Brazil has been accused of turning its back on its duty to protect the Amazon after the resignation of its award-winning Environment Minister fuelled fresh fears over the fate of the forest. The departure of Marina Silva, who admitted she was losing the battle to get green voices heard amidst the rush for economic development, has been greeted with dismay by conservationists. "She was the environment's guardian angel," said Frank Guggenheim, executive director for Greenpeace in Brazil. "Now Brazil's environment is orphaned."In a letter to President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Ms Silva said that her efforts to protect the rainforest acknowledged as the "lungs of the planet" were being thwarted by powerful business lobbies. "Your Excellency was a witness to the growing resistance found by our team in important sectors of the government and society," she wrote.
Brazil has been accused of turning its back on its duty to protect the Amazon after the resignation of its award-winning Environment Minister fuelled fresh fears over the fate of the forest. The departure of Marina Silva, who admitted she was losing the battle to get green voices heard amidst the rush for economic development, has been greeted with dismay by conservationists.
"She was the environment's guardian angel," said Frank Guggenheim, executive director for Greenpeace in Brazil. "Now Brazil's environment is orphaned."
In a letter to President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Ms Silva said that her efforts to protect the rainforest acknowledged as the "lungs of the planet" were being thwarted by powerful business lobbies. "Your Excellency was a witness to the growing resistance found by our team in important sectors of the government and society," she wrote.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for rainforest protection in Brazil as well as cooperation with the country on biofuels during the first day of her first Latin America tour. "Biofuels are a way to replace classic fossil-based energy sources, but only when they are grown sustainably," Merkel said Wednesday at the beginning of her week-long trip through Latin America. Merkel held a press conference in Brazil's capital of Brasilia and emphasized the need to ensure rain forests are protected during the production of biofuel. An agreement for cooperation on renewable energy is at the center of Merkel's trip to Brazil, but the Roman Catholic Church and some environmental organizations have criticized the deal because they say it lacks enough emphasis on sugar cane plantation workers and the protection of the rainforest.
"Biofuels are a way to replace classic fossil-based energy sources, but only when they are grown sustainably," Merkel said Wednesday at the beginning of her week-long trip through Latin America.
Merkel held a press conference in Brazil's capital of Brasilia and emphasized the need to ensure rain forests are protected during the production of biofuel.
An agreement for cooperation on renewable energy is at the center of Merkel's trip to Brazil, but the Roman Catholic Church and some environmental organizations have criticized the deal because they say it lacks enough emphasis on sugar cane plantation workers and the protection of the rainforest.
"You really must think of being sustainable, you know... Now, where do I sign?"
