Brazil’s New President May Tear Up Paris Agreement
By Paul Homewood
The next domino could be about to fall in the climate wall!
Bolsonaro was quite clear in the run up to the election, that he would look to take Brazil out of the Paris Agreement, as Huff Post reminded us the other week:
The rise of far-right authoritarian Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential race has caused concerns about what he could mean for the health of the world’s fourth-largest democracy and its most marginalized communities ― especially black Brazilians, the indigenous, women and LGBTQ people who are the targets of his most violent rhetoric.
But a Bolsonaro victory, which polls suggest is almost assured on Oct. 28, would also have a major global implication: It could spell doom for the worldwide fight against climate change.
Few countries are more important to stemming climate change than Brazil, which is home to the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna ― two of the most crucial environmental defenses against global warming.
And over the last two decades, no country as large as Brazil has assumed more of a leadership role in addressing the crisis. While many large nations dawdled in addressing the threat, Brazil made dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions since 2004. It has emerged as one of the planet’s leading producers of sustainable biofuels, and in 2017 it launched an ambitious effort to plant more than 70 million trees to help reforest the Amazon ― and thus increase absorption of carbon dioxide.
Bolsonaro, however, could threaten much, if not all, of that progress.
He has acknowledged the threat of climate change. But on the campaign trail, he has promised to shutter Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and put many of its administrative and regulatory duties under the charge of other agencies. He has said he would seek to withdraw Brazil from the Paris climate accord (following the lead of U.S. President Donald Trump).
Bolsonaro has committed to stop demarcating indigenous lands in the Amazon and further open the forest to mining interests. And he has pledged to loosen regulatory regimes over land-use and deforestation in the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
A move by Brazil to absolve its leadership role on climate change through the election of Bolsonaro would have “huge consequences” for the rest of the world, said Steve Schwartzman, the senior director of tropical forest policy at the New York-based Environmental Defense Fund.
“The kinds of policies Bolsonaro has talked about could be catastrophic,” Schwartzman said. “Brazil is still the world leader in reducing greenhouse gas pollution. If that changes, it’s exactly what Brazil doesn’t need, and exactly what the world doesn’t need.”
Huff Post’s claim that Brazil has made dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is, of course, a load of nonsense. BP figures show that emissions of CO2 have risen by 17% since 2010, excluding Land Use changes.
Huff’s own link admits that their claim is based on Brazil slowing the rate of rain forest destruction. While this may be highly worthy, it has not actually cut emissions.
Brazil’s emissions are roughly the same as the UK, so will not make any drastic difference to global numbers. And their INDC at Paris was essentially based around slowing down the large scale deforestation of the last few decades.
But if they withdraw from Paris, it will have a major effect diplomatically.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
He seems like he is determined to stamp out all the corruption that is endemic in countries with far-left governments (and that includes all the corruption that goes with climate change).
High time for more politicos in charge to break from these deluded and/or corrupt , bossy, self righteous ranks .
Probably to break up the U.N. also, for reasons additional to reducing avoidable CO2 release !
“…a crushing blow to combating climate change.”
Be still my beating Heart!
It cannot come a moment too soon to see some disruption to the established inertia of ‘do-gooder’, ‘holier than thou’, ‘political correctness’ Climate Chance religion, practised by Marxists within the UN, seeking to change it into a Totalitarian Socialist New World Order.
Whether Mr Trump or Mr Bolsonaro are ‘nice’ people or not is irrelevant, they could well be what’s needed to deliver the ‘kick in the pants’ the self righteous conceited Western World needs to enable it to face reality.
BBC news is already trying to do a Brexit style ‘invalidation’ of the result.
“BBC news…”
May scold. But do the 212 million people of Brazil give a toss about Britain’s wankerati?
Most of the world is not ‘getting with the program.’
Perhaps, the sheeple in the West will start bleating, “Whhyyy, then, should weeee?”
According to the BBC, anyone slightly to the right of Stalin is now ‘far’ right.
The “Trump effect” is growing.
MBGA!
“The Trump effect is growing…”
In the USA itself:
The latest Rasmussen Poll shows 50% of likely voters approve of his record and 49% disapprove. Among voters with STRONG views, however, the blind-haters still have a margin – 43% strongly disapprove and 35% strongly approve.
His position is clearly fragile and would crumble with a recession.
