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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 BRASILIA 002523 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV 
TREASURY FOR USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB 
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: LIZ MAHEW 
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN 
INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY 
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: J WEAVER 
JUSTICE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON 
USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: G FLANLEY 
NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR
SUBJECT: SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 85 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  001.2 OF 014 
 
 
¶1.  The following is the eighty-fifth in a series of newsletters, 
published by the Brasilia Regional Environmental Hub, covering 
environment, science and technology, and health news in South 
America.  The information below was gathered from news sources from 
across the region, and the views expressed do not necessarily 
reflect those of the Hub office or our constituent posts. 
Addressees who would like to receive a user-friendly email version 
of this newsletter should contact Larissa Stoner at 
stonerla@state.gov.  The e-mail version also contains a calendar of 
upcoming ESTH events in the region. 
 
¶2. Table of Contents 
 
Agriculture 
--(3)Brazil's Lula Gives Agribusiness the Green Light, 
Environmentalists Protest 
--(4)Argentina: Residents Say "Stop the Spraying!" 
--(5)Argentine Biodiesel Might Fuel Monoculture, Too 
 
Water Issues 
--(6)Indian Activists Shut Down Peruvian-Amazon Oil Sites 
 
Wildlife 
--(7)Colombia: Protecting Bats Can Be Profitable 
--(8)Endorsement by Chile and Suriname to the Migratory Species GEF 
Proposal 
--(9)Strengthening Regional Management for the Sustainable Use of 
Amazonian Biodiversity 
--(10)Venezuela: Flamingos Enjoy Good Health 
 
Fishing & Marine Conservation 
--(11)Chile to Protect Oceans through Ecotourism 
--(12)Brazil: Growing Freshwater Pearls 
 
Protected Areas 
--(13)Goldman Sachs Wins Award for Chile Nature Reserve 
--(14)Brazil Forbids GM Crops in Indigenous and Protected Areas 
 
Pollution 
--(15)Chile: Air Pollution Online 
--(16)Brazil: Mega-Cities Far From Meeting Air Quality Standards 
 
Climate Change 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  002.4 OF 014 
 
 
--(17)This Year's Ozone Hole is a Record Breaker 
--(18)UN Plan Aims to Share Carbon Projects More Fairly 
 
Energy 
--(19)Brazil Opens First Ethanol-Biodiesel Plant 
--(20)Brazil Prepares for Biodiesel, but Plans for Family Production 
Begin to Fail 
--(21)Argentina: Designing Eco-Friendly Heaters 
--(22)Venezuela, Brazil Meet on Energy 
--(23)Brazil Environment Minister Opposes Building of Nuclear Plant 
--(24)Infinity Bio-Energy to Invest USD 75 Million in Brazil 
Biodiesel 
 
General 
--(25)In Colombia, Minister Suspends Port Project 
--(26)Brazilian NGOs Call Government Agencies for TFCA Talk 
--(27)Bolivia: Protection for Isolated Peoples 
--(28)Brazil: Measuring the Impact of Lightning 
 
----------- 
Agriculture 
----------- 
 
¶3. Brazil's Lula Gives Agribusiness the Green Light, 
Environmentalists Protest 
 
NOV. 25, 2006 - During a visit to the State of Mato Grosso, Luis 
Inacio Lula da Silva stated that the country is ready to take the 
leap of economic growth.  Lula also guaranteed that during his 
second term as President, agriculture will not be faced with the 
same crisis as it faced these past two years.  Standing beside Mato 
Grosso's reelected governor, Blairo Maggi known as the King of Soy 
(or the King of Deforestation, depending from which perspective), he 
affirmed that the federal and state governments will work together 
to solve these issues.  "I am aware of what agriculture in Brazil 
represents to the growth and wealth of this country. [...] we are 
going to invest in roads and in energy." According to media 
speculation, Lula has given Governor Blairo Maggi the right to 
choose the new Minister of Agriculture.  One of the 'favorite' names 
is current Minister of Cities, Marcio Fortes de Almeida, who was the 
Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture during the 
presidency of Fernando Henrique Cardoso.  Fifty-one environmental 
defense organizations drafted a letter on Nov. 24 protesting against 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  003.4 OF 014 
 
 
Lula's words during his Mato Grosso visit during which he claimed 
that "indigenous, traditional communities and environmental matters 
as well as the Ministry of Justice" will not be an obstacle for 
investments in the country, especially in the area of energy. 
 
Sources - FSP, Documento, and Valor Econtmico 
 
¶4. Argentina: Residents Say "Stop the Spraying!" 
 
