling certified carbon credits to
support ongoing reforestation in the Atlantic Forest. The ultimate
goal is to join efforts to reforest all the degraded riparian areas
and protect the existent forest remnants of the Cantareira system.
The Atlantic Forest is the source of drinking water for 70 percent
of Brazil's population including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo - for
more than 130 million people. The most acute risk to the survival of
the Atlantic Forest's biodiversity is the very fragmented state of
forest remnants and their ecological isolation from one another.
Source - Midland Daily

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Protected Areas
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13. Chile: Six New Wilderness Areas
AUG. 26, 2008 - Chile's extensive system of national parks,
reserves, and natural monuments will soon boast six new additions.
In 2009, wilderness areas in the Arica-Parinacota, Antofagasta,

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O'Higgins, Biobo and Los Ros regions will join the state's
National System of Protected Wilderness Areas (Snaspe). The new
additions include National Park Alerce Costero (Region XIV),Natural
Reserves Altos del Loa (Region II),Laguna Cahuill (Region VI),
Cordillera del Pemehue (Region VIII),Cordillera del Noguen (Region
VIII),and Natural Monument Quebrada Cardones (Region XV). These
areas were chosen due to the presence of native plants, animals, or
geological formations, said government officials. National Reserve
Laguna Cahuil, for example, is home to 46 species of aquatic birds,
many on the verge of extinction. The parks will focus on
preservation of Chile's natural environment, and will also help grow
the nation's burgeoning tourism industry.
Source - Santiago Times


14. Iron, Diamonds May Turn Legal to Mine in Amazon Indigenous
Reserves
AUG. 21, 2008 - For decades, Valeria Paye Pereira and her tribe of
Tiriyo Indians in Brazil's Para state have fought wildcat miners who
slip across the northern border from Suriname and French Guiana to
illegally extract gold. The miners, known as garimpeiros, have cut
trees, polluted waters with mercury, cyanide and other chemicals,
and attacked the tribe's wood-and-straw homes. Now, the 1,100-member
tribe is taking its fight to the nation's capital to stop
legislation that would allow more mining on its lands. ``The
garimpeiros bring violence, disease, alcohol and prostitution,''
said Paye Pereira, 34. She has been lobbying against the measure in
Brasilia. Opening up Indian territories would ``lead to
exploitation, not only of the lands and the environment, but of the
Indians.'' Lawmakers are debating whether to allow companies such
as Cia. Vale do Rio Doce and Anglo American Plc to tap unexplored
land after rising global demand caused minerals prices to surge and
strained existing deposits. While supporters say doing so will curb
violence and environmental damage caused by illegal mining
extraction, indigenous groups say it threatens their way of life.
Source - Bloomberg


15. Brazil Mulls Sugar Cane Limit to Protect Wetland
AUG. 05, 2008 - Brazil would restrict sugar cane planting in one of
the world's largest wetland areas if the government approves a
proposal to protect the Pantanal area's ecology, according to the
Environment Ministry. The agriculture ministry has been working for
a year with state-run agencies on a law to restrict cane planting in

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the Pantanal, amid concern about the environmental impact of the
crop's rapid expansion. No new ethanol plants, which produce biofuel
for Brazil's fast-growing fleet of ethanol-powered cars and for
export, will be allowed in the Pantanal's plains under the proposal,
but it will permit restricted planting in the region's highlands.
The proposal would require planters in this region, where cane has
been cultivated for more than 10 years, to use direct, or no-till
planting methods, eliminating the use of machinery and
agrochemicals, the ministry's statement said. About 90 percent of
Brazil's sugarcane is produced in the center-south region, which
includes Pantanal.
Source - Yahoo UK

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Science & Technology
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16. Brazil Harnesses Space Technology to Monitor Deforestation
JULY 22, 2008 - Brazil will launch a satellite in 2011 to monitor
deforestation and urban expansion around the world. Amaztnia-1 will
carry a UK -made high resolution camera. The United Kingdom-Brazil
collaboration was announced July 14 at the 60th Annual Meeting of
the Brazilian Society for Progress in Science. It is part of the
continuing UK -Brazil Partnership in Science and Innovation, and
stems from discussions between governments and research partners
that began in 2007 during the UK-Brazil Year of Cooperation on
Science and Technology. Amaztnia-1 will orbit the Earth 14 times a
day at a distance of 400 miles, collecting images of several
countries. It will have three cameras in total, two of them made in
Brazil and one made in the UK.
Source - SciDev

