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Loading ...The Status of Global Renewables
Saturday, May 16th, 2009The Vienna, Austria-based Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) has just released its latest review of the global state of adoption of renewable energy sources — solar (both photovoltaics and passive systems, such as solar water heaters), wind, geothermal, wave, biofuels and small hydro (REN21 excludes large hydropower projects from its review). […]
BNDES Finances “Green Polyethylene” Production
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009From the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES): The BNDES approves financing of R$ 555 million for Braskem to produce sugarcane ethylene and polyethylene Ethanol Chemistry Project is the first to be supported by the Bank The BNDES approved R$ 555.6 million in financing for Braskem’s innovative project intended to produce sugarcane ethylene and polyethylene. The total […]
Not Always Easy Exporting Ethanol
Saturday, February 21st, 2009To hear some biofuel critics tell it, ethanol from sugarcane is being produced in Brazil without regard to its environmental impacts, and certification requirements in export markets such as Europe do not influence such behavior. Hearing of cases such as the one below gives me doubts about such charges. The sugar and alcohol producers in […]
You Know Climate Change Has Arrived as an Issue in Brazil…
Friday, February 20th, 2009…when a prominent Rio samba school arranges for carbon offsets so that it can declare itself Brazil’s first “carbon neutral” entrant in the Carnaval competition! All kidding aside, the Niterói-based Unidos do Viradouro samba school has announced that when it competes in Rio’s famed Sambódromo, all greenhouse gases emissions associated with its performance will be […]
Toward a Sustainable Energy Matrix for Peru? / ¿Hasta nueva matriz de energía sostenible en el Perú?
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Because of their choice of headline (“IDB Support Creation of New Sustainable Energy Matrix in Peru”), most readers of the IDB’s press release on this loan might come away with the impression that the loan is mostly about the promotion of non-traditional renewable energy sources (wind power, small hydro, geothermal) and bioenergy. Read between the […]
Brazil Sets New Records for Ethanol and Biodiesel
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009The Brazilian government reports that its consumption and exports of ethanol set new records in 2008, as did the consumption and production of biodiesel. According to figures released by the Renewable Fuels Department of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Brazil produced 24.5 billion liters of ethanol in 2008, and exported 5.16 billion. The […]
New IDB Financing Facility for Sugar & Bioenergy / Nova Linha de Financiamento do BID para Açúcar e Bioenergia / Nueva facilidad de financiamento del BID para azúcar y bioenergía
Friday, January 16th, 2009From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): IDB backs $150 million Regional Financing Facility for Sugar and Bioenergy Program will focus on northeastern Brazil, Mexico and Central America The Inter-American Development Bank will support the establishment of a $150 million facility to provide short-term trade financing and medium-term investment loans to sugar and bioenergy companies and […]
Brazilian Fuel Economy Labels for Cars
Sunday, December 28th, 2008Latin America, it seems, is becoming more interested in fuel economy. I wrote in an August post about Chile’s proposal for a fuel efficiency/greenhouse gas emission label for cars, and more recently about Mexico’s new government website for consumers to use in shopping for fuel-efficient vehicles. Now it’s Brazil’s turn. In November its National Institute […]
Outlook for “Green Jobs” / Prognóstico para “empleos verdes”
Monday, December 15th, 2008While the idea of creating a “green economy” with “green jobs” has been around quite a while, it really started to gain serious consideration as the climate change debate heated up, and recently moved front-and-center during the US presidential elections and the debates about how best to respond to the global financial crisis (here, here, […]
FAO Calls for Review of the Risks & Opportunities of Biofuels / La FAO pide nueva revista de los riesgos y oportunidades de los biocombustibles
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008From the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Annual report weighs opportunities and risks of biofuels Biofuel policies and subsidies should be urgently reviewed in order to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability, FAO said today in a new edition of its annual […]