NOV. 11, 2006 - Cultivation of genetically modified soybeans is 
expanding in Argentina, and with it, the use of herbicides.  The 
"Paren de fumigar" (Stop the Fumigation) campaign warns against 
agro-chemical spraying in urban areas, as activists collect 
information about its impacts in order to denounce it.  Behind the 
initiative are the Rural Reflection Group (GRR), the Nature 
Protection Center and neighborhood organizations.  In the last 15 
years, genetically modified (GM) soybean farming has extended its 
zone of influence, and today is Argentina's leading crop, as well as 
the country's principal export.   The latest harvest of 15.5 million 
hectares consumed 160 million liters of glyphosate -- six times more 
than a decade ago. The serious problem, according to the groups' 
complaint, is that this chemical, which kills all plants except for 
the transgenic crop itself, is sprayed within meters of people's 
homes.  Historically, forests, dairy farms and pastures surrounded 
the towns, and mitigated the impact of chemical spraying of fields. 
But now those protective barriers have disappeared. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
¶5. Argentine Biodiesel Might Fuel Monoculture, Too 
 
NOV. 2006 - Biodiesel is drawing particularly strong interest on 
account of Argentina's position as one of the world's foremost 
growers of oilseeds, which could be used to make the fuel.  The 
third leading soybean producer behind the United States and Brazil, 
Argentina ranks first among the world's soy-oil exporters, sending 
5.5 million tons abroad annually.  But as interest in biofuels has 
grown, so, too, have concerns that corresponding pressure to 
intensify soy cultivation-the vast majority of which employs 
transgenic varieties-will worsen already serious problems of soil 
depletion, deforestation and erosion.  Though current Argentine 
biofuels production is minimal, there are signs of change.  In May, 
for instance, the national Congress passed legislation requiring 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  004.4 OF 014 
 
 
that by 2010, biofuels must account for 5 percent  of the country's 
fuel use.  The law also creates fiscal incentives including a 
fuel-tax exemption for biofuels and value-added tax rebates for 
biofuels producers.  Currently, 26 biofuels projects-the vast 
majority focusing on biodiesel-are planned in Argentina, according 
to the Argentine Biofuels and Hydrogen Association (AABH). Their 
various investors range from the Spanish oil company Repsol YPF to 
financier and philanthropist George Soros. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
------------ 
Water Issues 
------------ 
 
¶6. Indian Activists Shut Down Peruvian-Amazon Oil Sites 
 
NOV. 2006 - Accusing the government of ignoring their health and 
environmental concerns, Achuar indigenous communities in the 
Corrientes River Valley last month blocked access routes and took 
over oil wells in the Peruvian Amazon, forcing the PlusPetrol Norte 
oil company to halt operations.  The 13-day protest cost the company 
about USD 15 million in lost production, according to Peru's 
Ministry of Energy and Mines.  Achuar affiliated with the Federation 
of Native Communities of the Corrientes River (Feconaco) lifted the 
blockade in Blocks 1AB and 8 on Oct. 22, after signing an agreement 
with the company and the national and regional governments on 
environmental and health issues.  Among the Achuar's key objectives 
was to get PlusPetrol to stop contaminating local waterways with 
production water, the saline, heavy-metals-tainted water that is 
brought to the surface during oil extraction.  Of the 1.3 million 
barrels of production water PlusPetrol generates daily, some 230,000 
are pumped back underground, or reinjected, with the rest disposed 
of on the surface. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
-------- 
Wildlife 
-------- 
 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  005.4 OF 014 
 
 
¶7. Colombia: Protecting Bats Can Be Profitable 
 
NOV. 20, 2006 - Researchers at the National University of Colombia 
are working to raise awareness in local communities about the 
importance of preserving the caves where bats (Miniopterus 
schreibersii) seek refuge, and that bat guano is useful as organic 
fertilizer.  Manuela Herrera, at the public University of the 
Atlantic, told Tierramerica that if the farmers take care of the 
caves and don't scare the bats or interfere with the flying mammal's 
life cycle, they will obtain significant quantities of guano, which 
they may also sell on the market. The bats are important in pest 
control, says Herrera, because they catch as many as 600 mosquitoes 
per hour, and a bat colony can consume up to 125 tons per night. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
¶8. Endorsement by Chile and Suriname to the Migratory Species GEF 
Proposal 
 
NOV. 20, 2006 - "The Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative 
(WHMSI) Interim Steering Committee is pleased to announce that Chile 
and Suriname have submitted letters of endorsement for the WHMSI 
Project, assigning USD 156,250 each from their GEF RAF funds.  We 
congratulate Chile's Environmental Commission-CONAMA (GEF Focal 
Point) and Agricultural Service-SAG (WHMSI Focal Point), as well as 
Suriname's Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and 
Environment-MILIEU (GEF Focal Point) and Forest Service (WHMSI Focal 
Point) for their leadership and support to WHMSI." 
 
