Brazil

**Population** – 2007 census 189,987,291 **Area**  – 8,514,877 km² **Capital **– Brasilia **Largest City** – Sao Paulo **Official Language** – Portuguese  Brazil  is located in South America and is the largest and most populated country of this continent. It is the fifth largest country in area, the fifth largest populated country and the fourth most populated democracy in the world. __Sustainable Energy Sources__  Currently 43.8 percent of Brazil’s power comes from sustainable energy sources. Brazil  are way ahead of the United States, they have started using renewable energy sources such as wind, ethanol, biodiesel and hydroelectricity. Their largest produced renewable energy is ethanol, produced from sugar canes. The Clean Fuels Development Coalition, CFDC, believe that Brazil is more energy self-sufficient because they are focussing on one particular renewable energy source, ethanol. Other countries like the USA are trying to financially support a variety of renewable energy sources instead of focussing on just one or two. __Environmental Health Status __ Brazil  once had the highest [|deforestation] rate in the world. As of 2005 Brazil still has the largest area of forest removed annually. Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometres of [|Amazon rainforest] have been destroyed. By 2005 forest removal had fallen to 9,000 km2 of forest compared to 18,000 km2 in 2003 and on [|July 5], [|2007] Brazilian president, announced at the International Conference on Bio fuels in that more than 20 million hectares of conservation units to protect the forest and more efficient fuel production have allowed the rate of deforestation to fall by 52% in the last three years alone since 2004. Observation on weather patterns above the Amazon taken on board a shuttle in orbit in February 1984. Deforestation in Brazil will have a major impact on the climate system and rainfall according to some scientists. 2,000-mile highway would completely pass through the Amazon forest, which had the effect of increasing the poor farmers by colonizers using the new infrastructure to seek out areas for commercial development. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Human Impacts to the Environmental __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">The humans in Brazil are using cattle or grazing animals in the Amazon which is increasing the amount deforestation. According to this the region has continued to increase from 1990 to 2003 because of the factors in the local, national and international levels. 70% of the forest land in the Amazon and 91%of the land since 1970 has been used for livestock grazing land. The Brazilian government say 38% of the forest loss between 1966 and 1975 due to the large scale of cattle grazing. The humans also are causing this impact of deforestation because they are placing logging, mining, highways and roads, navigable rivers, vulnerability to wildfires also putting the cattle through the forest. __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Kyoto ____<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> Protocol __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Brazil <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> has joined the Kyoto protocol and plays a major role in the discussion of climate change. Brazil have also introduced the idea of the Clean Development Mechanism, CDM, this was incorporated into the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto protocol is an international environmental treaty formed to reduce greenhouse gases. Brazil held the first ever Kyoto protocol meeting on 3-14 June 1992. __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">A rise in sea levels __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Climate change is causing the ice in the Antarctic and around the world to melt. With so much ice melting the sea level will rise. Brazil however will not be effected very much. Brazil has an average elevation of 1,000 metres above sea level. Brazil is made up of many highlands and because of this will not be affected greatly with the rise of sea level. With a sea level rise of 14m Brazil's coast line will be affected and the Amazon River will over flow. This may cause a lot of damage and many American Indian's who live near the Amazon will suffer. But Brazil is a large country and only a small percentage of it will be affected by the rise in sea levels. To view a map off the world and the rise in sea levels click here [|Flood Map]s __ References __ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil http://www.enchantedlearning.com/southamerica/brazil/ http://www.guiapernambuco.com.br/english/geographic.shtmlflag/ http://www.el-dmc.com.br/brazil/climate.asp http://www.theodora.com/flags/brazil_flags.html http://www.iaesteunitedstates.org/IntProgs/STEP/EMPOWER.htm [|http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/news/2005/05/67523#] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol http://flood.firetree.net/ http://www.geckosadventures.com/Latin-America/Country/Country-Facts.html?country=Brazil&countryid=54&bhcp=1 <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"> <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left">
 * Brazil**