Monday, January 10, 2011

GROUP FOUR: Environment: Anthony W.; Kassidy G.; Jennifer B.; Chad E.; Kaelin D.; Jeffery G.; Sarah P.; Angelica P.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/05/brazil-environmental-superpower

19 comments:

  1. http://blogs.forbes.com/kerenblankfeld/2010/12/13/is-brazils-economy-getting-too-hot/
    My name is Kassidy G and I am writing about the article Can Brazil become the world's first environmental superpower? When I began to read this I started to understand that Dr Gilberto Câmara believes that Brizal could be the worlds first enviromental superpower. while he believes this the economy is going down thanks to his efforts of this the economy seem to be decreasing which is creating problems this leads some to believe that this enviromental superpower isnt such a good Idea in the link posted above states that While the country has blossomed into the global stage, its economic boom has simmered down since the beginning of the year, according to the country’s third quarter GDP report released last week not alot of people are behind him and his master plan of a Enviromental . While yes Gilbero Camara believe he is doing the best thing for Brazil its hard to balance both the economy and the enviroment hand in hand.
    - Kassidy G

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://blogs.forbes.com/kerenblankfeld/2010/12/13/is-brazils-economy-getting-too-hot/
    Hello to all,
    My name is Jennifer B. and I attend Erin McCoy’s English 101 Section 5702 class. I am writing in regards to the article posted on Forbes, which discusses the growing economy in Brazil. The article begins strong by shedding light on Brazil and it’s fast paced economical growth. The author gives numerous examples of high-powered entrepreneurs and their interests in investing in different business ventures from travel to natural resources. The basis of the article is to question whether or not Brazil’s economy can withstand other hardships within the country such as drug trafficking. An interesting observation I have made while reading this article, is that Brazil’s economy is compared to a fashion trend. Is Brazil hot or not? When this question was asked, many investors stated that they had faith in Brazil’s new leadership and that it’s economy would continue to thrive as it has in recent news. I think that the responses to this question were very positive and show a sign of confidence on part of the prominent investors for Brazils future. Do you believe Brazil will continue on it’s path to greatness?

    –Jennifer B.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear group members, my name is Jeff G. and I am in my first semester at JCTC. I am working towards obtaining an engineering degree from the University of Louisville's JB Speed School of Engineering. The environment of Brazil is obviously very beautiful and diverse. The Amazon rainforest provides many economic opportunities for this nation. Also the country already holds the world record with 47% of the country's green energy. The jumbo oil discoveries will in a few years make Brazil a global petroleum leader. It is estimated 50 billion barrels was discovered off the coast of Rio. With the price of a barrel of oil increasing drastically, this oil discovery translated into dollars is enormous. 50,000,000,000 barrels of oil times price for a barrel= alot. This is only a small component of Brazil's natural resources capable of stimulating the economy to one of the strongest worldwide.

    -Jeff G.

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBJybKVrbOI
    Hello Group, my name is Chad and I am a business major. I am writing about the article “Can Brazil become the world's first environmental superpower?” This article is very interesting because one problem the world’s environment has is that the forests are decreasing, but the population of people is increasing. Deforestation is a problem, and for Brazil to realize that and not want to cut down the Amazon rain forest is remarkable. As easy for it is to say, can it be done to protect the world’s ecosystem? While Dr. Gilberto Camara’s knows it can be done, but the local governments of Brazil have to be stopped from deforestation. In the link, the commercial demonstrates that if you keep cutting down trees, one day there will be negative consequences to humans and not just to the environment and now is the time to stop deforestation. If the head government of Brazil puts laws and more restrictions on deforestation and other negative actions against the environment, Brazil could truly be an environmental superpower instead of being an environmental martyr.
    -Chad E

    ReplyDelete
  5. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20brazil.htm
    Dear environmental group,
    This link will help for you to understand exactly how massive the Amazon rainforest is and gives you the exact numbers on environmental statistics.

