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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 18 BRASILIA 001219 
 
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 112 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  001.2 OF 018 
 
 
¶1.  The following is part of 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)Climate Threat to Brazil's Soya Exports 
--(4)Argentina: Soy - High Profits Now, Hell to Pay Later 
 
Water Issues 
--(5)Chile Starts Effort to Protect Watersheds 
 
Forests 
--(6)Amazon Rainforest Threatened by New Oil and Gas Exploration 
--(7)Brazil Launches Ambitious Fund for Amazon Forest 
--(8)Argentina: Forest Impacts of Pig-Iron Plant Debated 
--(9)Brazil President Signs Decrees Toughening Environmental 
Enforcement in Amazon 
--(10)Guyana to Get US$200,000 from Forest Carbon Partnership 
--(11)Dow Gives $1.5 Million to Preserve, Restore Brazil's Atlantic 
Forest 
 
Protected Areas 
--(12)Chile: Six New Wilderness Areas 
--(13)Iron, Diamonds May Turn Legal to Mine in Amazon Indigenous 
Reserves 
--(14)Brazil Mulls Sugar Cane Limit to Protect Wetland 
 
Science & Technology 
--(15)Brazil Harnesses Space Technology to Monitor Deforestation 
 
Energy 
--(16)Argentina, Brazil to Develop Nuclear Energy Agency 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  002.2 OF 018 
 
 
--(17)Chilean Government Pushes Solar Energy Incentives for 
Households 
--(18)Brazil's Biofuel Plane Fleet Grows 
--(19)Brazil Wants United States Help Managing Nuclear Waste 
--(20)Biodiesel to Bring Electricity to Amazon Villages 
--(21)Brazil: Petrobras Launches Biofuels Subsidiary 
--(22)Russia and Venezuela Will Coordinate on Energy 
 
Climate Change 
--(23)Peru Mountain Glaciers 'Receding Rapidly' 
 
Sustainable Development 
--(24)Bolivia: Businesses Take On the Green Challenge 
--(25)Latin America: Ingenuity at the Service of Sustainable 
Business 
--(26)Implementing a Butterfly Farm: Guyana's Latest Sustainable 
Initiative 
 
SPECIAL FEATURE!!NEWS FROM THE FRONT 
*US Embassy ESTH Work in South America* 
-(27)Colombia: Marine Environmental Security Workshop 
-(28)Ecuador: Sustainable Urban Mobility Expert 
-(29)Chile and Argentina: Renewable Energy Speaker from NREL; EPA 
Environmental Law Enforcement Training 
-(33)Peru:  Sustainable Biofuels Workshops 
-(34)Suriname: Fighting Illegal Wildlife Trafficking 
-(35)Guyana: Aquaculture Partnership 
-(36)Bolivia: Biofuels Energy Workshop 
 
----------- 
Agriculture 
----------- 
 
¶3. Climate Threat to Brazil's Soya Exports 
AUG. 10 2008 - Brazil's soya exports could slump by more than a 
quarter over the next 12 years as a result of climate change, 
according to a study to be presented at an agribusiness conference 
in Sao Paulo.  The study will add to concern over worsening food 
shortages around the world.  It shows that even moderate rises in 
temperatures would cause significant damage to a range of 
agricultural products in Brazil, which has emerged over the past 
decade as one of the world's biggest suppliers of food crops.  By 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  003.2 OF 018 
 
 
2020, the study says, the value of six of Brazil's food crops - 
rice, coffee, beans, manioc, maize and soya - could fall by between 
6.5bn reals ($4bn) and 7.1bn reals if average temperatures rose by 
between 1:C and 2:C.  The most serious damage would be to soya. The 
amount of land suitable for soya cultivation would fall by more than 
21 per cent under the best-case scenario, which assumes that action 
is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and by almost 24 per 
cent if emissions continue at present rates. 
Source - Financial Times 
 
¶4. Argentina: Soy - High Profits Now, Hell to Pay Later 
JUL. 29, 2008- At a time when the price of soy, Argentina's main 
export crop, has reached record highs on the international markets, 
family agriculture experts and environmental groups are warning 
about its severe social and environmental effects.  Covering 16.6 
million hectares, more than half of the country's cultivated land, 
soybeans command prices of around 600 dollars a ton and are 
expanding at the expense of maize, wheat, citrus fruits and cattle 
ranching, among other farming activities. This expansion is likely 
to continue after the recent repeal of the controversial hike in 
export taxes on soy adopted by the government in March. "Soy is an 
example of the 'boom and bust' model, much like fishing, mining or 
intensive logging," said Jorge Cappato, of the Fundacisn Proteger. 
"An ecosystem is pressured beyond its limits, to generate enormous 
profits in the short term, at the cost of renewable natural 
resources." 
Source - IPS News 
 
