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### Viewing cable 06BRASILIA339, SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 70

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06BRASILIA339 | 2006-02-15 19:39 | 2011-07-11 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Brasilia

`

    VZCZCXRO8697
    RR RUEHRG
    DE RUEHBR #0339/01 0461939
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    R 151939Z FEB 06
    FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4550
    INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3788
    RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5335
    RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 4369
    RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2851
    RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1725
    RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3607
    RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5225
    RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1008
    RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6051
    RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1026
    RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3126
    RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 4335
    RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6380
    RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1540
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
    RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
    RUEHC/DOI WASHDC
    RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
    RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
    RUEANAT/NASA WASHDC
    RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
    RHFJBRQ/NSF WASHDC
    RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
    RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
    RUCPDO/USDOC WASHDC

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 BRASILIA 000339

    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: MZWEEDE
    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 70

    ¶1.  The following is number 70 in a series of newsletters, published
    by the Brasilia Regional Environmental Hub, covering environment,
    science and technology, and healh 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
    --First Case of H5N1 Bird Flu in Africa
    --Brazil Will be Top Soybean Exporter by 2007
    --U.S. Wants More GOB Action Against Foot And Mouth Disease

    Health
    --US Embassy Lima Discusses Avian Influenza
    --Brazil Losing Ground in the Pharmaceutical Sector
    --Brazil Initiates Avian Flu Education Campaign
    --Amazon Studies Link Malaria to Deforestation
    --British Medical Support for Brazil's Oil Industry

    Water Issues
    --South America Celebrate Wetland's Day
    --Argentinean NGO Launches Publication on South American Wetlands

    Forests
    --Argentina: Enormous Fire Destroys 250 hectares of Forest
    --Brazilian Congress Approves Forest Concession Law
    --New Tropical Timber Agreement

    Wildlife
    --French Citizen Suspected of Illegal Coral Trafficking
    --Brazil: Sights Set on Biodiversity
    --Colombia: Several Ducks Poisoned
    --Alien Invaders in Colombia!!!

    Fishing  and  Marine Conservation
    --Antarctic Krill Benefit Environment
    --Ecuadorian Soccer Star Weighs In To Save Sharks
    --Argentina: The Neglected Sea
    --Chile's Blue Whale Population Recovering, Scientists Say
    --Argentina: More Than 500 Patagonian Toothfish Marked For Research

    Protected Areas
    --Colombia: UN Oversees Manual Eradication of Coca Crops

    Science  and  Technology
    --Scientists Criticize Brazil's Space Project
    --Brazil: An Astronaut Opens a Door to Space

    Industrialization  and  Polution

    BRASILIA 00000339  002 OF 014

    --Pulp Mills Dispute Will Be "Taken to Mercosur"

    Methane to Markets
    --Landfill in Manaus Will Generate Energy and Income

    Energy
    --Peru: Camisea Gas Pipeline, Phase II
    --US Eyeing Brazil's Ethanol Market
    -- "Green Fuel" Car Launched in Mexican Market
    --Brazil Achieves Self-Sufficient Oil Production -And Adopts
    Revolutionary Flex-Fuel Technology
    --South American Mega-Pipeline Might be Pipe Dream

    General
    --Argentina: Heavy Rain Causes Floods
    --Ecuador: Huaorani Confront Logging and Petroleum Issues
    --Argentina: Pulp Mills Aren't Only Environmental Concern
    --Paraguay's Natural Beauty on USG Internet Image Bank

    -----------
    Agriculture
    -----------

    ¶3. First Case of H5N1 Bird Flu in Africa

    FEB. 09, 2006 - A deadly strain of bird flu has been discovered on a
    poultry farm in northern Nigeria, marking the virus's first known
    appearance in Africa.   A "highly pathogenic" form of the H5N1 virus
    has killed 40,000 birds in the rural Nigerian state of Kaduna,
    according to the World Organization for Animal Health, a United
    Nations agency. No humans have been infected, the agency said.  The
    announcement confirmed predictions that the virus, which has turned
    up in the Middle East and Eastern Europe in recent months,
    eventually would land in Africa, the region that experts fear might
    be the most vulnerable to a bird flu pandemic.

