VZCZCXRO1497
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBR #0228/01 0501605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191605Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1015
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0211
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0214
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0376
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0204
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0239
RUEHOR/AMEMBASSY GABORONE 0207
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0211
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0214
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0732
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0193
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0419
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5303
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0149
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 5954
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 3687
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2384
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4445
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6579
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1403
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 7212
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1442
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3962
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7688
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1604
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5787
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
RUEHC/DOI WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEANAT/NASA HQ WASHDC
RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 BRASILIA 000228 
 
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 FOR NPS: JONATHAN PUTNAM 
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 106 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  001.2 OF 013 
 
 
¶1.  The following is the 106th 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. 
NOTE: THE NEWSLETTER IS NOW ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE BRASILIA INTRANET 
PAGE, BY CLICKING ON THE 'HUB' LINK. 
 
¶2. Table of Contents 
 
Agriculture 
--(3)Colombia's 'Green Flowers' 
--(4)ABN AMRO Unit Was Risk-Analysis Pioneer 
 
Health 
--(5)Health Alert in Paraguay Following Outbreak of Dengue 
--(6)Venezuela: Illegal Mining Aggravates Malaria Cases 
 
Forests 
--(7)In U.S., Approval of Timber Import Bill is looking Likely 
--(8)Brazil's President Downplays Extent Of Deforestation and Is 
Contradicted By Ministers 
 
Wildlife 
--(9)Galapagos Sea Lion Massacre Fuels Conservation Fears 
 
Fishing & Marine Conservation 
--(10)Experts Warning That Lake Titicaca Fish Are In Danger 
--(11)In Argentina, Paran River Bounty Dwindles 
 
Science & Technology 
--(12)Chile Innovation Investment 'May Hit US$200 Million' 
 
Energy 
--(13)Chile Ready to Announce Electricity Saving Measures 
--(14)Peru: Biodiesel and Ethanol Surge Ahead 
 
Extractive Industries 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  002.2 OF 013 
 
 
--(15)Ecuador Official: Protect Indians from Oil Drilling 
--(18)Chinese Company Buys Into Copper and Gold Mines in Peru 
--(19)Illegal Mining Prompts Guyana Border Incident 
--(20)World Bank Official Discusses Green Policy in Region 
 
Sustainable Development 
--(21)World Bank and IDB Approve Sustainable Development Loan in 
Bolivia 
 
General 
--(22)Colombia, Costa Rica 'Top Ten' For Environment 
--(23)Brazil Investigates Environmental, Evangelical Groups for 
Conduct in Amazon 
--(24)State Spying On Green Groups Alleged In Chile 
 
----------- 
Agriculture 
----------- 
 
¶3. Colombia's 'Green Flowers' 
 
FEB. 12, 2008 - Long before many industries jumped aboard the "going 
green" trend, Asocolflores, the Colombian flower growers' trade 
association, quietly began to positively change the environmental 
and social practices of flower farms through a rigorous farm 
certification program called Florverde. Today more than 171 farms, 
comprising over half of the acreage devoted to growing flowers in 
Colombia, have qualified for, or are in the process of qualifying 
for, Florverde(R) certification.  One of the key goals of Florverde 
is to reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals and pesticides 
through the use of sustainable agricultural practices including 
biological and natural controls. To be certified Florverde, farms 
must comply with all compulsory standards, including operational and 
social guidelines. 
 
Source - Earthtimes.com 
 
¶4. ABN AMRO Unit Was Risk-Analysis Pioneer 
 
JAN. 2008 - The recent takeover of Dutch-owned ABN AMRO Bank by a 
consortium led by the Royal Bank of Scotland garnered a great deal 
of press coverage on account of its US$99.3 billion price tag, 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  003.2 OF 013 
 