------------ 
Water Issues 
------------ 
 
¶5. Chile Starts Effort to Protect Watersheds 
JULY 2008 - Watershed protection, one of Chilean President Michelle 
Bachelet's chief campaign promises to environmental advocates, has 
officially gotten underway with three pilot projects.  The projects 
are being conducted on the Copiaps River in the north, the Rapel 
River in the country's center and the Baker River in southern 
Patagonia.  Ana Lya Uriarte, Chile's environment minister, said 
recently that the pilot projects will seek to "analyze the behavior 
of the water, install a public-private planning model and involve in 
a sustainable way all activities around these resources."  Uriarte 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  004.2 OF 018 
 
 
added that the Baker River, the proposed site for a controversial 
hydroelectric project, lies "in an area of our country with 
particularly special ecosystem characteristics, a large quantity of 
virgin zones, and important tourism development".  At the national 
level, the new strategy calls for the creation of an 
inter-ministerial Watershed Ministry Council to propose 
watershed-management policies that "will reconcile diverse 
interests".  To assist the council, the government is creating a 
technical secretariat to be managed jointly by Chile's Water Agency 
and the National Environment Commission (Conama).The new strategy 
also contemplates the creation of local bodies charged with drafting 
and implementing watershed-management plans. These public-private 
Watershed Organizations would include water users, government 
officials, green activists and other relevant stakeholders. 
Source - EcoAmericas 
 
------- 
Forests 
------- 
 
¶6. Amazon Rainforest Threatened by new Oil and Gas Exploration 
AUG. 13, 2008 - Vast swathes of the western Amazon - including 
Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia - are to be opened up 
for oil and gas exploration, putting some of the planet's most 
pristine and biodiverse forests at risk, conservationists have 
warned.  A survey of land earmarked for exploration by energy 
companies revealed a steep rise in recent years, to around 180 
zones, which together cover an area of 688,000 sq km, almost 
equivalent to the size of Texas.  Detailed mapping of the region 
shows the majority of planned oil and gas projects, which are 
operated by at least 35 multinational companies, are in the most 
species-rich areas of the Amazon for mammals, birds and amphibians. 
Researchers used government information on land that has been leased 
to state or multinational energy companies over the past four years 
to create oil and gas exploration maps for western Brazil, Peru, 
Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia. The maps showed that in Peru and 
Ecuador, regions designated for oil and gas projects already cover 
more than two thirds of the Amazon in their countries. Of 64 oil and 
gas regions that cover 72% of the Peruvian Amazon, all but eight 
were approved since 2003.  Major increases in activity are expected 
in Bolivia and western Brazil. 
Source - Guardian 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  005.2 OF 018 
 
 
 
¶7. Brazil: INPE Releases Numbers of Amazon Deforestation for 
2007-2008 
Brazil's Space Research Institute (INPE) revealed that, according to 
its real-time deforestation detection system (DETER), 8,147 square 
kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested between August 2007 
and July 2008.  According to INPE, these numbers do not correspond 
to the annual rate of deforestation, which is calculated by PRODES, 
a more detailed system which only considers deforestation in its 
final stage (i.e. clear-cutting). 
For more information please refer to 
 
¶8. Brazil Launches Ambitious Fund for Amazon Forest 
AUG. 04, 2008 - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 
launched an international fund to finance conservation and 
sustainable development in the Amazon as deforestation rates rise. 
The fund will support forest conservation, scientific research and 
sustainable development projects, such as rubber tapping, forestry 
management, enhanced concession programs, and development of 
pharmaceutical drugs from rainforest plants.  The government hopes 
to raise US$1 billion within one year and as much as US$21 billion 
by 2021, according to Brazil's National Development Bank (BNDES), 
which will manage the fund.  It is open to companies, countries and 
nongovernmental organizations. In September, Norway will make the 
first donation -- US$100 million -- said Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, 
head of Environment and Social Responsibilities at BNDES. 
Source - Planet Ark http://www.planetark.org.  SEE ALSO BRASILIA 
1159 
 