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Energy
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17. Argentina, Brazil to Develop Nuclear Energy Agency
AUG. 28, 2008 - Argentina and Brazil are scheduled to address the
creation of a bi-national nuclear energy agency when Presidents Lula
da Silva and Kirchner meet in September in Recife in northeast
Brazil, reports the Brazilian press. Working together, the
two-country agency could become one of the world's leading providers

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of enriched uranium. In addition to the plans by Chile, Uruguay,
Peru and Venezuela to set up nuclear plants, Argentina has two in
operation, is finishing a third, Atucha II, and is planning to build
two more. Brazil has Angra I, Angra II, is planning Angra III and
six more by 2030, revealed the Brazilian official. The creation of
the Bi-national Nuclear Energy Committee (Coben) represents one of
17 agreements reached in the recent meeting by Presidents Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner and Lula da Silva. However, Coben does not
have the full support of the Brazilian establishment, particularly
from the Brazilian Navy which for years has been working in the
development of a nuclear powered submarine and allegedly is jealous
of its expertise and experience.
Source - MercoPress http://www.mercopress.com


18. Chilean Government Pushes Solar Energy Incentives for
Households
AUG. 27, 2008 - Chile's Finance Ministry announced proposed tax
breaks as an incentive for solar water panel installation in middle
to low-income new home construction. The plan also includes a fund
to support renewable energy development initiatives. If approved by
Chile's Congress, the proposal will grant tax breaks to partially or
completely cover the installation of solar-powered water-heating
systems in certain homes. Solar installation costs will be
completely covered in homes valued at approximately US$80,000 and
less, while installation costs will be partially covered for homes
valued up to approximately US$180,000. Installation costs for the
solar panels on each home are estimated at US$1,340, according to
the state-owned Chilean daily La Nacisn. Each solar panel system
would generate over half the energy necessary to heat its
household's water, reported La Nacisn. Officials said making the
switch from natural gas to solar-based water-heating systems will
mean monthly savings of up to US$19 for low and middle-income
families. The Finance Ministry predicts that the initiative will
cost the government US$40 million in 2009Source - Santiago Times


19. Brazil's Biofuel Plane Fleet Grows
AUG. 20, 2008 - Brazilian biofuel, already available for nine out of
10 cars on the roads, is also keeping a small but growing fleet of
aircraft aloft. Some 200 single-engine, single-seat Ipanema planes
made by Neiva, a subsidiary of Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, are
now burning cheap ethanol made from sugarcane for their crop-dusting
and public health missions. The first of the ethanol-fueled EMB

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202As took to the air in 2005, and the company has steadily
increased production, with 32 turned out this year, said the head of
the factory in the central west town of Botucatu. Next year,
production should stabilize at 36 planes per year. The biofuel
technology is only used for the propeller-driven planes, in
accordance with the substantial restrictions for light aircraft.
Source - Yahoo


20. Brazil Wants Help from the United States in Managing Nuclear
Waste
AUG. 06, 2008 - Brazil asked the United States for help managing
waste from its nuclear reactors during a visit from American Deputy
Secretary of Energy Jeffery Kupfer. Brazilian Mines and Energy
Secretary Edson Lobao said the United States has made significant
advances in the storage of residue from reactors. Kupfer's visit
comes as Brazil is preparing to restart work on its third nuclear
plant, Angra 3. One of the requirements for the plant's
environmental license was the development of a better waste storage
system. Currently, Brazil's nuclear waste is stored in a system of
"pools", long criticized by environmentalists who say the system
risks spilling waste into the ocean. "The United States sees
nuclear energy as an essential part of its energy supply into the
future. We are in the process of constructing new reactors after a
long period and the theme of waste management is an essential
component of that process", Kupfer said.
Source - IHT