 
reportedly the biggest acquisition in banking history.  Overshadowed 
amid questions of future market share and looming job losses, 
however, is whether the consortium will continue to push 
environmental and social (E&S) risk analysis in Latin America, as 
ABN AMRO did.  Latin American banks, unlike many of those in the 
United States, Europe and Japan, rarely do E&S risk analysis before 
lending to corporate clients. But the Brazilian subsidiary of ABN 
AMRO became a regional pioneer in this practice and a major 
proponent of it in Latin America.  Though ABN AMRO has by no means 
been the sole advocate of sustainable lending in developing nations, 
experts say its efforts have stood out.  As part of its follow-up 
research, ABN AMRO has checked with enforcement authorities as well 
as non-governmental groups that monitor the environmental and social 
performance of Brazilian companies.  In Brazil and elsewhere, 
analysts will be watching to see whether such work will be 
encouraged under Banco Santander, the new owner of ABN AMRO's 
Brazilian operations. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
------ 
Health 
------ 
 
¶5. Health Alert in Paraguay Following Outbreak of Dengue 
 
JAN. 30, 2008 - A health alert has been declared in Paraguay in a 
bid to stop a new outbreak of dengue fever. Health workers have 
detected some 150 suspected cases of the mosquito-borne disease so 
far this year. The virus disease seems on its way to becoming 
endemic in the heart of South America.  A senior Paraguayan official 
said there was concern because neighboring Brazil had also seen a 
recent rise in dengue and some dozen cases of yellow fever in 
tropical areas. Last year, at least 17 people died from dengue fever 
in Paraguay and the authorities were criticized for not acting 
sooner. President Nicanor Duarte's government was accused of missing 
warning signs in January a year ago and failing to tackle the 
disease properly. A total of some 27,000 cases were registered 
during 2007.  The Paraguayan Health Minister, Oscar Martinez, said 
the latest suspected cases were being analyzed. 
 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  004.2 OF 013 
 
 
Source - MercoPress 
 
¶6. Venezuela: Illegal Mining Aggravates Malaria Cases 
 
JAN. 21, 2008 - Illegal mining in the southeastern part of the state 
of Bolivar (Venezuela) near the border with Brazil and Guyana has 
increased cases of malaria, which in 2007 reached 28,800 cases in 
the region and 40,500 in the entire country (population 27 million). 
 The illegal quest for gold and diamonds has lead to "an invasion of 
humans in the habitat of anopheles, the mosquito which transmits 
malaria," explained Ana Gineth Morales, head of the health 
department in Boliviar.  These nomadic explorers bring the disease 
into the cities and make control of the disease difficult, she 
added. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
------- 
Forests 
------- 
 
¶7. In U.S., Approval of Timber Import Bill is looking Likely 
 
JAN. 2008 - Environmentalists are hailing a bill moving through the 
U.S. Congress that would impose the strongest controls enacted by 
any country on international trade in illegal timber, including 
coveted mahogany from Honduras and Peru.  A product of discussions 
between the non-governmental Environmental Investigation Agency 
(EIA) and U.S. timber and paper industry associations, the bill 
seems almost certain to pass in the coming months. Called the Combat 
Illegal Logging Act in the Senate and the Legal Timber Protection 
Act in the House, the bill sets economic and criminal penalties for 
importers who knowingly purchase wood and wood products harvested in 
violation of foreign or international laws.  Environmental experts 
say it could go a long way in fighting the illegal cutting of 
mahogany and cedar in the protected rainforest and indigenous lands 
of Honduras as well as in Peru's Alto Purus National Park and other 
protected areas of the Peruvian Amazon departments of Madre de Dios 
and Ucayali.  Enforcement would fall to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service with support at the border from the Department of Homeland 
Security and the Department of Agriculture. 
 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  005.2 OF 013 
 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
¶8. Brazil's President Downplays Extent Of Deforestation and Is 
Contradicted By Ministers 
 
JAN. 31, 2008 - President Lula tried to dismiss the significance of 
recent government reports about increasing Amazon deforestation as 
merely "noise." Lula said that the satellite deforestation data 
recently released by the National Space Research Institute (INPE) is 
"under investigation," and that "no one can be blamed" for the 
problem. Meanwhile, Environment Minister Marina Silva, who last week 
blamed the spike in deforestation on cattle and soybean growers, 
visited one of the worst affected areas, Sinop, Mato Grosso, and 
underscored that that the INPE data are correct. The minister met 
with Mato Grosso Governor Blairo Maggi, whose state appears on top 
of the list of worst deforested areas. According to Maggi, "The data 
for April to September are not correct." Science and Technology 
Minister Sergi Rezende said that INPE's satellite monitoring of the 
Amazon forest has 95% to 97% accuracy: "It's interesting to note 
that when INPE was reporting that deforestation was dropping, no one 
questioned the figures." 
 