¶9. Argentina: Forest impacts of pig-iron plant debated 
JULY 2008 - Chaco, located on the border with Paraguay, ranks among 
Argentina's poorest provinces. The region's income comes mostly from 
farming and logging. That, in large part, explains why provincial 
authorities have leapt to the defense of a proposal by Vetorial, a 
Brazilian company, to build a US$200 million pig iron plant near 
Resistencia, Chaco's capital.  Pig iron is a key ingredient in the 
manufacture of steel, and project proponents say the Chaco plant 
will generate jobs by helping to supply steel mills not only in 
Argentina, but eventually also in Brazil and southeast Asia. 
Conservationists contend that the project would accelerate 
deforestation as trees are extracted from native woodlands to 
produce charcoal that is used to make the pig iron.  Citing the 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  006.2 OF 018 
 
 
project's environmental-impact study, they point out that the 
Vetorial facility would consume 90,000 tons of charcoal annually for 
the first three or four years, then double that amount as production 
rises.  Chaco already produces approximately 220,000 tons of 
charcoal annually, the provincial government says.  The new plant, 
which would be the first of its kind in Argentina, also would draw 
wood for charcoal from forests in Formosa and Santiago del Estero 
provinces. 
Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete 
article) 
 
¶10. Brazil President Signs Decrees Toughening Environmental 
Enforcement in Amazon 
JULY 23, 2008 - Brazil's president signed two new decrees Tuesday 
aimed at cracking down on illegal deforestation in the Amazon.  The 
first decree gives inspectors the power to seize property and goods 
from people caught with illegally logged wood, and shortens the 
period during which landowners can appeal fines for environmental 
violations from eight years to one.  The other decree provides for 
more agents to police the vast Amazon basin, which covers an area 
larger than Western Europe. The number of new agents is still to be 
determined.  President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the measures 
are necessary to keep Brazilian soybeans and biofuels competitive 
worldwide, explaining that some consumers might boycott those goods 
if they feel their production is hurting the rain forest.  "Not 
protecting the environment would hurt Brazil's competitive 
advantage," Silva said. "We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot." 
Brazil has some of the world's toughest environmental legislation. 
But enforcement is spotty, and environmentalists say less than 1 
percent of fines levied in the Amazon were collected in 2007. 
Source - International Herald Tribune 
 
¶11. Guyana to Get US$200,000 from Forest Carbon Partnership 
JULY 25, 2008 - Guyana will receive US$200,000 from the World Bank's 
Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) to prepare its Readiness 
Plan (R-Plan) for combating tropical deforestation.  The R-Plan will 
outline among other activities, the methodologies to be used in 
carrying out assessments of historical and current greenhouse gas 
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation at a national 
level.  It will also look at mechanisms to project and model future 
emissions from deforestation and degradation, and to update biomass 
field estimates across all land uses, both of which will be done at 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  007.2 OF 018 
 
 
the national level.  The World Bank named Guyana as one of 14 
developing countries selected as the first states to receive money 
for combating tropical deforestation and climate change from an 
initial US$82M partnership between those countries and nine 
industrialized states. The FCPF aims to reduce deforestation and 
forest degradation by compensating developing countries for 
greenhouse gas emission reductions. The 14 tropical and sub-tropical 
countries will receive grant support as they build their capacity to 
reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) 
and tap into future systems of positive incentives for REDD. 
Source - Stabroeknews 
 
¶12. Dow Chemical Gives $1.5 Million to Preserve, Restore Brazil's 
Atlantic Forest 
JULY 17, 2008 - The Dow Chemical Co. is collaborating with The 
Nature Conservancy to restore the shoreline of the Cachoeira 
reservoir in the Cantareira System in Brazil's Atlantic Forest. 
Dow's $1.5 million pledge through its charitable foundation was 
announced at the company's first-ever Latin American Sustainability 
Forum.  The reforestation will take place in a highly degraded 
landscape.  The land's freshwater services are critical to the 
health and well-being of millions of people in Brazil.  Goals of the 
reforestation project include sequestering carbon to mitigate 
climate change, and ultimately selling certified carbon credits to 
support ongoing reforestation in the Atlantic Forest. The ultimate 
goal is to join efforts to reforest all the degraded riparian areas 
and protect the existent forest remnants of the Cantareira system. 
The Atlantic Forest is the source of drinking water for 70 percent 
of Brazil's population including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo - for 
more than 130 million people. The most acute risk to the survival of 
the Atlantic Forest's biodiversity is the very fragmented state of 
forest remnants and their ecological isolation from one another. 
Source - Midland Daily 
 
