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Brazil could be first environmental superpower
06/08/2010
A Brazilian scientist, tasked with aligning Brazil's business and environmental development, has said he believes that the nation is in a prime position to become the world's fist environmental superpower.
Dr Gilberto Câmara, who heads the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), explained that the applying of knowledge and technology to the country's abundant commodities would turn standard economic theory on its head.
"Brazil's natural knowledge economy offers more opportunities for internal [national] research than our manufacturing industry," he says. "There is no opportunity in, say cars, as VW designs those in Germany."
He said it was crucial for Brazil not to follow what he called the "China effect", mass manufacturing at rock bottom prices, driving down the cost of manufactured goods but at the same time driving up the cost of the commodities due to rocketing demand.
Câmara said the country was already on the right track with the appropriate use of its resources, citing its world-leading production of biofuels and renewable energy, as steps in the right modern direction. But it also needs to combat many potential set-backs, including exploitation of its jumbo oil reserves, continuing deforestation, fast rising energy needs, a vast rich-poor divide and widespread local corruption and insecurity.
Dr Gilberto Câmara, who heads the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), explained that the applying of knowledge and technology to the country's abundant commodities would turn standard economic theory on its head.
"Brazil's natural knowledge economy offers more opportunities for internal [national] research than our manufacturing industry," he says. "There is no opportunity in, say cars, as VW designs those in Germany."
He said it was crucial for Brazil not to follow what he called the "China effect", mass manufacturing at rock bottom prices, driving down the cost of manufactured goods but at the same time driving up the cost of the commodities due to rocketing demand.
Câmara said the country was already on the right track with the appropriate use of its resources, citing its world-leading production of biofuels and renewable energy, as steps in the right modern direction. But it also needs to combat many potential set-backs, including exploitation of its jumbo oil reserves, continuing deforestation, fast rising energy needs, a vast rich-poor divide and widespread local corruption and insecurity.
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