Source - a message from the WHMSI bulletin 
 
¶9. Strengthening Regional Management for the Sustainable Use of 
Amazonian Biodiversity 
 
NOV. 21, 2006 - The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) 
carried out the "First Meeting of National Coordinators for the 
Project 'Strengthening of Regional Management for the Sustainable 
Use of Amazonian Biodiversity'" in Brasilia (Brazil) October 25-27, 
¶2006. 
A total of USD 2.4 million will be allocated for the project, of 
which USD 1.9 will come from IDB, USD 0.3 million from ACTO, and USD 
0.2 million from each Amazon Basin country.  The execution period 
for the project is 3.5 years. The project is made up of three 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  006.4 OF 014 
 
 
components and in general consists of the hiring of technical 
experts to formulate action plans in the region: A) Formulating a 
strategic framework and regional action plan on biodiversity (USD 
122,000); B) Strengthening the capacity of coordinating applied 
research and generating public information accessible regionally 
(USD 820,000); and C) Strengthening the capacity for coordinating 
and supporting conservation in priority areas (USD 928,000). 
 
Source - BRASILIA   00002448 
 
¶10. Venezuela: Flamingos Enjoy Good Health 
 
NOV. 11, 2006 - So far in 2006, in the northwestern Venezuelan marsh 
of Los Olivitos alone, 6,700 Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus 
ruber ruber) have hatched, reports Betsabey Motta, from the 
Environment Ministry's office of biodiversity.  The flamingo 
population in northern Venezuela has grown continuously over the 
past 10 years, said Motta.  Flamingos "are an overprotected species 
in Venezuela, as they require a simple habitat, even with scant 
vegetation, but salt mining continues to threaten all of the flora 
in marshes like Los Olivitos, to the detriment of other bird 
species," Jorge Hinestroza, professor of ecology at the University 
of Zulia, told Tierramerica.  The rainy season -- longer and more 
intense this year -- helped in the production of more plants as 
food, sought by migratory birds like the flamingo in the southern 
extension of the Caribbean Basin. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
----------------------------- 
Fishing & Marine Conservation 
----------------------------- 
 
¶11. Chile to Protect Oceans through Ecotourism 
 
NOV. 22, 2006 - Chile's National Environmental Commission (Conama) 
has launched a new initiative to protect marine resources while at 
the same time cashing in on the tourism boom Chile is currently 
enjoying.  The National Network for Protected and Multiple-Use 
Marine Areas and Coast (AMCP-MU) will work with local communities to 
promote economic growth through sustainable industries as well as 
conservation and scientific exploration.  Sports such as diving, 
whale watching and sports fishing will be developed.  The initiative 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  007.4 OF 014 
 
 
comes at a time when, according to Chile's state-owned newspaper, La 
Nacion, "the loss in marine ecosystems is not only growing, but 
growing at an alarming rate."  The government project first began in 
2003 and aims to "ensure the conservation and restoration of 
ecosystems by reducing the rate of loss in biodiversity by 2010." 
Three regions have been designated as protected marine areas under 
the scheme: Isla Grande in Atacama (Region Three), Lafken Mapu 
Lahual (Region Ten) and Francisco Coloane near the Magellan Straits 
(Region Twelve). 
 
Source - Santiago Times (no link) 
 
¶12. Brazil: Growing Freshwater Pearls 
 
Nov 20, 2006 - In a pioneering initiative in Brazil, the University 
of Sao Paulo is studying the viability of in vitro cultivation of 
two threatened bivalve mollusk species in order to use some of them 
for producing freshwater pearls.  Larvae of the Anodontites 
trapesialis and Diplodon rotundus gratus will be introduced in 
rivers in Sao Paulo state. The two species are endangered because of 
water pollution, the construction of dams and the presence of 
invasive species.  "The production of pearls would begin in four or 
five years, when we complete the research and repopulation phase, 
and we are assured that the project doesn't hurt the environment," 
biologist Ricardo Cunha Lima, author of the research, told 
Tierramerica.  Freshwater pearls cost less, and are less shiny and 
darker colored than saltwater pearls. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
--------------- 
Protected Areas 
--------------- 
 
