Caixa Creates Label for Sustainable Housing
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF, popularly known among Brazilians as simply “Caixa”), Latin America’s largest public bank, is already involved in promoting green building though its insistence on construction using certified wood and its concessionary financing for the installation of the solar panels and water heaters in Brazil’s recently announced “My House My Life” Program to […]
A Green Report Card for São Paulo’s Cities
Thursday, November 27th, 2008Yesterday São Paulo state (SP) Secretary for the Environment, Xico Graziano, revealed the environmental rankings of the state’s municipalities and rewarded the mayors of cities with the highest grades. This quasi “green report card” and honor roll is a fruit of the state’s “Green Municipality” (Município Verde) Program, one of the governor’s “21 strategic environmental […]
US$300 Mil. to Help Mexico Improve Environmental Management in Key Sectors / US$300 para apoyar a México mejorar manejo ambiental en sectores claves
Friday, October 3rd, 2008From the World Bank: World Bank Supports Mexican Initiative to Improve Environmental Management in Key Sectors of the Economy US$300 Million to Develop Environmental Policies The World Bank Board of Directors approved today a loan for US$300.75 million to assist the Mexican government in its effort to better integrate sector policies in order to achieve […]
Sao Paulo’s Green Cities Program Launched / Lançamento do Projeto Município Verde de São Paulo
Saturday, July 21st, 2007Synopsis in English: São Paulo State’s governor, José Serra, and Environment Secretary, Xico Graziano, recently announced the formal launch of the “Green City” project promised as part of the Governor’s package of 21 strategic environmental measures. By early July, 393 of SP’s 645 cities had already signed onto the program’s protocol of 10 commitments, covering […]
Poll on Brazilian Attitudes Regarding Sustainable Consumption
Friday, March 30th, 2007The Foundation for the Defense of the Consumer of São Paulo State (Fundação de Proteção e Defesa do Consumidor – “PROCON-SP“) has just released the results of a recent survey it conducted on the attitudes of Brazilian consumers regarding “sustainable consumption and living.” PROCON is the state consumer protection agency created in 1976, a full […]
Colombia Insists: We’re Serious About Climate Change
Monday, March 19th, 2007Just before the release of the IPPC report, the Minister for Environment, Housing and Territorial Development (MAVDT) held a press conference to assure everyone that global climate change is a priority issue for the Uribe Administration. The fact that Minister Juan Lozano Ramírez felt the need to do so says something. Lozano Ramírez outlined the […]
An Environmental Agenda for the Andes
Wednesday, January 24th, 2007Another piece I started long ago (at the end of Sept.) and left in the queue. I’ll clear the backlog yet! This is one is not over-ripe, though, because the Andean Community is only now implementing the Agenda. The Lima-based General Secretariat of the four-nation Andean Community* (Comunidad Andina – CAN) has released the Community’s […]
Brazilians Seek to Design the Eco-Efficient Home
Sunday, November 19th, 2006In a prior entry I introduced you to the experiments of the Federal University of Santa Catarina’s (UFSC) Construction Systems Laboratory with constructing homes using PET bottles. Today I’ll introduce you to the work of another innovative part of the UFSC, the Energy-Efficient Construction Laboratory (LabEEE). LabEEE’s main mission is research and development in improving […]