    Source - MercoPress

    ¶4. Brazil Will be Top Soybean Exporter by 2007

    FEB. 03, 2006 - Brazil is projected to surpass the U.S. and become
    the number one soybean exporter by 2007 according to estimates by
    the [Brazilian] Ministry of Agriculture. The 2006/2007 soybean crop
    exports are expected to be about 23 million tons, versus 22.5
    million tons from the U.S.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia.  Original source: Folha
    de Sao Paulo

    ¶5. U.S. Wants More GOB Action Against Foot And Mouth Disease

    JAN. 26, 2006 - Federal capital newspaper Correio reports that U.S.
    officials and business leaders are in Brazil to examine the actions
    taken against recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in
    Brazilian cattle. According to the report, the U.S. delegation

    BRASILIA 00000339  003 OF 014

    offered assistance for Brazil to meet its obligations under the
    Hemispheric Plan to Eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease by 2010.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia.

    ------
    Health
    ------

    ¶6. US Embassy Lima Discusses Avian Influenza

    FEB. 13, 2006 - The [US] Ambassador [to Peru] held a well-attended
    Town Hall meeting on January 25 to discuss Avian/Pandemic Influenza
    and general emergency preparedness.  The Regional Medical Officer,
    Security Office Disaster planner and the Community Liaison officer
    briefed virtually the entire mission Amcits and FSNs at work that
    day.  Experts from the Mission's Avian Influenza Working Group were
    on hand to answer questions.  Although the presentations were in
    English, the Peace Corps regional physician and USAID health experts
    answered some of the questions in Spanish; separate town hall
    meetings wholly in Spanish have been scheduled.

    Source - US Embassy Lima

    ¶7. Brazil Losing Ground in the Pharmaceutical Sector

    FEB. 02, 2006 - A widely-circulated Brazilian daily (O Estado de Sao
    Paulo) reports that Brazil has been unable to overcome an only
    secondary role in producing pharmaceutical products because,
    according to that multinational industrial sector, the nation does
    not have a patent protection policy, nor is it an attractive
    environment for investment.  On the other hand, another daily (O
    Valor) says that Brazil may be chosen by Roche pharmaceutical
    laboratory to produce Tamiflu, currently the most effective medicine
    against the H5N1 virus, responsible for avian influenza.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia.

    ¶8. Brazil Initiates Avian Flu Education Campaign

    FEB. 02, 2006 - Brazilian health officials began distributing
    pamphlets in international flights leaving from Rio de Janeiro's
    international airport with information on preventing exposure to the
    avian flu, such as avoiding contact with birds and consumption of
    undercooked poultry and eggs.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia.  Original source:
    Estadao.

    ¶9. Amazon Studies Link Malaria to Deforestation

    JAN. 30, 2006 - Two studies in the Amazon rainforest have shown a
    link between deforestation and an increased risk of malaria. The
    findings have implications for health management and environmental
    policy in the region.  According to research published 30 January,

    BRASILIA 00000339  004 OF 014

    the clearing of trees in Brazil's Amazon region to create new
    settlements increases the short-term risk of malaria by creating
    areas of standing water in which mosquitoes can lay their eggs. The
    study comes less than a month after one in neighboring Peru showed
    that malaria epidemics in the Amazon were linked to deforestation.
    The findings appeared in January's issue of the American Journal of
    Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

    Source - SciDev

    ¶10. British Medical Support for Brazil's Oil Industry

    JAN. 31, 2006 - British Trade Minister Ian Pearson launched the
    Berkeley Training Center in Macae, 182 kilometers away from Rio do
    Janeiro which will be the first Medical training center aimed at the
    oil and gas industry in Latin America.  The center is a joint
    project involving the City of Macae, Berkeley Training Center and a
    consortium of UK companies led by Lancashire Ambulance service.  The
    training unit will be located at Macae's brand new state of the art
    city hospital with its emergency and telemedicine center, meeting
    the needs of the local population and the 35,000 people working in
    the offshore industry.   Macae, in Rio de Janeiro state is known as
    Brazil's oil capital because of its proximity to the offshore fields
    that account for 80 percent of the country's oil production and 45
    percent of its natural gas.

