Posts

mining

Multiple Nations Are Turning To Brazil For Rare Earth Minerals, Raising Environmental Concerns 

/in , , /by

Brazil is emerging as an alternative to China’s dominance when it comes to rare earth minerals, leading to a global race to secure the materials that are used for nearly everything. From clean energy resources, smart technology, medical equipment, batteries, lights, and so much more, having access to these minerals is integral for nearly every industry. 

Read more
bungee

Three Instructors Charged After Woman Dies in Brazil Bridge Jump Without Safety Ropes

/in /by

Hours before she plunged more than 130 feet from a bridge in Brazil, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas appeared to joke about the stunt she was about to attempt.

“Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?” the 21-year-old wrote in what local media described as her final Instagram post.

By Saturday, Eduarda, who was from Jandira, São Paulo,  was dead after being launched from Skeleton Bridge, also known as Ponte do Esqueleto, in Limeira, a city in the eastern part of Brazil’s São Paulo state.

The bridge has become a well-known spot for rope-jumping and is about 100 miles northwest of São Paulo, according to The New York Times. A police report cited by the outlet described the bridge as standing roughly 30 meters, or just under 100 feet, above the ground.

Videos circulating online show Eduarda in the moments before the fatal fall, with both arms outstretched as two men hoist her over their heads and toss her from the side of the bridge. A third man can be seen nearby.

The two men are wearing what appear to be harnesses connected to a rope, while the third helps lift Eduarda by the ankles before stepping back as she is carried toward the edge, according to the footage.

Eduarda is wearing a helmet, though no safety cord is visible. Local police said she had asked to be launched from the bridge like a plane.

She is also seen holding a GoPro-style camera, but police were unable to locate it at the scene. The instructors told investigators they did not know where it was. It was not immediately clear whether Eduarda had previous experience with rope jumping.

Earlier footage from the same bridge reportedly showed other jumpers being launched similarly, but with a thick rope fastened to their harnesses at two points. In Eduarda’s case, the clips on her harness appeared to be empty.

Embed from Getty Images

In a previous statement, the governor’s office said Eduarda “did not resist the fall” and that her safety equipment had not been properly secured.

When police arrived, a nurse was trying to resuscitate Eduarda, but officers found she had no vital signs.

Three men identified by police as jumping instructors were arrested Sunday in connection with Eduarda’s death.

Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, were charged with homicide with eventual intent, local officials said.

Under Brazilian law, the charge applies in cases where a person did not intend to kill but engaged in dangerous conduct that carried a fatal risk.

The three men worked for the company that offered rope jumps at the bridge, according to a police report. Authorities said two of them left the scene after being questioned by officers and were later apprehended. Police described the arrests as occurring “in flagrante,” a term often used when suspects are caught during or immediately after an alleged crime.

The company was not authorized to conduct jumps from the bridge, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services.

Police investigator Andrea Levy told reporters that the three men acknowledged Eduarda had not been connected to safety ropes, but said they did not remember who had been responsible for checking her equipment, The Associated Press reported.

Their defense attorney said in a statement to Brazilian media that his clients were in shock.

The activity is often compared to bungee jumping, but the mechanics are different. In bungee jumping, the cord stretches and snaps the jumper back upward. Rope jumping uses climbing-style ropes instead, sending the person into a wide swinging motion rather than a vertical bounce.

The sport has a deadly history. Dan Osman, who is credited with originating rope jumping, was killed in 1998 during a jump at Yosemite National Park in California. A cord failed during the stunt, and Osman fell several hundred feet into a canyon as a friend watched from above.

Skeleton Bridge was once part of a defunct railway line, according to local media reports.

Eduarda’s death has also triggered a dispute between local and federal officials over responsibility for the bridge and the surrounding area.

City officials in Limeira said in a statement that they plan to sue the federal government, arguing that local authorities had repeatedly tried to secure the area around Skeleton Bridge before Saturday’s fatal fall.

Embed from Getty Images

Limeira Mayor Murilo Félix said the city council had been trying for more than a year to pass local measures “demanding action from the federal bodies responsible for the area.”

“The tragedy this Saturday (13), which resulted in the death of a 21-year-old woman, makes the continuation of this omission unsustainable and unacceptable.”

Félix added that the federal government is “exclusively” responsible for the bridge.

As the investigation continues, Eduarda’s family, friends and community members have shared tributes online remembering her life.

Eduarda was buried in São Paulo state on Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

Local gym Panobianco Academia posted a tribute to Eduarda after her death, along with a selfie of her wearing leggings printed with the gym’s logo.

“Maria Eduarda left her mark through the dedication, affection, joy and respect with which she treated everyone around her. Your presence illuminated the environments and your memory will remain forever in our hearts.”

In a separate post, Panobianco Academia said it would close on Sunday in Eduarda’s honor.

“Those we love never truly leave us,” the post read. “They remain alive in our memories, in our hearts, and in all the love they left behind.”

