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    Improving State-Level Environmental Governance in Brazil / Melhorar Gestão Ambiental Estadual no Brasil

    Friday, September 25th, 2009

    Temas 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 […]

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    Sam’s Club to Sell Fair Trade Certified Coffee from Brazil

    Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

    From Walmart: Sam’s Club Introduces New Fair Trade Certified Coffee from Brazil Brazilian coffee farmers link with mass market coffee consumers Today, Walmart, TransFair USA, SEBRAE-Minas Gerais and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that a new Fair Trade Certified coffee from Brazil will be sold to Sam’s Club members across the country. […]

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    Directional Signals in Brazilian Federal Waste Policy

    Monday, August 17th, 2009

    A body most people have never heard of, part of a larger organization many people do not know or understand, met today and took a series of decisions that will help shape new directions in waste policy in Brazil. The larger organization many do not know and a good many do not understand is Brazil’s […]

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    Acordo Mineiro Sobre a Gestão de Resíduos Eletroeletrônicos

    Thursday, August 13th, 2009

    Desde a Fundação Estadual do Meio Ambiente (FEAM): Acordo irá incrementar ações de gestão de resíduos eletroeletrônicos Previsto para acontecer ao longo de 2010, o projeto estabelecerá uma parceria, inicialmente, com 25 empresas que irão repassar equipamentos como computadores, telefones, celulares e impressoras em desuso para a Feam, que dentro do projeto 3RsPCs – Resíduos […]

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    Trash Photos XIX: A Visit to Minas’ Center on Waste

    Thursday, June 25th, 2009

    Yesterday I visited an institution in Belo Horizonte (BH) that, to my knowledge, is unique in Brazil, if not the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).   The Minas Waste Reference Center (Centro Mineiro de Referência em Resíduos – CMRR) opened in 2007 with the mission to serve as the focal point in the […]

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    Brazil Invests in International Research Cooperation on Second Generation Biofuels

    Friday, May 29th, 2009

    Brazil will invest R$11.6 million (about US$ million at current exchange rates) in international research cooperation regarding second-generation biofuels with the 27 member states and the many associate states of the European Union (EU).  A request for proposals from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) calls for projects that develop new production […]

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    Brazil Steps Up Funding for Women’s Cancer Exams

    Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

    Brazil’s Health Ministry (MS) announced today two measures to improve access to breast and cervix cancer screening within the country’s Unified Health System (SUS).  R$ 94.5 million will be invested over the next three years to increase Pap tests and mammograms (see table below). In addition, in June 2009 the Information System for Breast Cancer Control (SISMAMA) will be brought […]

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    Rio Adopts Environmental Registry and Inspection Tax

    Sunday, April 19th, 2009

    Rio de Janeiro just became the latest Brazilian state to adopt a state-level version of the Federal Technical Registry (CTF) and Environmental Control and Inspection Tax (TCFA). The CTF was created by law in 2000 as a federal registry of industries and activities that the national environment authority, IBAMA, deems likely to produce pollution, and […]

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    Pesticide Residue Levels in Brazilian Food

    Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

    Which fresh food sold in Brazil has been found most likely to present “irregular” pesticide residues — levels higher than those permitted by regulation, or even residues of pesticides banned or not authorized for use on the foodstuff it is found on? Peppers.  In 2008 more than 64% of the pepper samples analyzed by the […]

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    CEMIG Considers Electric Cars for Its Fleet

    Thursday, March 26th, 2009

    If you’ve been reading The Temas Blog for awhile, you might recall a prior post about the efforts of the hydropower firm Itaipu Binacional (IB) and FIAT to create an electric vehicle (built at facilities by the giant Itapu Dam) appropriate for Brazil and its MERCOSUR partners (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay).  Now comes word that the […]

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