    Source - MercoPress

    ------------
    Water Issues
    ------------

    ¶11. South America Celebrate Wetland's Day

    FEB. 02, 2006 -February 2nd, World Wetlands Day, is a day (or in
    some cases, a week) when governments at all levels, nongovernmental
    organizations, wetland site managers, and citizens carry out
    celebrations to raise the public's awareness about the values of
    wetlands in general and about the Convention on Wetlands in
    particular.  In Chile, the Coorporacisn de Ambientes Acuticos de
    Chile (CAACH) launched two publications: a manual for the rational
    use of wetlands "Los Humedales No Pueden Esperar" ("The Wetlands
    Cannot Wait"); and a practical guide for schools "Manos al Humedal"
    ("Joining Hands with Wetlands").  For those interested, The Wetlands
    Forum is an unmoderated mailing list maintained as a service to the
    public by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat in Gland, Switzerland.
    To join, contact the list manager (ramsar@ramsar.org).

    Source - Wetlands Forum

    ¶12. Argentinean NGO Launches Publication on South American Wetlands

    JAN. 31, 2006 - NGO Fundacion Proteger has launched a publication
    (in Spanish) "South American Wetlands- Moving towards Sustainable
    Management."  The publication includes research in ten South

    BRASILIA 00000339  005 OF 014

    American countries and aims to help increase knowledge on South
    American wetlands, and the communities and resources included in
    these precious ecosystems.

    Source - IUCN

    -------
    Forests
    -------

    ¶13. Argentina: Enormous Fire Destroys 250 hectares of Forest

    FEB. 13, 2006 - Flames consumed 250 hectares of forest and
    vegetation in El Boson, 150 kilometers south of Brioche. It is
    believed that the fire, considered the largest of the season, was
    man-made. Authorities, however, are uncertain as to whether it was
    intentional. It spread to Costa del Thermo while one-hundred twenty
    firefighters worked to reduce the fire. Two planes released water on
    the more crucial areas, while one plane continuously surveyed the
    fire's position. Using machetes, bulldozers, and spades, the workers
    cleared vegetation to prevent further proliferation. The high
    temperatures (300 Celsius), low humidity (15 percent), and strong
    winds from the northwest made it difficult to control the fire. The
    flammability of pine trees, prominent throughout the region,
    exacerbated the problem. A large amount of pine trees were destroyed
    causing a huge economic and ecological losses as well as a depletion
    of the landscape.  The fire destroyed 10 hectares of cypress trees,
    as well as, beech trees, black pine, and other vegetation including
    rosemary and broom sage.

    Source - Clarin

    ¶14. Brazilian Congress Approves Forest Concession Law

    FEB. 02, 2006 - Brazilian Congress has approved a law for Public
    Forest Management, which must now be sanctioned by president Luiz
    Inacio Lula da Silva.  Against the will of the current government,
    the Chamber of Deputies was able to add three amendments to the law:
    1) Concessions of land larger than 2,500 hectares must be approved
    by Congress [according to the press report Lula will veto this]; 2)
    Opens the Brazilian Forest Service, which would originally be
    controlled by the Ministry of the Environment, to other seven
    Ministries, including the Min. of Agriculture [to the discontent of
    environmentalists]; and 3) any concession in transborder areas must
    be approved by the National Defense Council.  According to the press
    report, the Ministry of Environment hopes to commence concession
    along the BR-163 highway, in Para State, by the end of this year.

    Source - Folha de Sao Paulo. Please refer to BRASILIA 000265 for
    more details.