    -Jeff G.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Group,
    The article “Can Brazil Become the World’s First Environmental Superpower ?”, talks about how Brazil is rich in natural resources, allowing the nation’s economy to flourish. However, the challenge presented in this article is to be able to stabilize Brazil’s economy without destroying the environment. The article mentions the “China Effect” which is the consequence the environment receives when the economy is based around mass manufacturing at low prices. However, Brazil has the advantage when it comes to manufacturing because they practice what is referred to as the “Natural knowledge economy” which bases their manufacturing energy from environmentally friendly sources. 47% of Brazil’s energy is already green, a world record.
    The article mentions how Brazil’s biggest challenge is avoiding “resources curse”, which is when countries whose economies are based around non-renewable resources experience low economic growth. With the country’s latest oil discoveries, continuation of deforestation, and fast rising energy needs, it is sometimes difficult to keep the economy stable while being environmentally responsible. Sergio Serra states, “Our present policy is not to change the energy mix” which currently is being dominated by hydroelectric power and biofuels.
    I personally think that Brazil should continue maintaining environmental and economic stability, but that probably won’t end up happening because the temptation of earning a quick buck by destroying some of Brazil’s natural resources is high. Corporations that earn money from manufacturing probably don’t care that much about the environment, as long as they make their money.
    A related article that talks about Barack Obama being for the Prince Charle’s Rainforest Project, which aims to protect against the deforestation of the Amazon, is called “Copenhagen: Barack Obama Backs Norway-Brazil Forest Protection Plan.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/10/obama-backs-norway-brazil-forest-plan?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
    -Angelica P

    ReplyDelete
  7. My name is Anthony Wood and I attend McCoy's 101 Eng. class. I'm writing about the Brazil environmental Superpower. Camara describes applying the knowledge and technology to commodities to boost their value. Brazil leads the research to its sugar cane and ethanol growing biodiesel production called renewable energy- 47% of the country's energy is already green. "Brazils natural knowledge offers more opportunities fot internal [national] research than our manufacturing industry," said Camara.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/10/brazil-emissions

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great job with the posts, everyone! You all touched on a lot of issues that Brazil is struggling with as it grows into a major global economic player. Brazil is undoubtedly fortunate to have access to so many natural resources, but how can they regulate their bounty without compromising what needs to be preserved, such as the rainforests that Jeff mentioned? For example, according to Visa4u:
    "One of the greatest immediate threats to the Amazon is the ironically named Avan4a Brasil (Advance Brazil), a program unveiled in 1999 by Cardoso. The plan includes paving 8000km of roads, opening gas pipelines, building power stations, and adding thousands of kilometers of new electric power lines all over Amazonia . Many environmentalists predict dire con sequences if the project goes through (one ecologist feared that as much as 40% of the Amazon would be deforested or damaged in the next 20 years). At time of research, the government still hadn't implemented AvanSa Brasil."
    (http://www.visa4you.net/brazil-environment.htm)
    Can you guys find any more information on the AvanSa Brazil program? And, like Jennifer pointed out, Brazil is definitley hot (considering its Olympic and FIFA hosting duties in 2014 and 2012, respectively), but can Brazil sustain this growth without sacrifice? Has America ever faced a similar issue? How about other countries? What all did South Africa have to do to pave the way for their hosting of the World Cup? Is London (the site of the Olympics in 2012) working with environmentalists to offset the carbon footprint (look it up!) of their Olympics? Great work, all!
    Another good source:
    http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/brazil/environmental_problems_brazil/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Environmental Group,
    I enjoyed reading everyone's posts about Brazil's environmental features and the economic possibilities that exist from it. I found it to be very disturbing knowing that AvanSa Brasil could lead to 40% of the Amazon being deforested or damaged within the next 20 years. There has to be better alternatives to the plans they have in place. After visiting the source provided by Anthony W., I learned about the pledge Brazil has committed to in response to cutting gas emissions into the atmosphere. One of the ways they plan to cut emissions is by reducing deforestation, which I was glad to hear. It's good to see Brazil take on a leadership role with this issue and hopefully other countries will help to cut gas emissions such as carbon from polluting the atmosphere. This project really has helped me to understand the importance of the environment to Brazil's economy. On the other hand, it has taught me the dangers that the environment could create if certain things are not done in a environmentally friendly way.