I do not believe Trump’s position to be fragile. This weekend’s #WalkAway march and rally on Saturday was preceded by a large reception at the White House on Friday. All I can say, is “WOW,” what a breath of fresh air. Last evening I watched a number of the short speeches by those who had “walked away” from the Democrat party. Many lost relationships with family and friends over their decisions. These people are of all ages. However, most encouraging was the high number of younger people who proudly and loudly proclaimed their love for this country and for President Trump. They spoke of the unlimited opportunities we have and their refusal to join the “victim” mentality displayed by the other side. They expressed how different it was to be with the Republicans who were open and welcoming, although there were many different life-styles. The founder of the #WalkAway movement, Brandon Straka gave a particularly informative and poignant talk to the group.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/10/27/photos-walkaway-from-democrats-rally-draws-hundreds-of-patriots-we-love-america-and-trump/
“…fragile…”
Well, that 43% group of strong disapprovers is not going to lessen. They have too much invested in their own smugness. And it is a fair bet that, to many of the 17% group of simple approvers, he is merely “on probation,” “not as bad as they said he would be,” etc.
A related Rasmussen poll shows that 42% think the USA is on the right path. That is still a minority!
The economy always matters. Personally, I think it will be alright, but as Prime Minister MacMillan of England said, when asked what he was afraid of,
“Events, dear boy events!”
Reblogged this on Roald J. Larsen and commented:
Time to end the scam!
Interesting to see Breitbart’s news round-up with all the usual suspects in the US condemning the outcome of Brazil’s election decision after four consecutive left-wing administrations. A complete breakdown of the Hollywood luvvies, on the one hand reaching out tearfully ‘in support of the brave Brazilian people’ and on the other spewing vile, spittle-flying and hate-filled tweets for US domestic consumption as only a hate-filled US democrat can!
I like the way the DT described him as “far right”!
Not long to the next climate conference, where tens of thousands of climate miserables will be able to jet in by CO2-spewing fuel-power to sob uncontrollably about this latest ‘disaster’.
Yes brilliant ‘news’
I am glad that our host has the bravery to read and quote those far left rags like the Huff Post and the Telegraph.
I need three hands to do the same.
One to hold nose, one to shade eyes and one to curser down the page.
It is noted that there appears to be some realist politicians emerging in Italy Brazil Chile and eastern Europe to accompany The Donald.
Any chance we could dig up one?
Glad to welcome Brazil into the light!! I visited friends in Rio de Janeiro in 2008 when David was with Halliburton. Security was precarious. David only took a taxi from the apartment building where they lived to the offices with a driver he knew. You never hailed a cab, but went where one was called for you. Prior to the apartment, David and Shelia had stayed at the J.W. Marriott Hotel on the Copacabana Beach. On my last day Shelia and I went to a restaurant along the beach for lunch. The waiter who knew her asked how we were getting back to their apartment. Shelia said we were going to walk to the J.W. Marriott to have a cab hailed for us. The waiter then said, “Be careful–don’t walk near the bike lane, don’t walk on the beach and don’t go near the homeless groups.”
There were the favelas on the forested hillsides which could be seen at night from their apartment. These were illegal communities of squatters who stole the electricity and thus were bright at night with lights. Then the drug gangs moved in and began to charge the squatters for “protection.” There was irony in that. The police and army would not even venture into these areas.
The problem in so many of the South and Central American countries is not the lack of resources or wealth production. It is the crushing effects of corrupt governments. It is my fervent wish that Brazil will lead the way out of this system. Perhaps the citizens of Venezuela will throw off their corrupt socialists.
Steve Schwartzman’s idea that Brazil is “the world leader in reducing greenhouse gas pollution” and that Bolsonaro’s election will “absolve” that “leadership role on climate change” and “have “huge consequences” for the rest of the world” is utter nonsense: Brazil’s emissions have grown by 32% since 2005 (LINK), between 2014 and 2015 it experienced “a surge in forest clearance” (LINK), in 2017 it “slashed the funding to enforce forest protection laws” just as “deforestation rates are rising” (LINK) and last year it “abolished a vast national reserve, created in 1984, to open the area to commercial mineral exploration” (LINK). Hardly a world leader. And in any case, as Paul has noted, Brazil’s share of global emissions is only about 1%.
So just remind me again how many of the Wankerati have left the USA since Donald tookover? Or have they reneged on their promises to make the US better by leaving it – hopefully not to come to the UK.