--------------- 
Protected Areas 
--------------- 
 
¶13. Chile: Six New Wilderness Areas 
AUG. 26, 2008 - Chile's extensive system of national parks, 
reserves, and natural monuments will soon boast six new additions. 
In 2009, wilderness areas in the Arica-Parinacota, Antofagasta, 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  008.2 OF 018 
 
 
O'Higgins, Biobo and Los Ros regions will join the state's 
National System of Protected Wilderness Areas (Snaspe).  The new 
additions include National Park Alerce Costero (Region XIV), Natural 
Reserves Altos del Loa (Region II), Laguna Cahuill (Region VI), 
Cordillera del Pemehue (Region VIII), Cordillera del Noguen (Region 
VIII), and Natural Monument Quebrada Cardones (Region XV).  These 
areas were chosen due to the presence of native plants, animals, or 
geological formations, said government officials.  National Reserve 
Laguna Cahuil, for example, is home to 46 species of aquatic birds, 
many on the verge of extinction.  The parks will focus on 
preservation of Chile's natural environment, and will also help grow 
the nation's burgeoning tourism industry. 
Source - Santiago Times 
 
¶14. Iron, Diamonds May Turn Legal to Mine in Amazon Indigenous 
Reserves 
AUG. 21, 2008 - For decades, Valeria Paye Pereira and her tribe of 
Tiriyo Indians in Brazil's Para state have fought wildcat miners who 
slip across the northern border from Suriname and French Guiana to 
illegally extract gold.  The miners, known as garimpeiros, have cut 
trees, polluted waters with mercury, cyanide and other chemicals, 
and attacked the tribe's wood-and-straw homes. Now, the 1,100-member 
tribe is taking its fight to the nation's capital to stop 
legislation that would allow more mining on its lands. ``The 
garimpeiros bring violence, disease, alcohol and prostitution,'' 
said Paye Pereira, 34. She has been lobbying against the measure in 
Brasilia. Opening up Indian territories would ``lead to 
exploitation, not only of the lands and the environment, but of the 
Indians.''  Lawmakers are debating whether to allow companies such 
as Cia. Vale do Rio Doce and Anglo American Plc to tap unexplored 
land after rising global demand caused minerals prices to surge and 
strained existing deposits. While supporters say doing so will curb 
violence and environmental damage caused by illegal mining 
extraction, indigenous groups say it threatens their way of life. 
Source - Bloomberg 
 
¶15. Brazil Mulls Sugar Cane Limit to Protect Wetland 
AUG. 05, 2008 - Brazil would restrict sugar cane planting in one of 
the world's largest wetland areas if the government approves a 
proposal to protect the Pantanal area's ecology, according to the 
Environment Ministry. The agriculture ministry has been working for 
a year with state-run agencies on a law to restrict cane planting in 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  009.2 OF 018 
 
 
the Pantanal, amid concern about the environmental impact of the 
crop's rapid expansion. No new ethanol plants, which produce biofuel 
for Brazil's fast-growing fleet of ethanol-powered cars and for 
export, will be allowed in the Pantanal's plains under the proposal, 
but it will permit restricted planting in the region's highlands. 
The proposal would require planters in this region, where cane has 
been cultivated for more than 10 years, to use direct, or no-till 
planting methods, eliminating the use of machinery and 
agrochemicals, the ministry's statement said. About 90 percent of 
Brazil's sugarcane is produced in the center-south region, which 
includes Pantanal. 
Source - Yahoo UK 
 
-------------------- 
Science & Technology 
-------------------- 
 
¶16. Brazil Harnesses Space Technology to Monitor Deforestation 
JULY 22, 2008 - Brazil will launch a satellite in 2011 to monitor 
deforestation and urban expansion around the world.  Amaztnia-1 will 
carry a UK -made high resolution camera. The United Kingdom-Brazil 
collaboration was announced July 14 at the 60th Annual Meeting of 
the Brazilian Society for Progress in Science.  It is part of the 
continuing UK -Brazil Partnership in Science and Innovation, and 
stems from discussions between governments and research partners 
that began in 2007 during the UK-Brazil Year of Cooperation on 
Science and Technology.  Amaztnia-1 will orbit the Earth 14 times a 
day at a distance of 400 miles, collecting images of several 
countries. It will have three cameras in total, two of them made in 
Brazil and one made in the UK. 
Source - SciDev 
 
