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First Destination for UNEP’s Green Passport Program: Brazil
Monday, October 13th, 2008The international community is about to launch a “Green Passport” program to promote “sustainable holidays,” and guess where the concept is being field tested first: a small colonial era town in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro (RJ) state, Paraty.
The Green Passport is a project of the International Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development (ITF-STD) created under [...]
SEMARNAT: Respecting Environmental Laws Needn’t Harm Tourism
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008Mexico’s Environment Minister, Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, rejects the claims of some that tough enforcement of that country’s environmental laws and regulations is harming tourism there. He argues that respecting environmental law and tourism development can go hand-in-hand in Mexico.
Elvira Quesada points out that in the first 21 months of the Calderón Administration the Environment [...]
Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria / Criterios Globales de Turismo Sostenible
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008Temas Observation: I was favorably inclined toward this exercise because of the involvement of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Conservation International (CI) and secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), but was less impressed that Ted Turner endorsed it, still unsure what to think about the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts [...]
Electric Cars for Colombia
Monday, October 6th, 2008First Chile, now Colombia. Where next for electric cars in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)?
The American Multi-services Company (Compañía Americana de Multiservicios - CAM) — 100% owned by Enersis S.A., which in turn is a subsidiary of the Spanish energy multinational Endesa — has announced that it is bringing the REVA electric car to [...]
The CEC’s “Annotated Bibliography” on Environmental Impacts of Biofuels
Sunday, October 5th, 2008Normally I would not stick an annotated bibliography in the Temas Recommended Reading List, much less do a review of the “bibliography.” But the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recently released an “Annotated Bibliography on the Environmental Effects of Biofuels” that I find a bit unusual and noteworthy.
It’s more like a review of [...]
Brazil to Start Second Generation Biofuel Production by 2015
Saturday, October 4th, 2008Synopsis in English: The industrial director of Petrobras Biofuels recently declared that his company will enter into commercial production of second-generation biofuels by 2015. The company is conducting priority research in cooperation with Petrobras Research (CENPRES) into developing cellulosic ethanol utilizing wastes such as sugarcane bagasse. “This process will permit increasing production 60% using the [...]
Minas & São Paulo Adopt a Green Purchasing Program
Sunday, September 28th, 2008Two of Brazil’s biggest markets — the states of Minas Gerais (MG) and São Paulo (SP) — each created in August a state program for sustainable public purchasing and contracting that, if done properly, can have a major impact on Brazilian markets — even more so if other states and the federal government follow their [...]
Paraná Takes Aim on New Beer Packaging
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008First aseptic cartons, then long-necked beer bottles, now one-liter glass beer bottles. Hmmm, do you think maybe Paraná environment officials are focused on packaging waste issues?
Earlier this month Paraná’s Environment Secretary, Rasca Rodrigues, again used the press to get a company to the negotiating table. He publicly attacked the new one-liter beer bottle — dubbed [...]
Brazil Adopts New Battery Rules
Friday, September 12th, 2008Brazil’s National Environment Council (CONAMA) just replaced the country’s groundbreaking 1999 rules on the environmental management of batteries and piles (pilhas) with even tougher ones.
Manufacturers should take note, since legislators and regulators in other Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) nations will. The original rules served as a reference point for many LAC policymakers, particularly since [...]
Promoting Tourism in Brazil’s National Parks
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008Synopsis in English: Environment Minister Carlos Minc recently announced a package of R$50 million to stimulate ecotourism in six federal conservation units (unidades de conservação federais - UCFs) with a view to investing in infrastructure (primarily visitor centers, belvederes and guided trails) and contracting concessions for visitors services (restaurants, guides, etc.). Adventure tourism will also [...]
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