Blogs & Ecology

“140letras is the first micro stories contest in Brazil, held through Twitter. Entry is now closed and we can track the competitors' stories. The winner will be announced on September 30″, Luciana Mielniczuk [pt] reports.

Making fun of the Brazilian athletes' accomplishment in the Beijing Olympic Games, a new blog was created: Bronze Brasil 2008. “With the achievement of our fifth bronze medal, our dream of beating the Olympic record seems to be drawing close. There are only 5 medals. There are 6 days of games. The dream is possible. The bronze is ours.”

YouTube user imperadorminas pays homage to Dorival Caymmi, one of the most important songwriters in Brazilian popular music, who died yesterday August 16, aged 94.

Polychromed woodcarving of a negro slave by Luiz Paulino da Cunha. Photo by Children At Risk Foundation

The State of Parana has added one more star to its green reputation: since a few days ago it hosts the largest solar water heater Brazil, built with 1.8 thousand PET bottles and 1.5 thousand tetra-packs. The heater was installed in Palmas, in southern Parana, over a building belonging to the Brazilian army that serves as home for 50 soldiers and consumes eight thousand liters of water daily.

Jaguars are among the many species which will have habitat protected under a new proposal to protect the Patanal region of Brazil from further sugar cane development. Photo: Getty Images.

Brazil seems to be increasingly getting its head in the right place when it comes to balancing economic expansion and environmental protection—the most recent previous example of which is the establishment of a fund to protect the Amazon rainforest.

Patanal to be Protected

Can a new plan to halt deforestation of Brazil's Amazon rainforest actually work? Last week, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a new international fund to raise money for sustainable forest projects. It is hoped that nations will donate a target amount of $21 billion over the next 13 years. Norway has been the first to commit with $100 million so far.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announces a new international fund that will raise money to protect the Amazon Rainforest.

A survey reveals what U.S. consumers deem the most important issue in the upcoming elections.

TriplePundit scrutinizes Bank of America's green initiatives.

Ex-cons are given a second chance at Sweet Beginnings, a socially responsible, high-end honey company.

photo: Getty Images

In an effort to raise money to prevent deforestation and preserve remaining areas of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil has announced that it has established an international fund for forest protection. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed a decree establishing The Amazon Fund, which will be able to receive up to US$21 billion over the next 13 years. Donations in the first year will be capped at $1 billion.

Norway the First Nation to Donate

Walter Valdevino posts pictures at Nova Corja [pt] of an unusual protest in Brazil, when a 28 year old artist protested going topless in the centre of Rio de Janeiro City. “Dressed only in a biquini bottom, the candidate for Miss Flamengo walked about 15 meters with Brazil's flag on her back and then took a taxi, for the sadness of the guys near by”. She protested against hunger, injustice and politicians' broken promises.

Would you like to have a look at São Paulo without going there? Paulo Bicarato [pt] tips about the website BR360, Brazilian panoramas and virtual reality.

Pedro Dória [pt] reports that a contestant in the local elections for Porto Alegre, Brazil, was forced to close down her Orkut account and suspend her videos on YouTube. “They are being censored: they can't express themselves using all the resources allowed by the Internet allows. They can not use the Web to communicate in complete freedom with their supporters”. Read more about elections regulations in Brazil.

photo by Leonardo F. Freitas

It may do nothing directly to halt the increasing rates of deforestation around the world, but a new satellite to be developed by Brazil and the UK will allow us to better judge just how bad things are getting and take steps against it. The Science and Development Network brings us the details:

Brazil-United Kingdom Collaborate on Satellite

Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city, has its own 100% organic clothes shop: Eden, which opened its doors last month. All garments that are sold in the store are produced with organic cotton and died with natural pigments, free of harmful chemical products.

The store is also decorated with furniture produced with wood from demolition and bamboo coming from the firm Bamcrus. More pictures and info on the brand and the origin of the organic fabrics in the extended.

Via Red Ecoblogs....

Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva has ratified the agreement to standardise the Portuguese language and its spelling in a move to make the language, spoken in 8 countries, more uniform globally. O Hermenauta [pt] has written a round up of reactions from both sides of the ocean and concludes the agreement is still a disagreement.