    ¶15. New Tropical Timber Agreement

    JAN. 27, 2006 - The text of a successor treaty to the 1994
    International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) was adopted in Geneva

    BRASILIA 00000339  006 OF 014

    on 27 January following two weeks of intense negotiations. After
    knife-edge consultations and more than two years of discussions, the
    objectives of the new agreement emphasize the importance of
    sustainable forest management and predictable funding for the
    international timber trade.  The new text calls for strengthening
    the capacity of member States "to improve forest law
    enforcement...and address illegal logging and related trade in
    tropical timber." It also encourages member States "to support and
    develop tropical timber reforestation, as well as rehabilitation and
    restoration of degraded forest land, with due regard for the
    interests of local communities dependent on forest resources."  The
    Agreement also notes that "poverty alleviation" should be an
    objective of tropical timber harvesting and trade.

    Source - kindly shared by US Embassy Lima.  Original source

    --------
    Wildlife
    --------

    ¶16. French Citizen Suspected of Illegal Coral Trafficking

    FEB. 8, 2006 - French citizen and airline pilot, Christof Lirin, is
    under investigation for the illegal trafficking and cultivation of
    coral, an internationally protected species. This is the first time
    that Chilean police have investigated illegal trade of this kind.
    Investigator Maria Isabel Saavedra of the Environmental Crime Squad
    (BIDEMA) suspects Lirin of cultivating and trafficking Small Polip
    Stoni (SPS) coral after they found the species, native to Europe, in
    Lirin's home in the Chilean capital. The coral has a market value of
    around USD6,000 in Chile.  If found guilty, the 42-year-old
    French-Chilean will be in breach of the 1974 Convention on
    International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
    (CITES).  Meanwhile Lirin insists that the marine specimens are for
    decorative purposes only.

    Source - Santiago Times.  Original source: El Mercurio, La Tercera

    ¶17. Brazil: Sights Set on Biodiversity

    JAN. 28, 2006 - Brazil's Ministry of Environment is distributing a
    guide to promote participation in the eighth conference of parties
    to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Mar. 20-31 in the
    southern city of Curitiba.  Brazil - which heads the Convention - is
    pushing for an international agreement on access to genetic
    resources and distribution of their benefits, which protects
    mega-diverse countries, ministry advisor Tony Gross explained to
    Tierramrica.  The meeting in Curitiba, which is expected to draw
    5,000 people from 187 countries, will see debate on international
    rules on biopiracy, a program to protect forests and a new
    initiative for oceanic islands, whose biodiversity is threatened by
    the rising sea levels of climate change, said Gross.

    Source - Tierramerica

    BRASILIA 00000339  007 OF 014

    ¶18. Colombia: Several Ducks Poisoned

    JAN. 23, 2006 - Hundreds of Canadian ducks were poisoned after,
    according to local environmentalists, consuming rice intentionally
    contaminated with rat poison Monocofrox.  Local authorities have
    promised to investigate the water quality in the region and have
    advised locals to avoid consumption of duck meat.  Three people were
    arrested under criminal charges.  To avoid this from happening
    again, Colombia's Ministry of the Environment, Police authorities
    and local authorities plan on launching a campaign in the near
    future, according to the press report.

    Source - Vanguardia Liberal

    ¶19. Alien Invaders in Colombia!!!

    JAN. 03, 2006 - A prized study on invasive species looks at the
    specific example of tilapias (fresh-water fish originally from
    Africa) in the Sinu and Magdalena Rivers, in Colombia.  The species
    was first introduced in the Magdalena River in 1977, when, following
    a drop in fish catches, local authorities decided to repopulate the
    river with tilapias.  According to the press report, the tilapia is
    considered an invasive species in 54 of the 96 countries it is found
    in.  This uneducated and irresponsible move is causing serious
    damages to, for example, the native bocachico (Prochilodus
    reticulatus) fish population, which was already threatened of
    extinction.  Decades ago, fishing stocks were as high as 45,000 tons
    per year - today that number does not reach 3,000 tons.

    Source - Vanguardia Liberal

    -----------------------------
    Fishing  and  Marine Conservation
    -----------------------------

    ¶20. Antarctic Krill Benefit Environment

    FEB. 08, 2006 - Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and the
    Scarborough Center of Coastal Studies at the University of Hull,
    discovered that rather than doing so once every 24 hours, Antarctic
    krill drive to deeper reaches of the ocean several times during the
    night.
    In the process they inject more carbon into the deep sea when they
    excrete their waste than had previously been understood.  By
    parachuting down they transport carbon, which sinks ultimately to
    the ocean floor -- an amount equivalent to the annual emissions of
    35 million cars -- and this makes these tiny animals much more
    important than we thought."  The study is published in the journal
    Current Biology.

