Carlos Eduardo Frickmann Young

Measuring sustainable income from mineral extraction in Brazil

Abstract This paper provides estimates of mineral depletion in Brazil, and their implication for the measurement of sustainable income for the mineral sector, during the period 1970–1988. Two alternative approaches are briefly reviewed: the net price approach and the user cost approach. Estimates of sustainable income from mineral extraction in Brazil are computed using both techniques, and the results obtained vary significantly between them. Estimates obtained with the user cost approach are of the same order of magnitude as conventionally measured income, with differences explained in terms of the time horizon of extraction. With the net price approach, on the other hand, large oscillations in sustainable income reflect variation in the underlying estimates of mineral reserves.

PUBLIC POLICIES AND DEFORESTATION IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

The question of land tenure is a major issue in the development debate in Latin America. Recently, one new dimension has been added to the discussion with the increasing concern with environmental issues: the link between rural migration and deforestation. This paper analyses this problem, focusing on the Brazilian Amazon experience. The first part briefly reviews past and present policies that encouraged migration to the region (according to the slogan “peopless” land to “landless” people) as a way to avoid proper agrarian reforms. The role of economic policies in this process is highlighted, particularly the connection with structural adjustment objectives. The second part of the paper presents empirical results showing that, in the Brazilian case, policy-related variables are positively related to land clearing. The opportunity cost of labour (represented by rural wages) plays a major role in this process, affecting decisively the determination of how much land to be cleared. This establishes a link between deforestation and poverty: the lower the opportunity cost of labour, the higher is the incentive to defor est.

Direitos de propriedade, desmatamento e conflitos rurais na Amazônia

This papers aim is to demonstrate the relationship between conflict and deforestation in rural Amazonian frontier. In the literature on the process of occupation of the region, it is emphasized the violent nature of land occupation as one of the characteristics of the dynamics of the process of deforestation. However, there is little statistical evidence about this relationship. To test empirically this hypothesis, we used statistical data on violence, measured by the rate of homicides, deforestation and socioeconomic variables, available for 575 municipalities of the Amazon. The results show that deforestation and violence are associated and supports the hypothesis that both result from a poor definition of property rights.

The United States Initiative on Joint Implementation: forest sector projects.

Flexible economic instruments, such as joint implementation (jl), the CleanDevelopment Mechanism (CDM) and emissions trading, offer a concomitant meansto facilitate economic, energy, and environmental security.The United States Initiativeon Joint Implementation (USIJI) was established as a pilot program to facilitate voluntaryproject investments by United States entities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions worldwide. In addition to sharing the worldwide environmental and societalbenefits of GHG emission reduction, the United States will gain improved marketaccess, achieve lower cost of green technologies, and strengthen international credibilityfor its efforts in addressing a global threat. USJI, working under guidelines establishedby the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), has developeda set of operational criteria for evaluating project proposals.To date, USIJI hasreceived more than 150 project proposals, of which 36 have been accepted into thepilot program. The 36 USIJI projects span four principal sectors:forestry,energy, wasteand agriculture. This project portfolio includes a diverse set of forest sector conservationand carbon (C) sequestration practices and activities in 8 countries. Preliminaryestimates suggest that cumulative C sequestration potential of this project portfoliomay exceed 75 Tg C. Methodological and technical issues concerning forestsector project baselines, boundaries and monitoring will need to be improved in thefuture. While the forest sector C offset industry is growing worldwide, human andinstitutional capacity building is required to realize meaningful, long-term environmentalprotection and economic security.

EM BUSCA DO TEMPO PERDIDO: UMA ESTIMATIVA DO PRODUTO PERDIDO EM TRÂNSITO NO BRASIL

Este artigo estima as perdas economicas associadas a problemas de mobilidade urbana no Brasil por meio do calculo da producao media desperdicada em funcao do tempo de deslocamento ao trabalho, usando dados do Censo Demografico de 2010. Os resultados sao apresentados em valores absolutos e relativos (% do PIB) para estados, regioes metropolitanas (RMs) e municipios do Brasil, com enfase na diferenca de tempo gasto nas RMs e municipios do interior de cada estado. Os valores encontrados foram significativos, e a perda total estimada e de 1,8% do PIB. Caso o tempo de deslocamento nas RMs fosse igual ao dos municipios do interior, haveria uma reducao de 27,6% (R

Biocombustibles como estrategia de desarrollo: ¿rumbo hacia la sustentabilidad o hacia una nueva periferia?

26,7 bilhoes) das perdas totais, indicando que melhorias na mobilidade urbana podem trazer grandes retornos sociais.

Measuring Sustainable Development

Los autores se preguntan por el aporte real de los biocombustibles a la solucion de los problemas ambientales. Despues de analizar las actuales formas de produccion en Brasil, sostienen que la expansion de estos presionara indirectamente hacia la deforestacion, contribuyendo asi aun mas al calentamiento global. Senalan lo falaz del discurso que justifica la expansion de los biocombustibles por su aporte a la generacion de empleo. Sostienen que es fundamental incorporar los requerimentos de sostenibilidad en la cadena de produccion para garantizar competitividad a los paises potencialmente exportadores, pero que aun asi esa solucion es limitada ya que todas las energias alternativas y renovables juntas, no suplirian las proyecciones del patron de consumo mundial.