19/01/2010 - On Thursday
(January 14), an operation in the Caatinga
closed seven factories located in the municipality
of Araripe (PE).
They've been using, as charcoal, wood removed
illegally from the biome for the production
of gypsum.
Promoted by the Ministry
of the Environment (MMA) along with Ibama
and the Military Police, among other institutions,
the operation was attended by the minister
Carlos Minc. "Anyone that contributes
to the deforestation in the Caatinga will
have to replant, one by one, the native
trees that were destroyed. The Caatinga
will not turn into charcoal", he said.
The Special Adviser
to the MMA, José Maurício
Padrone, participated in the operation and
said that this is not the first time that
these factories in Araripe are caught committing
environmental crimes. In 2007, 56 companies
were embargoed for using illegal wood. But
they were allowed to return to work after
signing a Conduct Adjustment Term (in Portuguese,
Termo de Ajustamento de Conduta - TAC).
Minc recognized the
economic importance of the plaster industry
in Araripe, responsible for 95% of the national
production of gypsum. But he stressed the
importance of sustainability in the production.
"We want to develop economic activities
but prevent them from destroying the Caatinga",
said the minister.
He explained that he
doesn't want to stop the activity in the
region, but adapt it, ensuring sustainable
development. Minc said that 70% of the companies
from the plaster industry in Araripe work
legally, using wood from forest management
plans.
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Brazilian National Policy
on Climate Change
22/01/2010 - On December
29, President Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva enacted the law establishing the National
Policy on Climate Change. The Policy sets
the Brazil's commitment to reduce the projected
emissions of greenhouse gases within limits
ranging from 36.1% to 38.9% by 2020.
The National Policy
on Climate Change has as main objectives
to make the economic and social development
compatible with the protection of the climate
system and to promote the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions by encouraging the use of
clean energy. The document also paves the
way for the implementation of measures for
adaptation to and mitigation of the effects
of climate by the three federative government
layers: federal, state and municipal.
Other highlights of
the law provide for the conservation and
reclamation of national biomes, the consolidation
and expansion of legally protected natural
areas and development of the Brazilian Market
for Emission Reductions.
The new Policy implementation
will be detailed in February 2010 with the
publication of a presidential decree that
will determine reduction ranges per sectors
of the economy and measures to be carried
out.
http://www.mma.gov.br/estruturas/208/_arquivos/pnmc_in_english_208.pdf
ASCOM
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Minc participates in
meeting on climate change in India
22/01/2010 - This weekend
(January 23 and 24), the minister of the
Environment, Carlos Minc, participates in
a meeting of the Basic group (formed by
Brazil, South Africa, India and China),
in New Delhi, India. The event will resume
climate talks to create a viable proposal
that could guide the global negotiations
that will happen throughout the year (in
June, in Germany, and in December, in Mexico).
At the meeting, Brazil
will propose to the group the creation of
a fund to help poor nations to finance actions
for mitigation and adaptation to climate
change, with values to be defined. Minc
said that China has shown interest in the
proposal, in conversation during the COP-15.
To the minister Carlos
Minc, the initiative will be a response
to the rich countries, which, according
to him, offered a miserable amount to help
poor countries in adaptation projects during
the COP-15. He believes that groups such
as the Basic and the European Union need
to unify their position and speed up negotiations
lest another failure, such as the COP-15.
To Minc, selfishness
was the cause for the failure of COP-15.
To solve this, he argues for a "Planetary
Ecological Solidarity" to help poor
countries in climate change mitigation and
adaptation. Rich countries have committed
to donate US$ 30 billion in three years
and you arrive at the $ 100 billion by 2020.
The Basic will also
discuss, in New Delhi, the transfer of technology.
Minc defends that along with the technology,
technical assistance should be given to
permit the proper use of the tools. "Countries
like Australia, Canada and the United States
should immediately provide to countries
like China and India the technology to store
carbon underground", he said.
Brazil already provides
technology for the control of deforestation
in ten African countries, in order to help
them create policies to stop the destruction
of the forests and to apply for resources
from the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and Degradation) system.