21. Biodiesel to Bring Electricity to Amazon Villages
JUL. 31, 2008 - Oil from native tucuma, ouricur and murumur palm
trees will be used to provide electricity to isolated communities in
the depths of the Brazilian Amazon, which are too remote to supply
with power by conventional means. A research team is preparing to
start producing biodiesel this year at a plant in Carauar, a
district of 25,000 people that can only be reached by a
1,600-kilometre river journey, or by a two-and-a-half hour flight
from Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state. Roberto Figliuolo, an
expert with the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA),told
IPS that there are "10 promising palm species", which are found in
"dense natural stands" and yield good quantities of oil. However,
the team has worked most intensively with the tucuma palm because it
is abundant and already has a partially developed production chain.
The Brazilian government has for several years been implementing its

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program "Light for All", with the aim of supplying electricity to
millions of Brazilians who still do not have it. In more populous
areas, extending power lines was the method of choice. But in the
Amazon region, an area of five million square kilometers with low
population density, alternatives are being sought based on local
energy production, such as solar or wind energy, or thermoelectric
generation using oil from native species or wood residues.
Source - IPS News


22. Brazil: Petrobras Launches Biofuels Subsidiary
JULY 30, 2008 - Brazil's semi-public oil company Petrobras has
launched a new subsidiary to run its growing biofuels operations,
looking towards building production capacity to meet growing global
demand for ethanol exports. The new subsidiary, called Petrobras
Biocombustivel, will coordinate Petrobras' significant biofuels
investments (US$1.5 billion over five years) which are currently run
by various units of the company. Through joint ventures with
foreign investors, Petrobras plans to buy minority stakes in ethanol
mills in Brazil and abroad, with an eye towards markets such as
Venezuela, Japan and the U.S.
Source - RIO DE JAN 00000205


23. Russia and Venezuela Will Coordinate on Energy
JULY 23, 2008 - President Hugo Chvez of Venezuela and President
Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia declared that their countries would
more closely coordinate their actions on global oil and gas markets,
and work together on foreign policy issues. Russian officials
stressed the business significance of the new cooperation, including
three new deals to expand the presence of Russian oil and gas
companies in Latin America. Russia's gas and oil giants, TNK-BP,
Lukoil and Gazprom, each signed agreements in Mr. Chvez's presence
to explore reserves in Venezuela's Orinoco Valley. Lukoil and TNK
-BP signed agreements to conduct joint explorations with the
Venezuelan state oil company, Petrsleos de Venezuela. Gazprom
agreed to conduct a geological study of gas reserves in the area,
and reportedly was discussing the possibility of helping to build a
pipeline to Brazil.
Source - The New York Times

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Climate Change
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24. Peru Mountain Glaciers 'Receding Rapidly'
July 29, 2008 - Climate change-induced glacier melts have cost
northern Peru's mountains 26 per cent of their surface area in the
last 33 years, satellite images have confirmed. The reduction is
equivalent to 188 square kilometers of the Cordillera Blanca, the
highest tropical mountain chain in the world. The mountain range is
home to more than seven hundred glaciers, with the glacier Huascaran
declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. Marcos Zapata, head of the
glaciology unit at the National Institute of Natural Resources
(INRENA),says that the glaciers are melting by around 20 meters per
year - compared to a rate of nine meters per year recorded until

1977. "At present, there are more melting glaciers and therefore
there is a relative increase in flows in rivers and streams", Nelson
Santillan, a researcher at the INRENA glaciology unit, told
SciDev.Net. Santillan says that while the melting currently does
not pose have any significant problems, people must be warned about
the correlation with future reductions in water flow, water storage,
and year-round water availability. INRENA estimates that reductions
in water flow could occur as soon as 2020. This could have severe
consequences since recent Peruvian population growth and
agricultural expansion has centered on water-rich areas downstream
of the glaciers Santillan says.
Source - SciDev

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Sustainable Development
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25. Bolivia: Businesses Take On the Green Challenge
AUG. 20, 2008 - What do Bolivia's largest textile mill, an organic
cacao cooperative and an indigenous-run tourist hostel in the Amazon
have in common? The answer lies in the path, shaky but inspiring,
that they are all taking towards sustainable production. In the
factories of the Bolivian corporation America Textil S.A. (Ametex),
even the light switches invite you to "Save Energy". The company
says it is committed to optimizing its production processes,
reducing pollutants, saving resources and recycling inputs and
materials. Based in La Paz, Ametex is Bolivia's largest textile
factory. More than 3,000 workers produce 150 to 190 tons of textiles
per month -- 85 percent of it for the U.S. market. All of its
factories are oriented towards sustainable production, in compliance

