Welcome ! As a young French Marketing professional with a Master's in International Management I have been selecting since January 2007 the latest headlines and best researches on sustainable development, climate change, cleantech and the world energy sector. Sounds great ? Don't hesitate to subscribe now !
I noted last year that Amazon deforestation was at its lowest. Well it decreased again. To Grist : ” a study on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon found that the number of square kilometers disappearing each year has hit a record low. “
However, these good news might be only temporary. Originally Grist was mentioning a vote that was due to weaken the local forest code and thus, increase deforestation.
Luckily, this vote has been postponed until March 2012 as the WWF noted today on its blog. We gotta campaign to keep the current forest code and protect our rainforests !
To the AFP : ” Brazil, South Africa, India and China said Saturday that November’s UN climate talks should aim to extend the Kyoto Protocol, the only binding global deal to cut greenhouse gases. “
” The four key emerging powers – seen as critical to the success of any future effort to combat climate change – said keeping Kyoto alive should be the “central priority” at the key UN summit in South Africa. “
” The bloc released the statement after two days of talks in southeast Brazil to prepare for the next UN climate conference scheduled to take place in Durban from November 28 to December 9. “ Continue »
Climate Progress published an article on how developing countries are more moving on climate change than developed, when the latter are responsible for the largest share of emissions…
This is completely crazy and sad at the same time. As they note : ” The countries that have made the smallest contribution to climate change may be doing the most to address it. “
” That would be Robin Hood in reverse — compounding the fact that we are all reverse Robin Hoods, maintaining our wealthy lifestyles by robbing our children of a livable climate and truly sustainable wealth” Continue »
To CleanTechnica : ” A new national 10-year plan from Brazil shows that the country will triple its use of renewable energy by 2020 and that a lot of that energy will be wind energy. ”
” Going from 9 GW of wind, biomass and small hydropower in 2010, the country intends to hit 27 GW by 2020. It wants to have 16% of its electricity supply coming from renewables in 10 years. “
South Korea is also moving forward : “The South Korean government and businesses aim to bolster their share in the world’s renewable energy market to 18 percent by 2030, (…)” Bloomberg News reported. “
To the New York Times : ” Hydropower, a renewable energy source often overshadowed by excitement about wind and solar power, is enjoying something of a global resurgence.”
” Huge, controversial dam projects have recently made headlines in Brazil, Chile and Laos. Many developing countries, hungry for energy to supply their growing economies (…) are determined to keep building more modest-sized dams too. “
” Record amounts of hydropower capacity came online in 2008 and 2009 (…) according to Richard Taylor, executive director of the International Hydropower Association in London. “ Continue »
If you think business is bad in every sectors, think again. To Reuters : ” Brazil, China and India are expected to fuel global investments in clean energy in 2011 that are expected to reach $240 billion. (175 billion euros)
The U.N.’s environmental unit (UNEP) said investment in renewable energy hit $180-$200 billion (130-145 billion euros) in 2010 up from $162 billion in 2009 (115 billion euros), driven by the three countries.
The increased investments are because sustainable energy is gaining momentum as governments seek cheaper sources — such as solar, wind and ethanol — to cushion against rising oil prices.” Continue »
Just a couple of weeks after I was writing about the catastrophic floods in Australia, similar dramatic events claimed the lives of more than 500 people in the Rio de Janeiro State of Brazil.
To the Telegraph, this makes it “ the country’s worst-ever natural disaster. “ What actually claimed most lives were mudslides as the equivalent of a month of rain fell in less than a day.
Brazil has been willing to cut its greenhouse gases emissions by slashing deforestation. I believe that after such events the new President, Dilma Rousseff, will be willing to do even more…
Last year the deforestation of the Brazilian part of the Amazon rainforest was slowing dramatically. It keeps doing so: ” Brazil’s government says deforestation in the Amazon rain forest has dropped to its slowest pace in 22 years.”
” Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira says satellite imagery of the National Institute for Space Research shows that 6,450 square kilometers of the Amazon was deforested between 2009 and 2010, a 14 percent drop from a year earlier.“
” (…) the area deforested is the least since 1988. “ These sure are great news that show that Brazil is committed more than ever it protecting the lungs of the planet. (Source : Huffington Post)
According to CleanTechies : ” The Brazilian government earlier this month held a wind, hydroelectric and biomass auction that is expected to prompt US$ 5.52 billion in investments in renewable energies in Brazil. “
” (…) Brazil currently holds 65 percent of the installed potential for wind power generation in Latin America. The country currently maintains 45 wind farms, totaling 794 MW of power, or just 0.7 percent of the Brazilian energy supply mix. “
Nearly half of Brazilian electricity comes from renewable energies. Out of which, hydro accounts for 80 percent. The local electricity demand grows by around 7 percent per annum.
I wrote about it before : deforestation in the Brazilian part of the Amazon rainforest – aka the lungs of Earth – decreased by no less than 46 percent and is at record low levels in the past two decades.
These are surely good news as deforestation is a predominant part in Brazilian greenhouse gases emissions. TreeHugger explains how this was achieved, partly thanks to satellites.
As a science fiction fan I like it when space technology helps solving Earth matters. This isn’t the first time it happens. Continue »