    -Jeffery G.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My name is Kassidy G and after reading everyones post in my enviromental group i had a hard time picking which I liked best I liked Jenifer B's post i like the way she broke down the article into parts and explianed it she asked at the very end of her post " do you believe that Brazil will continue on the path to greatness?" And I believe that they can only get better if the natural resources can stand strong. I liked what Jeff G posted as well I like that Jeff stated statistics in his post so that the reader understands just how much natural resources Brazil has.
    -Kassidy G

    ReplyDelete
  11. The link that Jeff G used I found it helpful I was able to actually see the figures of how much deforestation rates have gone up and how much corbin storage there is and different percentages like that along with the number of tree species and wood removal.
    - Kassidy Gill

    ReplyDelete
  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBJybKVrbOI
    My name is Chad E. and I am a business major. I am commenting on the article” Can Brazil become the world's first environmental superpower?” In the link provided it shows how the forest are essential in the Earth’s health and if humans continue to destroy the forests, humans will eventually destroy themselves. The world’s environment depends on the ecosystems such as ones in Brazil. This is because Brazil has the largest rainforest in the world. Local governments across Brazil are cutting down and destroying the rainforest more and more every year, for a chance to have more farm land to gain more profit. But according to Dr Gilberto Câmara's point of view, if Brazil’s local governments would realize that they could become super rich off just the environment that the local governments would never cut down one more tree again. Brazil’s could use all of its natural resources and become an environmental super power rather than an environmental martyr.
    Chad E.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi everyone!
    I'm Angelica, and in response to the article, "Can Brazil Become the World’s First Environmental Superpower?”, I’d like to start off by saying that I really hope that Brazil can conserve their natural resources and continue on the path of environmental responsibility. I think it’s great that Brazil’s energy is already 47% green, using biofuels and hydroelectric power, but it would be a lot quicker and easier for Brazil to get rich quick by not being so green. In a situation like this, it’s easy for Brazil to fall into what Camara calls “Resources Curse.” This is when a country with an abundance of natural resources, as Brazil does, falls into an economic rut and has a difficult time making money.
    I think that the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is really sad and that even though the government makes more money off of those nonrenewable resources and land to use for farming, it’s hurting their environment. I guess this is the point where Brazil’s government has to ask themselves, What is more important, quick money or conserving our country’s landscape? Most big corperations really could care less about the environment, so it’s good to see that a good portion of the manufacturers in Brazil do. However it is probably very tempting, especially if their economy begins to take a turn for the worse, to just give up spending all of this extra money on green energy and instead continue with other means of harming Brazil’s environment.
    An article that I found that relates to this topic is called, “Copenhagen: Barack Obama Backs Norway-Brazil Forest Protection Plan.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/10/obama-backs-norway-brazil-forest-plan?INTCMP=SRCH

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hey group, it’s me again, Angelica.
    I’d just like to say that I think Chad made a very good point when he said that if humans continue to destroy the forests, humans will eventually destroy themselves. I totally agree with this statement because we can already see the adverse affects of hurting the environment. More and more health issues are on the rise as the environment continues to worsen and I think that destroying the Amazon rain forest will only contribute to these problems. Believe it or not, the planet is dependent on nature and the environment. Everything serves a purpose on this planet and we’ve already hurt the environment enough. When are people going to wake up and realize the damage we are putting ourselves in?
    Also, I really liked the link that Jeff posted involving the Amazon. It was interesting to see in numbers just how much damage has been done. If Brazil continues to deforest, at the rate they’re at, there will be no more rain forest in no time! I hate to imagine Brazil’s beautiful rain forests being turned into a corporate wasteland. It’s bad enough that we’ve already torn down forests all over the world in order to have farmland and factories and the like, but the Amazon is one of the last natural ecosystems we have left!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi everyone!
    I'm Angelica, and in response to the article, "Can Brazil Become the World’s First Environmental Superpower?”, I’d like to start off by saying that I really hope that Brazil can conserve their natural resources and continue on the path of environmental responsibility. I think it’s great that Brazil’s energy is already 47% green, using biofuels and hydroelectric power, but it would be a lot quicker and easier for Brazil to get rich quick by not being so green. In a situation like this, it’s easy for Brazil to fall into what Camara calls “Resources Curse.” This is when a country with an abundance of natural resources, as Brazil does, falls into an economic rut and has a difficult time making money.
    I think that the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is really sad and that even though the government makes more money off of those nonrenewable resources and land to use for farming, it’s hurting their environment. I guess this is the point where Brazil’s government has to ask themselves, What is more important, quick money or conserving our country’s landscape? Most big corperations really could care less about the environment, so it’s good to see that a good portion of the manufacturers in Brazil do. However it is probably very tempting, especially if their economy begins to take a turn for the worse, to just give up spending all of this extra money on green energy and instead continue with other means of harming Brazil’s environment.
    An article that I found that relates to this topic is called, “Copenhagen: Barack Obama Backs Norway-Brazil Forest Protection Plan.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/10/obama-backs-norway-brazil-forest-plan?INTCMP=SRCH

