The great part about going green is that its not just a passing trend. The world is embracing the need to go green and in turn, governmental officials and corporations are having to keep in step. The pressure is on, globally-speaking…and that’s a good thing.

Such is the case in Brazil:

The Brazilian government has unveiled plans to ban sugar cane plantations in environmentally sensitive areas.

The proposal, which must be passed by Congress, comes amid concerns that Brazil’s developing biofuels industry is increasing Amazon deforestation.

Environment Minister Carlos Minc said the measures would mean ethanol made from sugar cane would be “100% green”.

The government agenda is becoming more environmentally friendly ahead of the 2010 presidential poll, analysts say.

The plans unveiled by Mr Minc would limit sugar cane plantations to 7.5% of Brazilian territory or 64m hectares, and prevent the clearing of new land for the crop.

Brazil has a well-developed programme of ethanol fuel

The proposed legislation, expected to be put to Congress next year, would also prohibit the building of ethanol distillation plants in food-growing areas or in the vast wetlands of the Pantanal, on Brazil’s border with Bolivia.

Brazil, the world’s top producer of sugar, has long championed ethanol as an environmentally friendly source of energy but concerns have grown over its potential hazards.

Critics have said that the spread of sugar cane plantations into areas like the Amazon and the Pantanal has increased deforestation.

“This legislation is extremely welcome because it sends a clear signal to farmers and to the world that the government wants to exercise control,” Paulo Moutinho from environmental group Imazon told the AFP news agency.

Source: BBCNews