¶13. Goldman Sachs Wins Award for Chile Nature Reserve 
 
NOV. 9, 2006 - The U.S. Secretary of State's 2006 Award for 
Corporate Excellence (ACE) went to Goldman Sachs for their donation 
of 680,000 acres of wilderness in Chile's southern Tierra del Fuego 
to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).   Situated on Chile's 
southernmost Tierra del Fuego Island, the area contains native beech 
tree forests, peat bogs, alpine meadows, river systems and 
snow-capped mountains. It is home to several rare species of 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  008.4 OF 014 
 
 
wildlife including the Magellenic woodpecker, the Firecrown 
hummingbird and the Culpeo fox.  The investment bank obtained the 
property in 2003 in a routine business transaction and worked with 
Chilean government officials and the WCS to set up a nature reserve 
instead of liquidating the property. Goldman Sachs also set up a USD 
7 million endowment to fund the future park.  The ACE award is given 
out each year by the U.S. Secretary of State in recognition of the 
role that U.S. businesses play in advancing good corporate 
citizenship, innovation and democratic principles abroad. 
 
Source - Santiago Times (no link) 
 
¶14. Brazil Forbids GM Crops in Indigenous and Protected Areas 
 
NOV. 09, 2006 - Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva signed 
a temporary measure on October 31, which prohibits experimental and 
commercial genetically modified (GM) crops in Indigenous areas and 
in protected areas in Brazil.  However, a decree signed by Lula on 
the same day reduces the minimum distance separating GM crops from 
protected areas - the so called 'buffer zones.'   According to the 
new law, the minimum distance between GM crops and a protected area 
will be determined on a case-by-case basis for each GM variety. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
--------- 
Pollution 
--------- 
 
¶15. Chile: Air Pollution Online 
 
NOV. 11, 2006 - The levels of air pollution recorded each hour by 
the seven monitoring stations in the Chilean capital are published 
in real time on the web page of the Metropolitan Region's health 
authority (http://www.asrm.cl), which previously only reported the 
daily average.  The regional health ministry decided to make the 
data available after three citizen organizations sued the agency for 
access to public information.  The ministry had refused over the 
course of three months to respond to several requests.  In Santiago, 
a city hemmed in by mountains, the worst air pollution is recorded 
between April and September.  In 2005 there were seven environmental 
alerts and two pre-emergencies declared by the authorities. 
 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  009.4 OF 014 
 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
¶16. Brazil: Mega-Cities Far From Meeting Air Quality Standards 
 
NOV. 11, 2006 - Brazil's major cities will have to reduce their air 
pollution much more if they hope to comply with the new parameters 
for air quality established by the World Health Organization (WHO). 
The WHO reduced the acceptable maximum level of the annual average 
for suspended particulates from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic meter, 
cut the daily maximum limit of ozone from 120 to 100 micrograms, and 
the daily average of sulfur dioxide from 120 to 25 micrograms.  Sao 
Paulo, for example, has an average of 45 micrograms of suspended 
particulates per cubic meter -- more than twice the WHO recommended 
limit.  Every year, air pollution is responsible for the deaths of 
some 50,000 people in Brazil. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
-------------- 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
¶17. This Year's Ozone Hole is a Record Breaker 
 
NOV. 2006 - The so-called ozone hole over Antarctica and the 
southern regions of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia set new records 
this year for both area and depth, according to NASA.  Meanwhile, 
scientists say that based on improvements in modeling, they now 
forecast the area of extreme ozone thinning won't begin to heal 
until 2024-well over a decade later than previously thought. 
Scientists say the hole's increased size this year was due not to 
concentrations of ozone-depleting chemicals, which thanks to 
international efforts have been on the decline since the mid-1990s, 
but to fluctuating weather patterns.  Chile and Argentina have made 
similar efforts to protect people in Patagonia from the increased 
ultraviolet radiation that occurs when the ozone hole appears.  Both 
nations issue color-coded ozone alerts for locals.  Distributed 
through the local media, the alerts assign colors according to the 
intensity of the ultraviolet radiation.  In 2003, Argentina and 
Chile agreed to conduct joint research on the effects of ozone 
depletion in the Patagonian and Antarctic regions.  They also 
pledged close collaboration on climate-change research and the 
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.  But scientists on both sides of 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  010.4 OF 014 
 
 
the Andes complain the two governments have failed to follow 
through.  In early 2004, a binational meeting was held, followed by 
the formation of a binational commission charged with developing 
ozone-hole impact studies.  The research, however, has not been 
carried out on account of a lack of domestic and international 
funding. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
¶18. UN Plan Aims to Share Carbon Projects More Fairly 
 