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi everyone!
    I'm Angelica, and in response to the article, "Can Brazil Become the World’s First Environmental Superpower?”, I’d like to start off by saying that I really hope that Brazil can conserve their natural resources and continue on the path of environmental responsibility. I think it’s great that Brazil’s energy is already 47% green, using biofuels and hydroelectric power, but it would be a lot quicker and easier for Brazil to get rich quick by not being so green. In a situation like this, it’s easy for Brazil to fall into what Camara calls “Resources Curse.” This is when a country with an abundance of natural resources, as Brazil does, falls into an economic rut and has a difficult time making money.
    I think that the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is really sad and that even though the government makes more money off of those nonrenewable resources and land to use for farming, it’s hurting their environment. I guess this is the point where Brazil’s government has to ask themselves, What is more important, quick money or conserving our country’s landscape? Most big corperations really could care less about the environment, so it’s good to see that a good portion of the manufacturers in Brazil do. However it is probably very tempting, especially if their economy begins to take a turn for the worse, to just give up spending all of this extra money on green energy and instead continue with other means of harming Brazil’s environment.
    An article that I found that relates to this topic is called, “Copenhagen: Barack Obama Backs Norway-Brazil Forest Protection Plan.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/10/obama-backs-norway-brazil-forest-plan?INTCMP=SRCH

    ReplyDelete
  17. My name is Chad E. and I enjoyed reading and following every ones links to gain further insight on Brazil’s environmental problem. I particularly liked Jeff G.’s blogs due to the fact that he added statistics and a link to grasp how enormous Brazil’s rain forest really is. Also, I found it interesting that Brazil holds the largest percent of use of green energy, which is at 47 percent. In Jennifer B.’s post I liked how her link described Brazil’s being hot or not. Then she related it back to being a fashion trend and I thought that was a great way to look at Brazil’s environmental problem amongst Brazil’s government. Through all the blog post on environment in Brazil I learned the hard ships and struggles Brazil’s government faces for the near future not just the rainforest, but also Brazil’s oil economy as well. In the future I hope for my blog group’s sake, myself, and the world’s sake that there will soon be a solution to Brazil’s environmental struggles.
    Chad E.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello fellow environmental group members,

    I would like to begin by mentioning Jeff G.’s link post. I read the article and it really did bring the deforestation on the rainforest into perspective. The deforestation that is occurring in Brazil is very rapid. The rainforest is slowly disappearing which is scary thought in my opinion. I also would like to mention Kassidy G.’s post. I like how she used facts to support her take on Brazil’s economy. Overall, the articles I have read have educated and broadened my views of Brazil. Brazil is progressing in many ways but still has it’s struggles. i think it will be very interesting to see how things play out for Brazil, hopefully for the best. - Jennifer B.

    ReplyDelete
  19. My name is Anthony and I have read two blogs that I’m commenting on is still the same information that I think everybody in the group wrote on. One of them had more information than the other, like the economic growth and the drug trafficing in Brazil. “Overall, Brazil’s abundant natural resources combined with the respect it’s been earning among global investors should put the country on a strong growth trajectory.” I think that we here in the United States should do the same thing here! http://blogs.forbes.com/kerenblankfeld/2010/12/13/is-brazils-economy-getting-too-hot/cing in Brazil

    ReplyDelete