Brazil’s CO2 Emissions
Voices from Brazil:
"REDD cannot be a mechanism for saving forest carbon stocks forever. Like a key that starts a car,
it needs to be starting mechanism that creates incentives, showing society the possibility for generating income, at the same
time that it changes the current thinking about development and economic growth. Therefore, we need more investment in agriculture
and cattle production, as well as in the sustainable use of forest resources. That’s the payoff for deciding not to cut the forest."
Paulo Moutinho, Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia
(Amazon Environmental Research Institute)
There’s something very unusual about Brazil’s carbon dioxide emissions. They look much different from those of the United States, Europe, China, India or most of the rest of the world. On the one hand, this is because Brazil is years ahead of these countries. And on the other, it is because Brazil has more work to do.
Brazil is ahead thanks to foresight. Falling sugar prices in 1975 combined with an international oil crisis prompted the government to create the largest program in the world for making fuel—ethanol—out of sugar. But Brazil did much more. It also started programs to reduce electrical waste and encourage power made from plants, water, and wind.
All together, renewable energy generates well over 45% of Brazil’s power—an amazingly large figure by world standards.
In the U.S. 93% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2000 came from energy, while in the European Union, it was 82%. In Brazil only 14% of greenhouse gas emissions came from energy. Only 5.4% came from cars, trucks, buses and planes, compared to 26% in the United States. That is the power of Brazil’s renewable energy programs.
But take a look at another sector—land use change and deforestation. Canada, which provides wood and paper to much of North America, was responsible for less than 1% of the world total of emissions from deforestation and land use change in 2000. The U.S., the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter, actually stored more carbon in forests, urban trees, and other land use practices than any other country, erasing 6.3 % of the emissions from the rest of the world. Brazil, on the other hand, lags far behind other countries in controlling emissions from deforestation.
When one looks at the countries that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions from cutting, burning, and converting forest to pasture or field, only Indonesia exceeds Brazil.
All together, deforestation and land use change and agriculture contribute more than three-quarters of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.
What do you think?
Agriculture is another large source of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in countries like Brazil. Worldwide, which agricultural activity do you think produces the most greenhouse gases? (Choose the best answer.)
The correct answer is d).
Livestock like cattle, sheep, and goats produce a lot of methane, which is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It's warming potential is 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Annually, livestock produce about a third of all of the emissions from agricultural activities.