Source - US Embassy Brazil Public Affairs. 
 
-------- 
Wildlife 
-------- 
 
¶9. Galapagos Sea Lion Massacre Fuels Conservation Fears 
 
JAN. 29, 2008 - Ecuadorian authorities are investigating a massacre 
of 53 sea lions in the pristine Galapagos Islands which has raised 
concerns about whether the government can protect the famous 
archipelago. Park rangers found the decomposing sea lions with their 
skulls crushed on a remote islet earlier this month. Now reports of 
tourists meddling with animals are prompting calls for stricter 
controls at the UN World Heritage site. Ecuador is already debating 
whether to limit growing tourism on Galapagos and has expelled 
hundreds of illegal workers to protect the natural reserve after the 
United Nations warned in 2007 that the site was in danger. 
Authorities don't know why the sea lions were butchered. Traffickers 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  006.2 OF 013 
 
 
often kill animals to take organs in demand for traditional 
medicines. But these sea lions were untouched except for head 
wounds, officials said. 
 
Source - BBC 
 
----------------------------- 
Fishing & Marine Conservation 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10. Experts Warning That Lake Titicaca Fish Are In Danger 
 
JAN. 2008 - Officials with the bi-national Peruvian and Bolivian 
agency in charge of managing and protecting Lake Titicaca say that 
if current fishing practices and the introduction of non-native 
carnivorous fish species into the lake aren't addressed, seven 
species of fish known to inhabit the lake could go extinct within 
the next ten years.  Experts say that in addition to the problems of 
overfishing and pollution, there's also predation: non-native 
pejerrey and trout species, which were introduced to the lake some 
fifty years ago, are eating other fish species in the lake.  In 
March, Bolivia will launch an effort to remove duckweed (Lemna 
gibba) from its portion of the lake. On Peru's side, he notes, some 
35,000 hectares (87,000 acres) have been cleared of the aquatic 
plants, which cause eutrophication.  Duckweed has spread widely, 
particularly on the Bolivian side, on account of the nitrogen and 
phosphorous reaching Titicaca in discharges and runoff from upstream 
sources. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas 
 
¶11. In Argentina, Paran River Bounty Dwindles 
 
JAN. 2008 - News of declining commercial fish stocks might bring 
saltwater images to mind. But in Argentina, scientists are warning 
about declining commercial-fish populations far from the 
coast-specifically, along the Paran, South America's second-longest 
river.  And lawmakers are responding. The Argentine Congress has 
declared a one-year emergency during which exports of Paran fish 
will be limited to 12,000 tons. That's nearly a third of the volume 
that was exported in 2006, the last year for which figures are 
available. And-on paper, at least-the limits are all the more strict 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  007.2 OF 013 
 
 
considering that nearly all of the Paran catch typically is sold 
abroad.  The new congressional emergency measure, promulgated in 
November, directs Argentina's Agriculture, Ranching, Fishing and 
Food Secretariat to develop a fish-protection program. It also 
requires national and provincial authorities to provide economic 
assistance for artisanal fishermen and eventually help them find 
alternative work. 
 