    Source - MercoPress

    ¶21. Ecuadorian Soccer Star Weighs In To Save Sharks

    JAN. 2006 - Ecuadorians took notice last October when Alex Aguinaga,

    BRASILIA 00000339  008 OF 014

    the country's most widely recognized soccer star and one of its most
    respected citizens-along with the coach and four other top players
    of the country's World Cup-bound national team-launched a petition
    drive aimed at pressing the government to curb the wholesale killing
    of sharks.  Sports figures here rarely lead environmental causes,
    but Aguinaga has become an enthusiastic shark-protection advocate
    since he watched a video showing how the animals are slaughtered by
    the thousands in Ecuador to feed the lucrative shark-fin trade.
    Ecuadorian shark fishing, most of which is believed to occur near
    the Galapagos Islands, should in theory be in sharp decline. An
    Ecuadorian executive decree issued in October 2004 prohibits all
    sale and export of shark fins, which are in strong demand thanks
    largely to the popularity in Asia of shark-fin soup.  But proof that
    a ban on paper does not ensure a prohibition in practice came soon
    after, when Ecuador's Central Bank reported that during October and
    November of 2004-when the ban was supposed to have been in
    force-Ecuador exported 12,500 pounds (5,670 kg) of shark fins.
    During the entirety of 2004, shark-fin exports totaled 156,246
    pounds (70,872 kg), according to the Central Bank.

    Source - EcoAmericas (please contact Larissa Stoner for complete
    article)

    ¶22. Argentina: The Neglected Sea

    FEB. 02, 2006 - Although Argentina has 4,000 km of coastline, no
    ocean reserves have been set up to protect the waters in its
    exclusive economic zone.  With this in mind, the Wildlife Foundation
    (FVS), a local environmental organization, launched a nationwide
    radio broadcasting campaign in an attempt to raise awareness about
    the importance of looking after the sea.  Argentina's neighboring
    countries seem to be further ahead: Brazil has two protected ocean
    areas and another in the process of being created. Chile also has a
    marine reserve and a second in the works.  In fact, Chile's
    protected area is cited as an example in one of the publicity spots
    put out by the Foundation as part of its campaign.

    Source - Inter Press Service (contact Larissa Stoner for full
    article)

    ¶23. Chile's Blue Whale Population Recovering, Scientists Say

    FEB. 02, 2006 - Chile's blue whale population is recuperating and
    growing rapidly, according to researchers studying the population
    off the coasts of the country's southern islands. While blue whales
    have always occupied waters along Chile's coast, worldwide whaling
    operations severely diminished their numbers during the 1900s,
    leaving Chile with very few of the giant mammals swimming in coastal
    waters.  It was only in 2003 that marine scientists discovered a
    blue whale nursery in Chile's ocean waters, leading to cautious
    optimism among the scientists that the population may be able to
    recuperate.  These whales remain in danger, however. The Canadian
    company Noranda plans to build a massive aluminum smelter in Aysn,
    near the Gulf of Corcovado, a project that has drawn the ire of
    environmentalists.  The proposed project would carve a smelter, six

    BRASILIA 00000339  009 OF 014

    dams, three hydro-electric installations, access roads and power
    lines into the heart of the region.  The smelter would release 1.5
    million tons of solid and gaseous waste each year into waterways and
    forests. All of the smelter's raw materials would have to be brought
    in on ships, dramatically increasing the traffic through the
    pristine coastal habitat of the blue whales. Environmentalists are
    currently promoting and proposing the establishment of a Marine and
    Coastal Protected Area in the region.