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with the Environment Act. Source - IPS News


26. Latin America: Ingenuity at the Service of Sustainable Business
JULY 28, 2008 - Four creative sustainable development projects that
have enjoyed success in Latin America received media attention in
July, demonstrating a shared common denominator: the possibility of
replication elsewhere in the region. The four sustainable examples
are a company that will extract silver from the same contaminants it
proposes to clean up; a cooperative of the formerly unemployed that
will export designer clothing; small farmers planting new varieties
of manioc that double the yield with fewer agro-toxins; and groups
in linking agriculture in the Amazon with protection of the forest.
The article goes into detail about the following four experiences:
1) Bolivia: Recovering Potos's Silver; 2) Argentina: Unemployed
Come Together (Argentine Movement of Unemployed Workers (MTD) of La
Matanza); 3) Venezuela: Cassava Twice Over (small farmers in the
central Venezuela state of Cojedes); and 4) Brazil: Coexistence of
Forest and Crops. For more information please go to
Source - IPS News


27. Implementing a Butterfly Farm: Guyana's Latest Sustainable
Initiative
JULY 20, 2008 - Iwokrama, a center for rainforest conservation in
the heart of Guyana's rainforest, is known worldwide for its
innovative approach to preserving tropical rainforests and creating
livelihoods for local communities. Their focus has been to create
programs that utilize the forest sustainably, allowing for a mutual
benefit between the people and the forest itself. Currently,
Iwokrama has a number of initiatives under its umbrella, including
eco-tourism, sustainable forestry, on-going research projects, and
training programs. Amid these bustling projects, a new one has
emerged: butterfly farming. Sitting on one million acres, the
Iwokrama reserve is managed by the seventeen local communities
within the reserve called the North Rupununi District Development
Board (NRDDB). The butterfly farm is a partner with University of
Warwick, England and was provided a 333,629 pound start-up grant
from the Darwin Initiative.
Source - Mongabay

NEWS FROM THE FRONT - ESTH ACTIVITIES IN SOUTH AMERICA


28. Colombian Marine Environmental Workshop - (Larry Gumbiner,

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William Popp, Larry Sperling): ESTH officers from US Embassy
Colombia and OES and OMC representatives from Washington, DC
collaborated in the organization and implementation of US Military
Southern Command-sponsored Marine Environmental Security Workshops
in Cali and Cartagena in July, 2008. Workshop themes covered marine
environmental security, protection, and law enforcement training
with interactive participation of representatives from the Colombian
navy, Colombian environmental and fisheries authorities, and NGOs.
Specific topics included multilateral environmental agreements;
illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; marine protected areas;
marine pollution and ballast waters; CITES; and coral reef crime
scene investigations.


29. Ecuadorian Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility (Bridget
Premont, Peter Martin): In July 2008, ESTH officers from US Mission
to Ecuador supported the participation of United States air quality
expert Catherine Witherspoon at an Ecuadorian conference
(Sustainable Urban Mobility) and workshops focused on air pollution
and climate change. Ecuadorian audiences and government officials
in Quito and Guayaquil showed intense interest in Ms. Witherspoon's
presentations on advanced air pollution controls for vehicles and
fuels, health impacts of air pollution (e.g., link to heart attacks
and premature mortality),bio-fuel use (ethanol and biodiesel),
improvement of vehicle maintenance practices, and alternative
transportation models. Additionally, her climate change
presentations raised awareness on risks of increased disaster
frequency; long-term reductions in water supplies; food security
risks on local and global scales; impacts of deforestation on global
greenhouse gas emissions; land-use decisions; and international
markets for carbon trading.