Source - Eco Americas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
-------------------- 
Science & Technology 
-------------------- 
 
¶12. Chile Innovation Investment 'May Hit US$200 Million' 
 
FEB. 05, 2008 - The Chilean government is investing a record US$100 
million in innovative projects this year. The figure is up from the 
US$73 million invested in 2007 thanks to an increase in a mining 
tax, which is expected to yield US$150 million in 2008. All tax 
proceeds will go into the two-year-old Fund for Innovation for 
Competitiveness, run by InnovaChile, the innovation department of 
the Ministry of the Economy.  The government forecasts that total 
2008 investment in research and development (R&D) will hit the 
US$200 million mark if private sector contributions are added. A new 
tax incentive for private companies to invest in R&D may result in 
more private money going into innovation.  Most of the resources 
will go to programs to improve technology and manufacturing 
processes in five priority sectors: aquaculture, software 
development for international markets, tourism (improving special 
interest tourism, such as eco-tourism), mining, and fresh fruits and 
processed foods. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
------ 
Energy 
------ 
 
¶13. Chile Ready to Announce Electricity Saving Measures 
 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  008.2 OF 013 
 
 
FEB. 07, 2008 - Depleted reservoirs, the recent closure of a major 
power generating plant and an expected consumption surge in March 
have Chilean authorities concerned about Chile's ability to meet its 
growing electricity needs.  It's not yet clear what exactly the 
government's soon-to-be-announced measures will entail.  Analysts, 
however, say one possibility could be a slight voltage reduction. 
Chilean residences are wired to receive 220 volts of electricity. 
That voltage can be tweaked by as much as 7% either up or down 
without damaging household electric devices. The government might 
also authorize electricity providers to establish rate incentives 
for customers willing to reduce consumption. 
 
Source - MercoPress 
 
¶14. Peru: Biodiesel and Ethanol Surge Ahead 
 
FEB. 05, 2008 - The Government of Peru has mandated that starting 
January 2009, diesel 2 must contain 2% biodiesel, rising to 5% in 
¶2011.  Similarly, gasolines must contain 7.8% ethanol as of January 
¶2010.  Grupo Romero, Peru's largest domestic business group, 
inaugurated its first biodiesel plant just south of Lima at 
end-January, with a capacity of 3,000 barrels per day.  The plant 
will use imported soy until plantations in the southern department 
of Ica are ready.  Grupo Romero plans to have its second biodiesel 
plant ready by mid-year, in the jungle department of San Martin. 
This plant will be vertically integrated with its own supply of palm 
oil, which the company has already begun planting in San Martin and 
Loreto.  Grupo Romero already has a sugar cane-based ethanol project 
in the northern coastal department of Piura with a capacity of 
300,000 liters/day.  U.S. firm Maple Energy has a 30 million gallons 
of ethanol per year project in the same area. 
 
Source - LIMA   00000213 
 
--------------------- 
Extractive Industries 
--------------------- 
 
¶15. Ecuador Official: Protect Indians from Oil Drilling 
 
FEB. 11, 2008 - Ecuador's attorney general urged the government to 
negotiate with oil firms to stop drilling for crude in a protected 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  009.2 OF 013 
 
 
area deep in the Amazon jungle where Indian tribes hide from the 
outside world. That recommendation could affect operations several 
companies which have part of their oil blocks inside the 700,000 
hectare (1.7 million acre) protected area home to two tribes of 
hunters and gatherers known as Tagaeri and Taromenani. President 
Rafael Correa, a former college professor who taught environmental 
economics, has vowed to protect the tribes from development after 
reports of deadly clashes between Indians wielding spears and 
illegal loggers armed with guns.  Ecuador wants rich countries to 
pay $350 million a year in exchange for it not extracting 1 billion 
barrels of oil under the Yasuni reserve. Quito says leaving the oil 
in the ground would protect the environment in the Amazon to the 
benefit of all countries. 
 
Source- Planet Ark News (no link) 
 
¶16. COMMENT FROM US EMBASSY QUITO: There is currently no drilling in 
the fields that overlap with Yasuni.  Nor have there been 
environmental licenses issued to drill.  But the fields do overlap 
with Yasuni because the companies' contracts were initiated before 
the protected area was delineated (and when it was delineated, 
apparently the govt allowed it cover the same territory).  So there 
is potential for a future conflict.  It looks like the Attorney 
General is trying to introduce the issue into the ongoing 
re-negotiations of the companies' contracts. 
 
