Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a climate change skeptic, dismissed as a “commercial game” the result of the COP25 climate talks in Madrid. He particularly singled out rich European nations as the players.
Brazil’s plans for environmental protection remain unchanged even as deforestation skyrockets, but Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said the country was looking for more money to implement those plans. Salles largely repeated previously announced plans to bring more development, economic zoning and improved enforcement of environmental laws to the Amazon rainforest region, where deforestation has surged to its highest point in 11 years.
A huge oil spill off Brazil's northeastern coast may have involved a “ghost ship” carrying Venezuelan oil in breach of US sanctions, a Petrobras expert close to the probe into the disaster said on Tuesday.
Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA on Thursday denied accusations by Brazil that it was responsible for a massive oil spill that has polluted beaches on its northeastern Atlantic coast.
Large blots of oil that have turned up on more than 130 Brazilian beaches are “very probably” of Venezuelan origin, Brazil's environment minister said on Wednesday. The oil began appearing in early September and has been seen along a 2,000-kilometre stretch of the northeastern Atlantic coast - with around 130 tons of oil residue collected by Monday.
The source of large blots of oil staining more than 130 beaches in northeastern Brazil remained a mystery on Tuesday despite President Jair Bolsonaro's assertions they came from outside the country and were possibly the work of criminals. Tamar, a group dedicated to the protection of sea turtles, said the oil spills were the worst environmental tragedy it has encountered since its formation in 1980.
Brazil’s environment minister says more than 100 tons of oil has been spilt along the northeastern coast since the beginning of September. Ricardo Salles said Monday on Twitter that 42 cities have been affected by the spills. He did not say how he reached those figures.
Brazil rejected aid from G7 countries to fight wildfires in the Amazon, with a top official telling French President Emmanuel Macron to take care of “his home and his colonies.”
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro following a Thursday meeting with his ministers at the Planalto Palace announced the creation of a crisis cabinet to address the Amazon rainforest situation.
Wildfires in the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil have ignited a firestorm on social media, with President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday suggesting green groups started the blazes. Images of fires purportedly devouring sections of the world's largest rainforest have gone viral on Twitter.