NOV. 16, 2006 - The UN has launched a new initiative to help 
developing nations participate in carbon finance funds, such as the 
Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol.  The Nairobi 
Framework was announced  November 15 at the UN Framework Convention 
on Climate Change held in Nairobi, Kenya, following urgent requests 
from leaders of developing nations for help to cope with the impacts 
of climate change that already affect their countries.  As part of 
the initiative, a partnership between the UN Development Program 
(UNDP) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) will provide rapid 
response services for governments seeking to account for climate 
change in their infrastructure projects - 'climate proofing' - and 
other development plans.  Several prospective European donors have 
already pledged funding to the scheme. Spain pledged USD 2 million, 
with half going to Africa and the other half to Latin America. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
------ 
Energy 
------ 
 
¶19. Brazil Opens First Ethanol-Biodiesel Plant 
 
NOV. 22, 2006 - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva showcased 
Brazil's prowess in the alternative fuels industry on Nov. 21 when 
he inaugurated Barralcool, the first integrated biofuels plant that 
will produce cane-based ethanol and biodiesel from oilseeds. 
Brazil, with its huge agricultural potential, has for decades had 
the world's most advanced biofuels market.  After the oil crisis in 
the early 1970s, it launched the ProAlcool ethanol program to 
lighten dependence on crude imports.  The ethanol-biodiesel plant in 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  011.4 OF 014 
 
 
Barra do Bugres, Mato Grosso, in the heart of Brazil's center-west 
soybean belt, has produced ethanol from surrounding cane fields for 
over 20 years but Dedini, a leading provider of sugar-ethanol, 
biodiesel and cogeneration plants in Brazil, recently constructed 
the integrated biodiesel plant on the site after investments of 27 
million reais (USD 13 million). 
 
Source - Stuff.co.nz 
 
¶20. Brazil Prepares for Biodiesel, but Plans for Family Production 
Begin to Fail 
 
NOV. 21, 2006 - Brazilian economic groups connected to the soybean 
agro-industry are investing heavily in biodiesel plants to prepare 
for the Government's 2007 deadline for the implementation of a 2 
percent mix of the new green fuel to Brazil's diesel supply (the mix 
will be upped to 5 percent in 2010).  According to press reports, 
the new plants will process soybeans. Brazil plans to spur family 
agriculture by incorporating them into the biodiesel cycle by 
producing it from other crops have been facing severe difficulties 
with technology transfer, transportation, legal disputes, among 
others. 
 
Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia 
 
¶21. Argentina: Designing Eco-Friendly Heaters 
 
NOV. 20, 2006 - Argentine researchers will present a project in 
innovations of gas heater design in order to double their efficiency 
and reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. "The heaters on the 
market transmit only 40 to 60 percent of the calories in the fuel," 
Luis Juanico, coordinator of the project in which the National 
Council of Scientific Research and the National Commission of Atomic 
Energy are also participating, told Tierramerica.  The innovations, 
which will be presented to executives in the business sector, 
consists of "introducing small fans between the cabinet and the 
chamber of gas, painting the chamber black, and using a cabinet that 
is more open and lets the heat pass," he said.  This allows 85 
percent transference of heat but makes the heaters just 3.8 percent 
more expensive. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  012.4 OF 014 
 
 
¶22. Venezuela, Brazil Meet on Energy 
 
NOV. 15, 2006 - Venezuelan state energy officials said it would cost 
some USD 9 billion to develop the oil-rich Orinoco River deposits in 
a joint operation with Brazil's state-owned Petrobras.  The heavy 
-crude reserves at Orinoco -- the country's most lucrative oil field 
-- could yield up to 7.6 billion barrels, according to Venezuelan's 
state-run PVDSA. The announcement came during a visit Nov. 14 to 
Venezuela by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who 
arrived just weeks ahead of the presidential election in which 
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez is leading by double digits.  Chavez 
has diverted a large portion of the country's oil revenue to social 
programs, including education and health.  Last year, the two 
countries -- both oil independent -- broke ground on a USD 2.5 
billion refinery in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. 
 
