| Rainforest Activist Resigns as Brazil's Environment Minister | 29 May 08 |
 Carlos Minc, founder of the Green Party in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro state's environment secretary was quickly named the new environment minister after Marina Silva's recent surprising resignation. Environmental activists hope Mr. Minc, a professor of geography and winner of a United Nations prize in 1989 for his green campaigns, is able to protect the rainforest at a time when the Brazilian government is pursuing an ambitious economic agenda. Former minister, Marina Silva led Brazil, initiated an ambitious effort to protect the Amazon rainforest. Often at odds with other cabinet members, she was seen as an obstacle to the country's development plans. Silva is a Goldman prize winner for her efforts to save the Amazon - her home - and an elected politician since l994 in Brazil. "Brazil is loosing the only voice in the government that spoke out for the environment," said Sergio Leitao, director of public policy for Greenpeace in Brazil, at the time of her resignation. Silva was appointed by President Luiz Inacio da Silva in 2002. During her five year tenure, she made tough rules for companies and strengthened laws for logging and farming in the Amazon. Despite her dedicated efforts, she was unsuccessful in opposing several infrastructure projects in the rainforest including two hydroelectric dams on the River Madeira and a major new road. View May 27, 2008 BBC News article View May 14, 2008 PlanetArk article View May 13, 2008 Associated Press article View May 14, 2008 All Headline News article View Goldman Prize for South & Central America 1996 Sources: BBC News, Planet Ark, AP, AHN |
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