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« Previous EntriesEcological Bricks Update
Thursday, August 30th, 2007One of the most popular posts here on The Temas Blog, judging by stats, is one from many months ago entitled “Ecological Bricks.” It still receives a hit (sometimes several) every day. A rather unique version of “ecological bricks” discussed in that post involved entombing whole empty PET bottles filled with air. This brick was […]
Quite a Year
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007A Temas Anniversary A year ago The Temas Blog was born. It's been one heck of a year. I had some idea of the daunting task I was setting myself when I started this venture, but I had all the enthusiasm and energy of a neophyte blogger. A year later, I have less energy […]
Aluminum Recycling Reconsidered
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007A Sixth Year as Aluminum Can Recycling Champion The Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL) recently announced that Brazil recycled 139,100 metric tons (Mt) of aluminum cans (about 10.3 billion cans) in 2006 for a recycling rate of 94.4%, assuring the first-place position for Brazil for the sixth year in a row, ahead of Argentina, Japan, Switzerland, […]
Biofuel in Barbados?
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007If you’re not familiar yet with Barbados Free Press but care about the West Indies, you should check out BFP. Sometimes quirky, but always entertaining and usually informative, BFP loves to disclose and comment provocatively on what the island’s traditional press reports timidly or sometimes not at all. And there’s always many, many comments to […]
Eye on Ads: Brazil’s Initial TV Assault on Alcohol
Sunday, August 19th, 2007About a week ago in Rio de Janeiro the Health Ministry announced, under the banner phrase “Alcoholic Beverages – Know the Risks, Be Responsible”, the launch of its first wave of television public service messages in its new battle against alcohol. You can view first three below. Don’t worry about the language — most of […]
Certifying Efficient Public Lighting
Friday, August 17th, 2007Synopsis in English: Brazil’s certification entity, the National Institute for Meteorology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial – INMETRO) recently announced that, starting in 2008, it and the mixed capital (but majority state-owned) electricity distribution company (the largest in Latin America) Eletrobrás a certification and labeling program for the […]
ANVISA Proposes Criteria for Recycling PET / Anvisa propõe critérios para reciclagem de plásticos PET
Friday, August 17th, 2007Synopsis in English: Brazil’s National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (ANVISA) has published for public comment a proposal for a technical regulation setting out criteria for the recycling of packaging and equipment containing the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In essence, the proposal would replace a 1998 regulation not allowing recycled post-consumer PET to enter into contact with […]
Fostering a Renewable Electricity Market in Mexico
Friday, August 17th, 2007The other day I finally managed to read the report from the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) released earlier this year, Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets in North America (full report available only in English, but there is an executive summary in Spanish). While the report examines the current status and makes recommendations for […]
A Huge Donation for Brazil’s Chief Consumer NGO / Uma donação grande para a ONG brasileira principal de defesa do consumidor / Una donación grande para la ONG brasileña principal de defensa del consumidor
Thursday, August 16th, 2007This grant from the MIF is a major coup for the Brazilian Consumer Defense Institute (IDEC), probably increasing their operating funds by 50% and cementing their lead as Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC) best funded consumer group. Parabéns, IDEC e Marliena Lazzarini (a Presidente do Instituto). To understand better the importance of IDEC and […]
Toward a Brazilian Certification Program for Biofuel
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007Synopsis in English: At the end of July Brazil’s national certification authority, the National Institute of Meteorology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (INMETRO) held a consultation at their office in Rio de Janeiro on its plan to launch a Brazilian Biofuel Certification Program. The program primarily aims at helping Brazilian biofuel exports (particularly, but not exclusively, […]