¶17. FOLLOW-UP NEWS: Authorities in Ecuador are investigating claims 
that up to 15 Amazonian tribespeople have been killed by illegal 
loggers. The group, from the Taromenane and Tagaeri tribe, was 
attacked in the eastern Yasuni National Park - a protected area - 
reports say. 
 
¶18. Chinese Company Buys Into Copper and Gold Mines in Peru 
 
JAN. 30, 2008 - China's largest metal trader announced it had 
received approval to take control of two Peruvian mines in an 
operation involving 453 million US dollars.  China Minmetals said it 
was purchasing a majority stake in Canada's Northern Peru Copper, 
thereby acquiring two Peruvian mines one of copper and another of 
gold.  The two Chinese companies would then have control of the 
Canadian company's El Galeno copper and gold mine and Hilorico gold 
mine in northern Peru..  Under the deal, China Minmetals will team 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  010.2 OF 013 
 
 
up with Jiangxi Copper to buy 95.92% in the Vancouver-based Northern 
Peru Copper for 455 million Canadian dollars (453 million US 
dollars).  Reportedly, the development of the Galeno project will 
require an investment of around 1.5 billion US dollars and is 
expected to operate for a 22-year period beginning in 2012. 
Minmetals said the acquisition was met with a positive response from 
the Chinese government. The company also has interests in other 
South American countries, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. 
 
Source - MercoPress 
 
¶19. Illegal Mining Prompts Guyana Border Incident 
 
JAN. 2008 - Venezuela and Guyana sought to ease diplomatic tensions 
after Venezuelan troops entered Guyanese territory Nov. 15 and blew 
up two gold-mining dredges near their common border.  The incident, 
in which 36 Venezuelan soldiers entered the disputed Essequibo 
Region by helicopter and dynamited the dredges on the Cuyuni River, 
drew protests from Guyana's government and opposition.  In the 
process, it underscored the explosive nature of illegal gold mining 
in Guyana's Essequibo region, which borders Venezuela's Bolivar 
state and contains dense rainforests rich with coveted timber, 
aluminum and gold.  Such mining has caused mercury contamination, 
deforestation, sedimentation and the destruction of important fish 
habitat. The two nations have since agreed to set up a working group 
to prevent similar incidents in the future.  They also have pledged 
to continue working through the United Nations Good Officer process 
to settle the border dispute that has been simmering since 1899, 
when Venezuela claims it was robbed of the 56,000-square-mile 
(145,000-sq-km) Essequibo region by an international tribunal in 
Paris.  But analysts fear illegal gold mining could continue to 
cause problems along the border by generating more environmental 
destruction.  Mercury contamination, for instance, affects rivers 
used by minority indigenous Amerindian communities for food and 
bathing, and degrades farmland.  Hydraulic mining, meanwhile, 
creates large pools of stagnant water that become breeding grounds 
for malaria-bearing mosquitoes. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
¶20. World Bank Official Discusses Green Policy in Region 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  011.2 OF 013 
 
 
 
JAN. 2008 - Many countries in Latin America have common 
environmental concerns; yet they hope to cash in on high metals and 
petroleum prices. Those prices are fueling a boom in mining and oil 
drilling-and contributing to related environmental and social 
conflicts. Renan Poveda, senior environmental specialist in the 
World Bank's environment and sustainable development area, has 
examined green issues in various parts of the world ranging from 
Hawaii to Latin America.  Poveda has been stationed for the past 
four years in the World Bank's Peru office, where he covers the 
Andean countries and some of the bank's projects in Bolivia. He sees 
a need for Latin American countries to formulate development 
strategies that identify where extractive activities such as mining 
and oil drilling should and should not be done. EcoAmericas January 
issue carries a Q&A with Poveda, please contact Larissa Stoner for 
complete report. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas 
 
----------------------- 
Sustainable Development 
----------------------- 
 
¶21. World Bank and IDB Approve Sustainable Development Loan in 
Bolivia 
 
JAN. 17, 2008 - The World Bank approved, on 20 December 2007, a US$ 
20 million interest-free loan for local sustainable development in 
the Bolivian part of the Lake Titicaca watershed, by promoting 
tourism, protecting the archeological and cultural heritage of the 
area, providing basic water and sanitation services for the local 
population, and strengthening the management capacity of local 
governments. As a result of the project, 150,000 residents of Lake 
Titicaca's neighboring towns are expected to receive access to 
drinking water and solid waste collection and treatment services. 
 