30. NREL Renewable Energy Speaker Visits Chile- (Dinah Lee Arnett):
Public Affairs Section Santiago hosted Strategic Speaker Doug Arent
from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in a highly successful
program August 11-13. Mr. Arent addressed government officials,
academics, non-governmental organization representatives and other
private and public sector contacts about the public policies,
regulatory and investment framework necessary for the development of
renewable energy technologies in Chile, a priority for Chile and the
Embassy. Mr. Arent's visit received substantial media coverage and
invaluable support from US Embassy Santiago's Front Office. REFTEL
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31. NREL Energy Expert Continues to Argentina - (Angeles Coscolla,
Sol Rubio): Following Dr. Arent's successful visit to Chile the NREL
expert continued to Buenos Aires August 14 and 15. There he met
with private sector experts, university students and professors, and
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss renewable energy and
energy security. REFTEL BRASILIA 1172.


32. Environmental Law Enforcement Experts Visit Argentina - (Angeles
Coscolla): The US Embassy in Buenos Aires sponsored in July the
participation of two specialists in Environmental law enforcement
and inspections. The workshop organized with the Office of
Environmental Control and Prevention at the Secretariat of
Environment and Sustainable Development consisted of a four day
training program. The audience of national government inspectors
and controllers participated in site visits, including a visit to
the industrial facilities along the severely polluted Riachuelo
River. The success of this training workshop proved once more the
technical collaboration between the EPA and the Secretariat of
Environment. NOTE: EPA experts also carried out a similar training
in Chile a week after being in Argentina.


33. Peru hosts Biofuels Workshop - (Marcos Mandojana, Esteban
Sandoval): Using EEB funds, US Embassy Lima in coordination with the
HUB hosted biofuels workshops in Pucallpa and Lima August 25 and 26.
The workshops focused on environmental concerns, social challenges,
and economic risks and opportunities of palm-oil, jatropha, and
sugar cane as sources of biodiesel. Invited speakers included
Timothy Killeen (Conservation International),Jos Toasa (USDA),and
Miguel Valderrama (Fedepalma/Colombia palm-oil expert). The newly
appointed Minister of Environment of Peru, Antonio Brack,
participated in the event and spoke of Peru's environmental
priorities with respect to the expanding market of biofuels.


34. Suriname Focuses on Combating Illegal Wildlife Trafficking -
(Geneve Menscher):
ESTH officer at US Embassy Paramaribo organized a campaign promoting
the Harrison Ford Wildlife Trafficking Public Service Announcements
(PSAs),broadcasting the PSAs thirty-eight times over three
television stations in Suriname during the month of June. In
launching the PSAs promoting animal trafficking awareness, the US
Ambassador to Suriname hosted an exclusive lunch for official,

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private sector, and non-governmental stakeholders including the Head
of Game Wardens from the Ministry of Physical Planning, Land and
Forest Management; the Deputy Director of Customs; representatives
from the Tourism Board and industry; non-governmental organizations;
veterinarians (export licensing); and the media. Suriname's nascent
tourism industry and lack effective protections for endangered
species put this country at great risk for supporting animal
trafficking for food, animal parts, and exotic pets.


35. Guyana Aquaculture Partnership - (James Plasman): The
U.S.-funded Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) program
recently completed the first stage of an aquaculture partnership
with the Ministry of Agriculture and local tilapia producers in
mid-August, 2008. As part of the GTIS capacity building outreach
effort, University of Arizona professor Kevin Fitzsimmons visited
Guyana to provide technical assistance to some 15 local tilapia
farmers, integrating theory and practical advice on feeding,
building ponds, maintaining water quality, and dealing with
diseases. Dr. Fitzsimmons' visit follows the opening of the
U.S.-sponsored Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station in Guyana, a
tilapia hatchery that will eventually supply 200,000 fingerlings per
year to local aquaculture farmers.


36. Bolivia Holds Biofuels Dialogue - (Michael Stewart): As a part
of a US Energy Officers dialog organized in Santa Cruz, Bolivia in
August by Mission Energy officer, visiting officials held
consultations with representatives from Archer Daniels Midland
(ADM),Guabira (a local sugar and alcohol producer),and Gravetal (a
soy company). Presentations by these local companies provided
grounding on local realities of biofuels project development. Tim
Killeen with Conservation International, a resident scientist and
expert on biofuel development in the Amazon basin, presented
information on environmental implications and sustainable biofuels
development concepts. All parties agreed that while Bolivia enjoys
great potential for biofuel development, political obstacles and
subsidized prices for hydrocarbons prevent any large scale projects
from moving forward.

SOBEL




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