Source - UPI 
 
¶23. Brazil Environment Minister Opposes Building of Nuclear Plant 
 
Nov. 13, 2006 - Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva said she 
opposes the construction of a third nuclear power plant in the 
country, putting into question a state-run company's plan to build 
one as early as next year. "Brazil has enough renewable energy to 
hold off on the usage of nuclear energy," Silva said in an interview 
in Brasilia. "The ministry opposes the construction as it's still 
not sure how safe this energy could be.''  Eletronuclear, a Rio de 
Janeiro-based state company, has drafted plans to build a 7.6 
billion reais (USD 3.5 billion) reactor, to be called Angra 3. The 
construction of the plant is part of the company's 10-year plan to 
meet rising energy demand in Latin America's biggest economy. 
Brazil's energy demand may grow by more than half by 2015. 
 
Source - Bloomberg 
 
¶24. Infinity Bio-Energy to Invest USD 75 Million in Brazil 
Biodiesel 
 
OCT. 31, 2006 - Infinity Bio-Energy Ltd., a fund that bought three 
sugar and ethanol mills in Brazil, plans to buy and build biodiesel 
plants in the country as demand for alternative fuels rises. 
Bermuda-based Infinity plans to invest about USD 75 million to buy a 
biodiesel project and build two more over the next two years, Chief 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  013.4 OF 014 
 
 
Executive Officer Sergio Thompson-Flores said.  Infinity will 
produce as much as 400 million liters (105.5 million gallons) of 
diesel from vegetable oils annually by 2008. 
 
Source - Bloomberg 
 
------- 
General 
------- 
 
¶25. In Colombia, Minister Suspends Port Project 
 
NOV. 2006 - Worried by reports of environmental damage and abuses of 
Indian rights, Colombia has suspended a USD 13 million port project 
in the Caribbean department of Guajira until the company involved 
can address the objections of conservationists and indigenous 
leaders.  Brisa, a private Colombian company, began building the 
Brisa Multipurpose Port in September at the foot of the Sierra 
Nevada de Santa Marta, the world's highest coastal range.  It said 
the port would spur regional development, handle exports of more 
than three million tons annually of limestone, coal and other raw 
materials and generate 3,500 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs.  But 
environmentalists argue work on the port would harm local, 
small-scale fishing as well as two wetlands that harbor important 
species of fish, migratory birds and reptiles.  Among the animals 
that would be affected, they say, are the critically endangered 
American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and hawksbill turtle 
(Eretmochelys imbricata).  The government's current lead 
environmental official, Juan Lozano, says he suspended construction 
of the port in part because Brisa had failed to consult with Indian 
communities as required by law.  He also cites evidence construction 
was impeding water flows between two important wetlands, one a 
mangrove swamp.  His action does not, however, amount to a 
cancellation of the project. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
¶26. Brazilian NGOs Call Government Agencies for TFCA Talk 
 
NOV. 21, 2006 - A group of Brazilian NGOs invited the Ministry of 
the Environment and the Brazilian Treasury for a discussion about 
including Brazil in the debt conversion/reduction process under the 
 
BRASILIA 00002523  014.4 OF 014 
 
 
TFCA (Tropical Forest Conservation Act).  To date, no formal 
agreement has been made with the USG under the TFCA.  This meeting 
was intended to spur the process. 
 
Source - BRASILIA   00002449 
 
¶27. Bolivia: Protection for Isolated Peoples 
 
NOV. 20, 2006 - At a conference Nov. 20-22 in the Bolivian city of 
Santa Cruz, experts, indigenous communities and government officials 
will propose public policies to protect isolated populations in 
South America's tropical jungles.  These communities, also known as 
"uncontacted", are descendants of those who resisted the inhumane 
exploitation of the rubber baron era in the 19th and early 20th 
centuries, and hid deep in the forests.  They are also survivors of 
the oil drilling that is going on today, as well as the extension of 
roads, the logging industry and the expansion of the agricultural 
frontier.  Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are the 
countries with the most isolated indigenous communities. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
¶28. Brazil: Measuring the Impact of Lightning 
 
NOV. 06, 2006 - Every year, there are 61 million lightning strikes 
in Brazil, killing an average of 100 people and causing economic 
losses, according to a study by the atmospheric electricity group at 
the National Institute of Space Research.  "It is the first precise 
estimate of the average number of lightning strikes from 1998 to 
2005, based on satellite data and a national monitoring network," 
Kleber Naccarato, a researcher on the team, told Tierramerica.  The 
lightning study is the latest worldwide.  In the southern hemisphere 
summer these electric charges multiply, and provoke clashes of cold, 
humid winds with warm, dry winds.  However, says Naccarato, "we lack 
data to blame the increase in lightning activity on global warming." 
 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
SOBEL