    Source - Santiago Times (no link)

    ¶24. Argentina: More Than 500 Patagonian Toothfish Marked For
    Research

    JAN. 30, 2006 - Since 2004, the [Argentine]National Institute for
    Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) has been carrying on a
    capture-mark-recapture program for Patagonian toothfish
    (Dissostichus eleginoides), aimed at providing relevant information
    about this resource management in the South-western Atlantic ocean.
    The study is jointly financed by INIDEP, the Federal Fisheries
    Council (CFP), and companies participating in the Fishery Follow-up
    Advisory Commission (CASPMEN).  The program is aimed at studying
    specific characteristics of the Patagonian toothfish reproduction
    cycle, growth patterns, and feeding habits, to help fishery experts
    and authorities in the adequate management of the valuable species.

    Source - MercoPress

    ---------------
    Protected Areas
    ---------------
    ¶25. Colombia: UN Oversees Manual Eradication of Coca Crops

    JAN. 28, 2006 - The United Nations will send eleven people to
    observe the manual eradication of 4,600 hectares of coca fields in
    La Macarena nature reserve, located in the central Colombian
    department of Meta.   The objective "is to quantify the areas" where
    this illegal drug crop is eradicated, "and report on the development
    of the operation," explained Sandro Calvani, representative in
    Colombia of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The government began
    this effort on Jan. 17 -- to last three months -- in reaction to
    environmentalists' complaints about aerial spraying of glyphosate
    herbicide in the nature parks.

    Source - Tierramerica

    --------------------
    Science  and  Technology
    --------------------

    ¶26. Scientists Criticize Brazil's Space Project

    JAN. 31, 2006 - The new director of the National Institute for Space
    Research (INPE), Gilberto Camara, criticized the Brazilian space

    BRASILIA 00000339  010 OF 014

    program, especially the preparations for the flight of astronaut
    Marcos Pontes to the International Space Station aboard a Russian
    spacecraft.  Camara spoke before members of the Brazilian Society
    for Advancement of Science (SBPC), and presented his plans as INPE's
    chief.  He underscored that Brazil needs a [smaller] space program
    that reflects the size of the country's economy and is focused on
    achieving concrete results.  According to the report, the SBPC
    opposes the high cost of sending an astronaut to space.  See more
    below.

    Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia.  Original source:
    Estadao.

    ¶27. Brazil: An Astronaut Opens a Door to Space

    JAN. 28, 2006 - Children at 39 municipal schools in Brazil will
    conduct science experiments in space, thanks to their country's
    first astronaut, Marcos Pontes.  In March, when the first Brazilian
    astronaut, Marcos Cesar Pontes, leaves for outer space, he will be
    opening the doors to the heavens not only for some renowned
    scientists in his country, but also for dozens of children at 39
    municipal schools.  Pontes, a lieutenant colonel in the air force,
    is scheduled to leave Earth on Mar. 30 aboard the Russian spaceship
    Soyuz, blasting off from Kazakhstan and heading for the
    International Space Station. There, over eight days, he will conduct
    various experiments, including two on the effects of microgravity,
    with the long-distance participation of schoolchildren from Jos dos
    Campos, located 100 km from Sao Paulo. This year, Brazil will
    earmark some 200 million dollars for its space program, double the
    budget it had in the 1980s.

    Source - Tierramerica

    -----------------------------
    Industrialization  and  Pollution
    -----------------------------

    ¶28. Pulp Mills Dispute Will Be "Taken to Mercosur"

    FEB. 01, 2006 - The controversy over two pulp mills being built in
    the Uruguayan side of the river that acts as a natural border with
    Argentina, and environmentalist groups' actions blocking routes and
    bridges leading to Uruguay to protest the project, will be taken to
    Mercosur for consideration.  Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister
    Reinaldo Gargano confirmed on Wednesday his government's intention
    which had been suggested the previous week by Housing and
    Environment Deputy Minister Jaime Igorra.   "With this decision we
    want to emphasize our commitment with the region and with Mercosur",
    [stated] minister Gargano thus jumping into the controversy as to
    whether the dispute should be taken to regional or international
    tribunals, following Argentina's announcement that it will take
    Uruguay to The Hague, if the pulp mills go ahead.  Uruguay's
    government has given its full support to the foreign-funded plants
    while Argentina and environmentalists oppose the project, citing
    recent problems in Spain and Chile as a reason to halt the

    BRASILIA 00000339  011 OF 014

    construction.