------ 
Energy 
------ 
 
¶17. Argentina, Brazil to Develop Nuclear Energy Agency 
AUG. 28, 2008 - Argentina and Brazil are scheduled to address the 
creation of a bi-national nuclear energy agency when Presidents Lula 
da Silva and Kirchner meet in September in Recife in northeast 
Brazil, reports the Brazilian press.  Working together, the 
two-country agency could become one of the world's leading providers 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  010.2 OF 018 
 
 
of enriched uranium. In addition to the plans by Chile, Uruguay, 
Peru and Venezuela to set up nuclear plants, Argentina has two in 
operation, is finishing a third, Atucha II, and is planning to build 
two more.  Brazil has Angra I, Angra II, is planning Angra III and 
six more by 2030, revealed the Brazilian official.  The creation of 
the Bi-national Nuclear Energy Committee (Coben) represents one of 
17 agreements reached in the recent meeting by Presidents Cristina 
Fernandez de Kirchner and Lula da Silva. However, Coben does not 
have the full support of the Brazilian establishment, particularly 
from the Brazilian Navy which for years has been working in the 
development of a nuclear powered submarine and allegedly is jealous 
of its expertise and experience. 
Source - MercoPress http://www.mercopress.com 
 
¶18. Chilean Government Pushes Solar Energy Incentives for 
Households 
AUG. 27, 2008 - Chile's Finance Ministry announced proposed tax 
breaks as an incentive for solar water panel installation in middle 
to low-income new home construction.  The plan also includes a fund 
to support renewable energy development initiatives.  If approved by 
Chile's Congress, the proposal will grant tax breaks to partially or 
completely cover the installation of solar-powered water-heating 
systems in certain homes.  Solar installation costs will be 
completely covered in homes valued at approximately US$80,000 and 
less, while installation costs will be partially covered for homes 
valued up to approximately US$180,000.  Installation costs for the 
solar panels on each home are estimated at US$1,340, according to 
the state-owned Chilean daily La Nacisn.  Each solar panel system 
would generate over half the energy necessary to heat its 
household's water, reported La Nacisn.  Officials said making the 
switch from natural gas to solar-based water-heating systems will 
mean monthly savings of up to US$19 for low and middle-income 
families.  The Finance Ministry predicts that the initiative will 
cost the government US$40 million in 2009Source - Santiago Times 
 
¶19. Brazil's Biofuel Plane Fleet Grows 
AUG. 20, 2008 - Brazilian biofuel, already available for nine out of 
10 cars on the roads, is also keeping a small but growing fleet of 
aircraft aloft.  Some 200 single-engine, single-seat Ipanema planes 
made by Neiva, a subsidiary of Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, are 
now burning cheap ethanol made from sugarcane for their crop-dusting 
and public health missions.  The first of the ethanol-fueled EMB 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  011.2 OF 018 
 
 
202As took to the air in 2005, and the company has steadily 
increased production, with 32 turned out this year, said the head of 
the factory in the central west town of Botucatu.  Next year, 
production should stabilize at 36 planes per year.  The biofuel 
technology is only used for the propeller-driven planes, in 
accordance with the substantial restrictions for light aircraft. 
Source - Yahoo 
 
¶20. Brazil Wants Help from the United States in Managing Nuclear 
Waste 
AUG. 06, 2008 - Brazil asked the United States for help managing 
waste from its nuclear reactors during a visit from American Deputy 
Secretary of Energy Jeffery Kupfer.  Brazilian Mines and Energy 
Secretary Edson Lobao said the United States has made significant 
advances in the storage of residue from reactors.  Kupfer's visit 
comes as Brazil is preparing to restart work on its third nuclear 
plant, Angra 3. One of the requirements for the plant's 
environmental license was the development of a better waste storage 
system.  Currently, Brazil's nuclear waste is stored in a system of 
"pools", long criticized by environmentalists who say the system 
risks spilling waste into the ocean.  "The United States sees 
nuclear energy as an essential part of its energy supply into the 
future. We are in the process of constructing new reactors after a 
long period and the theme of waste management is an essential 
component of that process", Kupfer said. 
Source - IHT 
 
