Eco-Briefs

	BRAZIL
	Increased Public Concern Over Climate Change

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 14 (Tierramérica).- Climate change is considered a “very serious” problem by 65 percent of Brazilians interviewed in a survey conducted by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) in December and released in the second week of May.

It is considered a “serious” problem by 29 percent of respondents, “slightly serious” by three percent, and “not at all serious” by one percent, while two percent did not answer the question.

This is the third year the survey was conducted. In 2010, the climate issue was classified as “very serious” by 47 percent of the people interviewed. By the next year, this proportion had grown to 60 percent.

In addition, 90 percent of respondents believe that immediate measures are required to deal with global warming, while only four percent say that there is no urgent need to seek solutions.

“The population has become sensitized to the issue because of natural disasters, such as the floods that recently affected the country,” CNI representative Renato Fonseca told Tierramérica.

	CHILE
	Unprecedented Campaign for Reforestation in Patagonia

SANTIAGO, May 14 (Tierramérica).- A campaign jointly organized by public and private agencies aims to plant one million trees in the Chilean region of Patagonia, which has lost more than three million hectares of native forest in the last 100 years through fires and logging.

"Reforestemos Patagonia" (Let’s Reforest Patagonia) is the most ambitious native species reforestation initiative in Chilean history. Over the next year it plans to plant three different varieties of trees from the Nothofagus genus - lenga beeches, Antarctic beeches and coihues - in the Torres del Paine and Laguna San Rafael National Parks and the Lago Carlota, Cerro Castillo and Lago Rosselot Reserves.

“These forests are home to many endangered species, and recovering them is crucial in order to restore biodiversity, combat global climate change and protect our fragile environment,” Matías Rivera, executive director of the campaign, told Tierramérica.

Those who want to participate in the initiative can contribute one or more trees by visiting the campaign website at http://www.reforestemospatagonia.com.

	VENEZUELA
	Caracas Residents Affected by Cement Plants

CARACAS, May 14 (Tierramérica).- Residents of Chuao, a neighborhood in southeast Caracas, are protesting against a cement plant installed near their homes which releases large amounts of harmful particulates into the air they breathe.

The protest has highlighted the air pollution problems being caused by another five cement plants in strategic locations for the circulation of winds over the Venezuelan capital.

“We can’t open our apartment windows or cook in peace because the cement dust comes in and makes us sick,” neighborhood activist Irais Gruber told Tierramérica. Gruber is a member of a group that has staged protests at intersections in Chuao, wearing surgical masks and holding up signs with slogans like “No Cement Plants” and “The Dust is Killing Us”.

The plants were installed by the government to speed up low-cost housing construction, but doctors and environmentalists warn that they are increasing the lead, silica, calcium, iron and manganese content of the air in the capital.

Neighborhood activists from the areas affected are meeting to step up their demands for these plants to be moved to locations far away from homes, schools and hospitals.

*Source: Inter Press Service.