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Loading ...Improving State-Level Environmental Governance in Brazil / Melhorar Gestão Ambiental Estadual no Brasil
Friday, September 25th, 2009Temas Observation: Note how this loan/project is being marketed. The headline trumpets “green growth” when in reality the program is more about strengthening environmental governance/institutions, arguably not as sexy a topic. The Bank argues that this is about ensuring economic growth is as green as possible through good regulation by competent, properly-equipped environmental regulators…seems like […]
Mandatory PSAs at the Movies?
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009The Governor of Brazil’s Federal District (DF) just signed a law that would require all the cinemas in the DF to exhibit “educative campaigns on the preservation, conservation, restoration and improvement of the environment” before showing films. The campaigns are to be produced and supplied by the DF’s agencies responsible for the preservation, conservation, restoration […]
Santa Catarina Supports 52 Small Hydropower Projects
Thursday, May 21st, 2009The southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina (SC) has made a heavy commitment to small hydro. The SC State Secretary for Sustainable Economic Development (SDS), Onofre Santo Agostini, just signed 14 portarias authorizing the construction of 14 new small hydroelectric plants (known in Brazil as pequenas centrais hidrelétricas – PCHs). In Brazil any hydroelectric plant […]
A Symbolic Ban of Asbestos
Thursday, January 29th, 2009Brazil’s Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, just banned asbestos. Well, not quite. He announced at the World Social Forum that has banned, through an administrative rule (portaria), the use of any product containing asbesto fibers in construction or goods acquired by the Environment Ministry (MMA) and its associated organs: the national environment agency, IBAMA, the Chico […]
A Unique Environmental Institution
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009Right now, until 05 February, environmental groups across Brazil are electing their representatives on the National Environment Council (Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente – CONAMA). The more than 500 environment nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Environment Ministry’s (MMA) National Registry of Environmental Entities (Cadastro Nacional de Entidades Ambientalistas – CNEA) are voting for which individuals […]
A Water and Sanitation Atlas for Brazil
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008Last month a branch of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“), the Institute of Communication and Scientific and Technological Information in Health (Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde – Icict), in partnership with the Health Ministry’s (MS) General Coordination for Environmental Health Surveillance (Coordenação Geral de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental – CGVAM), […]
RS Court Creates Special Chambers for Environment Cases
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008The state court system of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (TJRS) has decided to create special chambers, one civil and one criminal, to handle cases involving environmental law. The Court will now look into what schooling/training to require for judges serving in the chamber. The move had been requested in a […]
Study Suggests High Climate Change Vulnerability for Brazil’s Northern States / Relatório indica vulnerabilidade climática alta para o Norte do Brasil
Monday, September 15th, 2008Brazil’s National Space Research Institute (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) and its largest mining company (and second largest in the world), CVRD (now just calling itself “Vale“), last week released the first of three reports on the impact of climate change on the vegetation, agriculture, biodiversity and energy generating capacity of the states […]
In Ethanol, as São Paulo Goes, So Goes Brazil?
Thursday, May 10th, 2007The Governor of São Paulo State (SP), José Serra, recently announced the creation of a high-profile “Special Bioenergy Commission” to map out where the State goes in the production of “clean and renewable energy” in coming years. Within six months (i.e., before the end of October) the Commission is provide the Governor with an action […]
PAC’ing Brazil II: Regulatory Agencies
Friday, March 2nd, 2007In Part I, I provided an overview of what the Program for Accelerated Growth (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento – PAC) proposed by President Lula is and why it matters to the issues I discuss in The Temas Blog. I also discussed its most direct impact on environment policy, the proposed changes in environmental licensing. […]