¶21. Biodiesel to Bring Electricity to Amazon Villages 
JUL. 31, 2008 - Oil from native tucuma, ouricur and murumur palm 
trees will be used to provide electricity to isolated communities in 
the depths of the Brazilian Amazon, which are too remote to supply 
with power by conventional means.  A research team is preparing to 
start producing biodiesel this year at a plant in Carauar, a 
district of 25,000 people that can only be reached by a 
1,600-kilometre river journey, or by a two-and-a-half hour flight 
from Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state. Roberto Figliuolo, an 
expert with the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), told 
IPS that there are "10 promising palm species", which are found in 
"dense natural stands" and yield good quantities of oil. However, 
the team has worked most intensively with the tucuma palm because it 
is abundant and already has a partially developed production chain. 
The Brazilian government has for several years been implementing its 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  012.2 OF 018 
 
 
program "Light for All", with the aim of supplying electricity to 
millions of Brazilians who still do not have it. In more populous 
areas, extending power lines was the method of choice.  But in the 
Amazon region, an area of five million square kilometers with low 
population density, alternatives are being sought based on local 
energy production, such as solar or wind energy, or thermoelectric 
generation using oil from native species or wood residues. 
Source - IPS News 
 
¶22. Brazil: Petrobras Launches Biofuels Subsidiary 
JULY 30, 2008 - Brazil's semi-public oil company Petrobras has 
launched a new subsidiary to run its growing biofuels operations, 
looking towards building production capacity to meet growing global 
demand for ethanol exports.  The new subsidiary, called Petrobras 
Biocombustivel, will coordinate Petrobras' significant biofuels 
investments (US$1.5 billion over five years) which are currently run 
by various units of the company.  Through joint ventures with 
foreign investors, Petrobras plans to buy minority stakes in ethanol 
mills in Brazil and abroad, with an eye towards markets such as 
Venezuela, Japan and the U.S. 
Source - RIO DE JAN   00000205 
 
¶23. Russia and Venezuela Will Coordinate on Energy 
JULY 23, 2008 - President Hugo Chvez of Venezuela and President 
Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia declared that their countries would 
more closely coordinate their actions on global oil and gas markets, 
and work together on foreign policy issues.  Russian officials 
stressed the business significance of the new cooperation, including 
three new deals to expand the presence of Russian oil and gas 
companies in Latin America.  Russia's gas and oil giants, TNK-BP, 
Lukoil and Gazprom, each signed agreements in Mr. Chvez's presence 
to explore reserves in Venezuela's Orinoco Valley.  Lukoil and TNK 
-BP signed agreements to conduct joint explorations with the 
Venezuelan state oil company, Petrsleos de Venezuela.  Gazprom 
agreed to conduct a geological study of gas reserves in the area, 
and reportedly was discussing the possibility of helping to build a 
pipeline to Brazil. 
Source - The New York Times 
 
-------------- 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
BRASILIA 00001219  013.2 OF 018 
 
 
 
¶24. Peru Mountain Glaciers 'Receding Rapidly' 
July 29, 2008 - Climate change-induced glacier melts have cost 
northern Peru's mountains 26 per cent of their surface area in the 
last 33 years, satellite images have confirmed.  The reduction is 
equivalent to 188 square kilometers of the Cordillera Blanca, the 
highest tropical mountain chain in the world. The mountain range is 
home to more than seven hundred glaciers, with the glacier Huascaran 
declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. Marcos Zapata, head of the 
glaciology unit at the National Institute of Natural Resources 
(INRENA), says that the glaciers are melting by around 20 meters per 
year - compared to a rate of nine meters per year recorded until 
¶1977. "At present, there are more melting glaciers and therefore 
there is a relative increase in flows in rivers and streams", Nelson 
Santillan, a researcher at the INRENA glaciology unit, told 
SciDev.Net.  Santillan says that while the melting currently does 
not pose have any significant problems, people must be warned about 
the correlation with future reductions in water flow, water storage, 
and year-round water availability. INRENA estimates that reductions 
in water flow could occur as soon as 2020.  This could have severe 
consequences since recent Peruvian population growth and 
agricultural expansion has centered on water-rich areas downstream 
of the glaciers Santillan says. 
Source - SciDev 
 
----------------------- 
Sustainable Development 
----------------------- 
 
¶25. Bolivia: Businesses Take On the Green Challenge 
AUG. 20, 2008 - What do Bolivia's largest textile mill, an organic 
cacao cooperative and an indigenous-run tourist hostel in the Amazon 
have in common? The answer lies in the path, shaky but inspiring, 
that they are all taking towards sustainable production.  In the 
factories of the Bolivian corporation America Textil S.A. (Ametex), 
even the light switches invite you to "Save Energy".  The company 
says it is committed to optimizing its production processes, 
reducing pollutants, saving resources and recycling inputs and 
materials. Based in La Paz, Ametex is Bolivia's largest textile 
factory. More than 3,000 workers produce 150 to 190 tons of textiles 
per month -- 85 percent of it for the U.S. market.   All of its 
factories are oriented towards sustainable production, in compliance 
 