Source - World Bank 
 
------- 
General 
------- 
 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  012.2 OF 013 
 
 
¶22. Colombia, Costa Rica 'Top Ten' For Environment 
 
FEB. 01, 2008 - Colombia and Costa Rica are among the top ten 
nations in a ranking of excellence in environmental performance. 
The 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), conducted by US 
universities Yale and Columbia, was announced January 23 at the 
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.  Costa Rica was ranked 
fifth and Colombia ninth, behind the top ranking nations Norway, 
Sweden and Switzerland.  "Ranking ninth amongst 149 countries around 
the world and second in America after Costa Rica is a great 
achievement for Colombia," says Marta Pizano, a Colombian biologist 
who last year received the Best of the Best prize from the US 
Environmental Protection Agency.  The index measures 25 indicators 
in six different areas: environmental health, air pollution, water, 
productive natural resources, biodiversity and habitat, and climate 
change.  Colombia performed particularly well in forestry, 
fisheries, cropland use and reducing local ozone - or ground level 
ozone, a pollutant from human activities that causes significant 
health problems. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
¶23. Brazil Investigates Environmental, Evangelical Groups for 
Conduct in Amazon 
 
JAN. 30, 2008 - Brazil's intelligence service said that a six-month 
investigation of environmental and evangelical groups active in the 
nation's Amazon rain forest found evidence of genetic resources 
being stolen and of activities that endanger the ethnic identity of 
Indian communities.  The agency said it found evidence that NGOs had 
transferred indigenous knowledge of plants and animals to 
pharmaceutical companies and illegally extracted diamonds on 
indigenous land. Among the groups monitored is the Virginia-based 
Amazon Conservation Team, or ACT, that authorities say may be 
involved in biopiracy - the appropriation of the rain forest's 
biological riches by individuals or groups seeking to patent them. 
ACT allegedly transferred knowledge of the rain forest's plants and 
animals to foreign pharmaceutical companies. Authorities also 
recommended the investigation of Coordination of Indian Nations, a 
Brazilian NGO they say is partly funded by the World Wildlife Fund 
and that is allegedly involved in the illegal extraction of diamonds 
in the Cinta-Larga Indian reservation in the state of Rondonia. 
 
BRASILIA 00000228  013.2 OF 013 
 
 
 
Source - Associated Press 
 
¶24. State Spying On Green Groups Alleged In Chile 
 
JAN. 2008 - Environmental groups in Chile are complaining 
vociferously that they are being spied on by Chile's National 
Intelligence Agency (ANI).  They have been reacting to a report last 
month in the Chilean daily La Tercera that ANI has been monitoring 
Chilean environmental campaigns against hydroelectric plants slated 
for the Aysn Region; a gold mining project high in the Andes called 
Pascua Lama; and a new Celulosa Arauco (Celco) pulp mill in 
Valdivia.  Jose Ignacio Pinochet, a lawyer and executive director of 
Fiscalia del Medio Ambiente (Fima), a Chilean public interest 
environmental law group, tells EcoAmericas he believes such spying 
has indeed been occurring, calling it a "violation of citizen 
rights."  "All environmental groups in Chile are being 
investigated," Pinochet says. "This is very serious, Pinochet points 
to the fact that computer hard drives have mysteriously gone missing 
from nearly every Chilean environmental group at some point over the 
past few years.  So far, the government only affirms publicly that 
it is monitoring environmental conflicts and their participants, but 
it denies secret spying operations are taking place. 
 
Source - EcoAmericas 
 
SOBEL