    Source - MercoPress

    ------------------
    Methane to Markets
    ------------------

    ¶29. Landfill in Manaus Will Generate Energy and Income

    JAN. 29, 2006 - Starting September of this year, Manaus will be the
    first city of the state of Amazonas to have methane gas burner in
    its landfill.  The methane fuel generated by landfills can be used
    for heating or generating electricity - in the case of the Manaus
    landfill, 18 megawatts per hour. The project is a partnership
    between Canadian Conestoga Rovers  and Associates (CRA) and Tumpex
    (the landfill administrator).  CRA is investing a total of USD47
    million and hopes to profit USD5million per year, 10 percent of
    which will be reverted to the city of Manaus.  The project hopes to
    contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions for ten years.

    Source - Ambiente Brasil

    ------
    Energy
    ------

    ¶30. Peru: Camisea Gas Pipeline, Phase II

    FEB. 13, 2006 - The [US] Ambassador [to Peru] attended Hunt Oil
    Company's groundbreaking ceremony for construction of its Liquefied
    Natural Gas (LNG) plant, Camisea Phase II on January 12.  Attending
    also were Korean financing firm SK and Spain's Repsol, which has
    contracted to buy the LNG.  Construction will add 5000 direct jobs
    and up to 30,000 more indirect jobs to Peru's economy.  Peru LNG
    (principal investor Hunt Oil) is investing USD3.3 billion, with
    plans to begin exporting LNG in 2009.  Mexico is not yet confirmed
    as the destination for deliquified gas that would be piped to the
    U.S., and LNG contract buyer Repsol has announced that it will
    consider export to Chile.  There are no significant environmental
    problems, and a new pipeline will avoid some of the gas flow
    interruptions experienced by the existing Camisea pipeline.  The
    groundbreaking reignited public debate whether Peru's natural gas
    reserves are sufficient to cover internal needs and export
    commitments; the energy minister meanwhile detailed the timeline for
    drilling in Lot 56, next to the Camisea fields.

    Source - US Embassy Lima

    ¶31. US Eyeing Brazil's Ethanol Market

    FEB. 02, 2006 - According to the press report, the US is eyeing
    Brazil's ethanol market.  The report mentions Bush's praise on
    Brazil's flex fuel technology and states that Google executives
    recently visited one of the country's main ethanol plants, Consan,

    BRASILIA 00000339  012 OF 014

    in Sao Paulo State.  No details were provided on closing actual
    deals.  Pacific Ethanol, whose main stakeholder is Bill Gates, has
    also commented that Brazil's ethanol market is in the company's
    "future plans."  To them, Brazil has a low production cost and is
    one of the world's most competitive markets.

    Source - O Globo

    ¶32. "Green Fuel" Car Launched in Mexican Market

    JAN. 26, 2006 - A Honda hybrid sedan was launched Friday in the
    Mexican market, which became the first Latin American country to
    offer consumers a car that runs on both gasoline and electricity.
    The Civic Hybrids, which are manufactured in Japan, have a gasoline
    engine that is smaller and more efficient than that found in
    conventional vehicles and an electric engine, which provides
    additional horsepower when necessary. The going price for the Hybrid
    in Mexico is 26,415 US dollars. Honda Mexico's head of product
    planning Ricardo Chan, said he was confident the company would meet
    the sales goal of 450 vehicles this year.

    Source - MercoPress

    ¶33. Brazil Achieves Self-Sufficient Oil Production And Adopts
    Revolutionary Flex-Fuel Technology

    JAN. 31, 2006 - Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras
    achieves self-sufficiency just as a new technology that allows car
    engines to run on both gasoline and sugar cane ethanol becomes a
    national success: last December, 73 percent of all cars sold in
    Brazil already had the new "flex-fuel" technology. The press report
    explains that investment in ethanol production began as a heavily
    subsidized government initiative, but that recent successes are the
    result of market-driven economics and technological innovation.
    Accompanying feature highlights the many bureaucratic difficulties
    faced by Brazilian technological innovators.