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with the Environment Act.  Source - IPS News 
 
¶26. Latin America: Ingenuity at the Service of Sustainable Business 
JULY 28, 2008 - Four creative sustainable development projects that 
have enjoyed success in Latin America received media attention in 
July, demonstrating a shared common denominator: the possibility of 
replication elsewhere in the region.  The four sustainable examples 
are a company that will extract silver from the same contaminants it 
proposes to clean up; a cooperative of the formerly unemployed that 
will export designer clothing; small farmers planting new varieties 
of manioc that double the yield with fewer agro-toxins; and groups 
in  linking agriculture in the Amazon with protection of the forest. 
 The article goes into detail about the following four experiences: 
1) Bolivia: Recovering Potos's Silver; 2) Argentina:  Unemployed 
Come Together (Argentine Movement of Unemployed Workers (MTD) of La 
Matanza); 3) Venezuela: Cassava Twice Over (small farmers in the 
central Venezuela state of Cojedes); and 4) Brazil: Coexistence of 
Forest and Crops.  For more information please go to 
Source - IPS News 
 
¶27. Implementing a Butterfly Farm: Guyana's Latest Sustainable 
Initiative 
JULY 20, 2008 - Iwokrama, a center for rainforest conservation in 
the heart of Guyana's rainforest, is known worldwide for its 
innovative approach to preserving tropical rainforests and creating 
livelihoods for local communities. Their focus has been to create 
programs that utilize the forest sustainably, allowing for a mutual 
benefit between the people and the forest itself.  Currently, 
Iwokrama has a number of initiatives under its umbrella, including 
eco-tourism, sustainable forestry, on-going research projects, and 
training programs. Amid these bustling projects, a new one has 
emerged: butterfly farming. Sitting on one million acres, the 
Iwokrama reserve is managed by the seventeen local communities 
within the reserve called the North Rupununi District Development 
Board (NRDDB).  The butterfly farm is a partner with University of 
Warwick, England and was provided a 333,629 pound start-up grant 
from the Darwin Initiative. 
Source - Mongabay 
 
NEWS FROM THE FRONT - ESTH ACTIVITIES IN SOUTH AMERICA 
 
¶28. Colombian Marine Environmental Workshop - (Larry Gumbiner, 
 
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William Popp, Larry Sperling): ESTH officers from US Embassy 
Colombia and OES and OMC representatives from Washington, DC 
collaborated in the organization and implementation of US Military 
Southern Command-sponsored Marine Environmental Security Workshops 
in Cali and Cartagena in July, 2008.  Workshop themes covered marine 
environmental security, protection, and law enforcement training 
with interactive participation of representatives from the Colombian 
navy, Colombian environmental and fisheries authorities, and NGOs. 
Specific topics included multilateral environmental agreements; 
illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; marine protected areas; 
marine pollution and ballast waters; CITES; and coral reef crime 
scene investigations. 
 
¶29. Ecuadorian Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility (Bridget 
Premont, Peter Martin): In July 2008, ESTH officers from US Mission 
to Ecuador supported the participation of United States air quality 
expert Catherine Witherspoon at an Ecuadorian conference 
(Sustainable Urban Mobility) and workshops focused on air pollution 
and climate change.  Ecuadorian audiences and government officials 
in Quito and Guayaquil showed intense interest in Ms. Witherspoon's 
presentations on advanced air pollution controls for vehicles and 
fuels, health impacts of air pollution (e.g., link to heart attacks 
and premature mortality), bio-fuel use (ethanol and biodiesel), 
improvement of vehicle maintenance practices, and alternative 
transportation models.  Additionally, her climate change 
presentations raised awareness on risks of increased disaster 
frequency; long-term reductions in water supplies; food security 
risks on local and global scales; impacts of deforestation on global 
greenhouse gas emissions; land-use decisions; and international 
markets for carbon trading. 
 
¶30. NREL Renewable Energy Speaker Visits Chile- (Dinah Lee Arnett): 
Public Affairs Section Santiago hosted Strategic Speaker Doug Arent 
from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in a highly successful 
program August 11-13.  Mr. Arent addressed government officials, 
academics, non-governmental organization representatives and other 
private and public sector contacts about the public policies, 
regulatory and investment framework necessary for the development of 
renewable energy technologies in Chile, a priority for Chile and the 
Embassy.  Mr. Arent's visit received substantial media coverage and 
invaluable support from US Embassy Santiago's Front Office. REFTEL 
BRASILIA 1172. 
 