Eduarda’s mother also shared a short statement on social media addressing her daughter’s death.

“My beloved daughter, today alone I wanted to hug you more than a thousand times,” she wrote. “How much your departure hurts me. I love you eternally, my princess. And thank you so much for being a part of my life for these 21 years. What an honor it was to hear you call me mom. God, thank you for this privilege.”

Artificial Intelligence Is ‘Rewiring Democracy’ Around The World 

/in , , , /by

AI is “undermining confidence in our information ecosystem, how the use of biased AI can harm constituents of democracies, and how elected officials with authoritarian tendencies can use it to consolidate power.”

Read more
cop30

Brazil Issues Urgent Call For Countries To Submit Climate Plans Ahead Of COP30

/in , /by

The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as Conference of Parties and most commonly referred to as COP30, will be taking place in Belém, Brazil from November 10th to the 21st. 

Brazil has officially issued an urgent call for all countries to come forward with strong national plans on climate to meet a key deadline in September, according to reports. So far, only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions not yet submitting their plans; including China and the EU. 

Embed from Getty Images

Brazil has issued a summons to all governments to place their submissions before a key meeting on September 25th in New York. The UN needs all national plans, which are known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), in order to compile a “synthesis report” to show how far off track the world is on limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees celsius above preindustrial levels, the Guardian writes. 

André Corrêa do Lago, the veteran Brazilian diplomat who will preside over Cop30, wrote to governments this week telling them that they need to submit their NDCs, and if they don’t, the work will be far more substantial at COP30. 

“Far from representing mere climate targets for 2035, our NDCs represent the vision of our shared future,” he wrote. 

“They are vehicles of cooperation, enabling us to realise this vision together. If the image shown by NDCs turns out disappointing, it is our collective responsibility to convert it into a picture that will ensure a livable planet, protect all economies, and improve living standards and life opportunities for all peoples, for all generations.”

Brazil has been highly motivated when it comes to COP30 and climate change in general. Last week, Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, had a long call with China’s Xi Jinping regarding climate specifically. 

Embed from Getty Images

Do Lago stated that they “are quite convinced that China will publish an ambitious NDC in time for the synthesis report. We are very confident that China is taking this exercise very seriously.”

Issues throughout other major nations have created a multitude of issues regarding COP30. US president Donald Trump has withdrawn from the Paris climate Agreement, and Vladimir Putin’s war in the Ukraine has caused a major slew of issues for fossil fuel issues. 

Brazil itself has also been dealing with issues, specifically the summit in Belém, a small city at the mouth of the Amazon River. Developing nations and civil society groups have become anxious regarding the lack of hotels and other accommodations, inflation, and airport capacity and security for the summit. 

Brazil is also emphasizing what will be on the agenda for COP30. NDCs are a major part of global climate action, however, they were not initially set to be the focus of COP30’s agenda. 

Many nations, however, have made it a point to emphasize the importance of discussing the NDCs and the impacts that they will have to fulfilling the Paris agreement. 

“Some of the issues that the public in general expect more discussion on at Cop were not included in the agenda,” Do Lago stated. 

“So what we want to do is make sure we are dealing with these issues that are considered important by stakeholders. There is a huge debate about trust in these negotiations, and I firmly believe that transparency is essential.”

social

Brazil’s Supreme Court Agrees To Hold Social Media Companies Liable For Unethical And Illegal User Content 

/in , /by

Brazil’s Supreme Court justices have set a new standard, with a majority of them all agreeing to hold social media companies accountable for illegal and unethical postings by their users. This move was made during a time where social media is so vast that there’s a large population of users that are able to get away with posting illegal content without being punished. 

Embed from Getty Images

The court made a ruling on two different cases in order to reach this understanding. The rise in reports from social media companies containing posts that involve fraud, violence among underage individuals, and child pornography.

Critics are claiming that this move could infringe on users freedom of speech, which is one of the biggest reasons that social media platforms struggle when it comes to censoring or removing content and reporting users. 

To combat the freedom of speech argument, the court has moved to hold the companies as a whole liable for the content, rather than just the individual poster. According to AP, Gilmar Mended became the sixth of the court’s 11 justices to vote for companies such as Meta, X, and Microsoft to be sued and pay fines for illegal content. 

While the voting is still ongoing, having a basic majority is all that’s needed for the overall measure to pass. 

Embed from Getty Images

Justice André Mendonça has been the only dissenting voice so far, stating that “free speech on social media is key for the publication of information that holds powerful public institutions to account, including governments, political elites and digital platforms.”

Justice Flávio Dino cited recent cases in which school shootings in Brazil were simulated on social media and read out posts from a user who stated he was “happy watching families of dead children weeping, bleeding, dying.” 

“I think social media has not made humanity closer to what it has produced in best fashion,” he said.

This proposal can become law once the voting is finalized, however, Brazil’s Congress could pass a law to reverse the measure. Current legislation in Brazil says that social media companies can only be held liable if they do not remove content after a court order.