    Source - Pulic Affairs US Embassy Brasilia.  Original source: Veja
    magazine.

    ¶34. South American Mega-Pipeline Might be Pipe Dream

    JAN. 27, 2006 - The Pharonic trans-Amazon natural gas conduit whose
    concept was approved amid much fanfare by the leaders of Venezuela,
    Brazil and Argentina this month makes little economic or technical
    sense, could cause great ecological damage and may end up being a
    figment of overly ambitious political imaginations, say analysts.
    The three governments must make a decision in the next few months on
    the viability of the plan, which calls for a pipeline some 8,000
    kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles) long with a capacity to carry 100
    million cubic meters (3.5 billion cubic feet) of natural gas per
    day, mostly from north to south. Venezuela's energy minister said
    construction of the conduit could require an investment of as much
    as USD20 billion.

    BRASILIA 00000339  013 OF 014

    Source - MercoPress

    -------
    General
    -------

    ¶35. Argentina: Heavy Rain Causes Floods

    FEB. 13, 2006 - Heavy rains, damaging soy crops, moved from the
    north to the center of the Santa Fe. The western region of Santa Fe
    received 100 millimeters of rain while San Javier received less than
    20 millimeters. The heavy rain in Santa Fe led to the closure of
    streets and neighborhoods while some citizens were evacuated.  The
    city of Cordoba and other cities in the south also suffered from the
    heavy rain and wind. The neighborhoods in the outskirts of the
    Cordoba capital were greatly affected. Flooding from the Rio Cuarto
    caused the closure of Route 36, between Elena and Berrotarian.

    Source - Clarin

    ¶36. Ecuador: Huaorani Confront Logging and Petroleum Issues

    FEB. 02, 2006 - With an agenda focusing on illegal logging, their
    relationship with the petroleum industry, and institutional
    corruption, the Huaorani indigenous group held a general assembly in
    the jungle community of Nemonpari.  While laudable in its effort to
    tackle these pressing issues, the new Huaorani leadership holds
    unrealistic expectations regarding its ability to shape government
    policy, influence the private sector, and manage the Huaorani
    population.  USAID programs support the territorial integrity of the
    Huaorani lands and the institutional stability of the Huaorani
    leadership.  However, political weakness -- in both Ecuador's
    indigenous groups and the Ministry of Environment -- undermines
    efforts to protect the fragile, mega-diverse ecosystem in the
    rainforests of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

    Source -QUITO 000259

    ¶37. Argentina: Pulp Mills Aren't Only Environmental Concern

    JAN. 30, 2006 - According to the press report, Argentina has several
    "environmental bombs" spread throughout the country - many of even
    more concern than the pulp-mill controversy.  According to NGOs
    Greenpeace and Vida Silvestre (FVSA), agricultural expansion - the
    "soy boom" - is seriously affecting the countries ecosystems.  In
    Northwestern Argentina, for example, indiscriminate deforestation is
    occurring in places that were already suffering other environmental
    damages.  According to the organizations, new [agricultural]
    technology has allowed farmers to plant in otherwise infertile land
    such as Santiago del Estero, Chaco, Salta, and Jujuy.  Greenpeace
    also highlighted more serious cases of industrial pollution in
    Misiones and in Capitan Bermudez.

    Source - La Gaceta

    BRASILIA 00000339  014 OF 014

    ¶38. Paraguay's Natural Beauty on USG Internet Image Bank

    JAN. 05, 2006 - Paraguay is the first of the South American
    countries to have images of its natural beauty on the National
    Biological Information Infrastructure Webpage (www.nbii.gov), which
    offers images related to nature and the environment. The library's
    collections include photographs of plant and animal species, scenic
    landscapes, wildlife management, and biological fieldwork. Submitted
    by the NBII and numerous partners, most images are freely available
    for general, educational, and scientific use.  Paraguay NGO Guyra
    Paraguay is responsible for screening the images.

    Source - IUCN

    CHICOLA

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