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¶31. NREL Energy Expert Continues to Argentina - (Angeles Coscolla, 
Sol Rubio): Following Dr. Arent's successful visit to Chile the NREL 
expert continued to Buenos Aires August 14 and 15.  There he met 
with private sector experts, university students and professors, and 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss renewable energy and 
energy security.  REFTEL BRASILIA 1172. 
 
¶32. Environmental Law Enforcement Experts Visit Argentina - (Angeles 
Coscolla): The US Embassy in Buenos Aires sponsored in July the 
participation of two specialists in Environmental law enforcement 
and inspections.   The workshop organized with the Office of 
Environmental Control and Prevention at the Secretariat of 
Environment and Sustainable Development consisted of a four day 
training program.  The audience of national government inspectors 
and controllers participated in site visits, including a visit to 
the industrial facilities along the severely polluted Riachuelo 
River.  The success of this training workshop proved once more the 
technical collaboration between the EPA and the Secretariat of 
Environment.  NOTE: EPA experts also carried out a similar training 
in Chile a week after being in Argentina. 
 
¶33. Peru hosts Biofuels Workshop - (Marcos Mandojana, Esteban 
Sandoval): Using EEB funds, US Embassy Lima in coordination with the 
HUB hosted biofuels workshops in Pucallpa and Lima August 25 and 26. 
 The workshops focused on environmental concerns, social challenges, 
and economic risks and opportunities of palm-oil, jatropha, and 
sugar cane as sources of biodiesel.  Invited speakers included 
Timothy Killeen (Conservation International), Jos Toasa (USDA), and 
Miguel Valderrama (Fedepalma/Colombia palm-oil expert).  The newly 
appointed Minister of Environment of Peru, Antonio Brack, 
participated in the event and spoke of Peru's environmental 
priorities with respect to the expanding market of biofuels. 
 
¶34. Suriname Focuses on Combating Illegal Wildlife Trafficking - 
(Geneve Menscher): 
ESTH officer at US Embassy Paramaribo organized a campaign promoting 
the Harrison Ford Wildlife Trafficking Public Service Announcements 
(PSAs), broadcasting the PSAs thirty-eight times over three 
television stations in Suriname during the month of June.  In 
launching the PSAs promoting animal trafficking awareness, the US 
Ambassador to Suriname hosted an exclusive lunch for official, 
 
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private sector, and non-governmental stakeholders including the Head 
of Game Wardens from the Ministry of Physical Planning, Land and 
Forest Management; the Deputy Director of Customs; representatives 
from the Tourism Board and industry; non-governmental organizations; 
veterinarians (export licensing); and the media.  Suriname's nascent 
tourism industry and lack effective protections for endangered 
species put this country at great risk for supporting animal 
trafficking for food, animal parts, and exotic pets. 
 
¶35. Guyana Aquaculture Partnership - (James Plasman): The 
U.S.-funded Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) program 
recently completed the first stage of an aquaculture partnership 
with the Ministry of Agriculture and local tilapia producers in 
mid-August, 2008.  As part of the GTIS capacity building outreach 
effort, University of Arizona professor Kevin Fitzsimmons visited 
Guyana to provide technical assistance to some 15 local tilapia 
farmers, integrating theory and practical advice on feeding, 
building ponds, maintaining water quality, and dealing with 
diseases. Dr. Fitzsimmons' visit follows the opening of the 
U.S.-sponsored Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station in Guyana, a 
tilapia hatchery that will eventually supply 200,000 fingerlings per 
year to local aquaculture farmers. 
 
¶36. Bolivia Holds Biofuels Dialogue - (Michael Stewart): As a part 
of a US Energy Officers dialog organized in Santa Cruz, Bolivia in 
August by Mission Energy officer, visiting officials held 
consultations with representatives from Archer Daniels Midland 
(ADM), Guabira (a local sugar and alcohol producer), and Gravetal (a 
soy company).  Presentations by these local companies provided 
grounding on local realities of biofuels project development.  Tim 
Killeen with Conservation International, a resident scientist and 
expert on biofuel development in the Amazon basin, presented 
information on environmental implications and sustainable biofuels 
development concepts.  All parties agreed that while Bolivia enjoys 
great potential for biofuel development, political obstacles and 
subsidized prices for hydrocarbons prevent any large scale projects 
from moving forward. 
 
SOBEL 
 
 
 
 
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