From the financial crisis to the environmental one, there is no doubt that the world is experiencing a period of drastic changes. While most of the countries are devising their policies based on green considerations, Brazil seems to be going in the opposite direction. The government has recently approved a 10-year plan for the Brazilian energy matrix that not only ignores renewable and clean energy sources where hydroelectric plants are not feasible, but also favors the increase of thermal plants based on coal and oil.

In a speech made in the south of Brazil shortly after the approval of the plan, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made reference to former President Juscelino Kubitschek, one of the most famous politicians in the history of Brazil, responsible for the construction of Brasilia, the country´s 49-year old capital. Lula said that if the former president would have had to build the city according to today’s regulations, he would not have managed to get the necessary environmental licenses to build the capital’s airport runway.

This declaration could be seen as a criticism towards bureaucracy, if it were not for its timing: on the same day, a provisional measure regarding the creation of the Brazilian Sovereign Fund was approved by the Congress. The fund, essentially an economic tool, has an article that exempts the construction of roads included in the PAC (Government-sponsored Development Acceleration Program) from any form of environmental licensing. The Brazilian Environment Minister, Carlos Minc (above left), attempted to change the text of the provisional measure – to no avail. He has also unsuccessfully tried to include renewable and clean sources of energy in the matrix plan, especially for Brazil’s Northeast, where hydroelectric plants are not viable. In this tough battle, Minc is now trying to ensure that the companies that build such plants mitigate the harms they will cause to the environment.

Looking at this picture, one gets the impression that President Lula (above right) is chasing economic development at all costs, despite his good intentions. Comparing the present administration to one that took place 5 decades ago is pointless, as environmental consciousness has evolved dramatically since then. “The most popular politician on Earth” (as Obama called him in the G20 meeting a few weeks back) may get away with it in the short term, but if he doesn’t find a balance between economic development and environmental preservation, history may judge him quite harshly.

[via Jovem Pan]
Thanks to our friends at PSFK.

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