“Platforms need to be pro-active in regulating content. They need to adopt certain precautions that are not compatible with simply waiting for a judge to eventually issue a decision ordering the removal of that content,” said Alvaro Palma de Jorge, a law professor at the Rio-based Getulio Vargas Foundation.

scorpion

Scorpions Are Taking Over Brazil’s Cities, Reported Stinging Events Rise By 155%

/in , /by

Scorpions are taking over Brazilian cities. Rapid Urbanization and climate change is causing an increase in the number of people being stung, according to research that was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health. 

Between 2014 and 2023, there were more than 1.1 million stings reported, a 155% increase throughout those nine years. 

Embed from Getty Images

The research stated that the rise in scorpion stings is connected to rapid, unplanned urbanization, specifically high density housing and poor waste disposal. While it would make sense that construction would destroy scorpions’ environments, it’s also been creating new habitats for the species to flourish. 

“Urbanization in Brazil has profoundly reshaped ecosystems,” said the lead researcher, Manuela Berto Pucca.

“Cities unintentionally offer everything scorpions need: plenty of shelter (in walls, drains, rubble and construction debris), consistent warmth, and a reliable food supply in the form of cockroaches and other urban invertebrates.”

Scorpion populations are famously hard to control. They can survive up to 400 days without food and reproduce without mating. 

They’re also adapted to warm and humid environments, so as the summers get hotter and severe rain and drought continue, the scorpions thrive. 

In 2024 alone, the data published shows that scorpions stung up to 200,000 times and caused 133 deaths. It’s projected that 2 million cases will occur between 2025 and 2033. 

 “The real scale of this issue is likely far greater than the recorded statistics suggest,” researchers said. 

Embed from Getty Images

“I’ve been working in places where scorpion stings are a daily fear, especially in poor and crowded areas. The numbers showed us that in the future the problem will be bigger than it is now,”  said Pucca.

The published research also said that .1% of reported stings result in death with children and elderly people being the most vulnerable. Healthy individuals typically can make a full recovery, but will likely experience pain and discomfort for several days, and other symptoms such as burning, swelling, redness, nausea, and more. 

“Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Mexico, Guyana and Venezuela have witnessed a particularly alarming rise in scorpionism [the medical condition resulting from a sting] over recent decades, evolving into a significant public health crisis,” the researchers said.

“Scorpions thrive in cluttered, humid environments. Keep areas clean, seal cracks in walls, use screens on drains and always check shoes, towels and clothes before using them,” said Pucca.

“The numbers are much higher than I would expect, in the sense that this is a significant increase,” Dr Manuela González-Suárez, an ecologist at Reading University said.

“Many people who are stung do not have severe or lethal reactions and mortality rates are relatively low compared with, for example, those due to road accidents or violent crimes.”

“If someone is stung, don’t wait for symptoms to worsen – go to the nearest healthcare facility immediately,” said Professor Eliane Candiani Arantesone of the paper’s authors.

brazil

Constant Flooding In Brazil Displacing Citizens, Causing Climate Migration

/in , /by

Ongoing flooding in southern Brazil has displaced nearly half a million people who are now considering moving to higher ground to avoid future devastation. This “climate migration” is one of the biggest Brazil has experienced.

Two weeks ago the southern part of the nation experienced flooding brought on by torrential rains. The Guaiba River, which runs near the state capital of Porto Alegre, has begun flooding again, surpassing previous flooding records. 

Embed from Getty Images

Researchers estimate that in the area around Porto Alegre alone, there is about 1,500 square miles of land that have now been flooded. Hundreds of thousands of families have evacuated the flooded areas, and the severe weather has caused around 147 deaths with 127 people still missing. 

This recent flooding is adding further damage to the floods that Rio Grande do Sul experienced during the entire second half of last year, according to reports. Around 538,000 people are currently displaced from their homes from the months of ongoing flooding. 

Local businessman Cassiano Baldasso spoke to Reuters about the frustration he’s been experiencing having his home filled with mud every time it floods, forcing him to take the mud out by wheelbarrow. He lives in Muçum, which is 90 miles upriver from Porto Alegre. 

“I have no idea where I’m going, but it will be somewhere far from the river, where our lives will not be at risk,” Baldasso told Reuters.

Embed from Getty Images

Mayor of Muçum, Mateus Trojan, stated that a majority of the town’s 5,000 residents will have to relocate. The mayor’s office is already planning on rebuilding 40% of the town in another location where it will ideally not be as vulnerable to flooding. 

Governor Eduardo Leite has stated that Rio Grande do Sul will need at least 19 billion reais (USD $3.7 billion) to rebuild all the infrastructure that’s been damaged. The government is offering to freeze 11 billion reais of debt payments for three years to support the nation as it recovers. 

Environmental experts have stated that the new reality for a lot of the towns in Brazil is a need to relocate entire neighborhoods.

“We need to move urban infrastructure away from high-risk environments and return space to the rivers … so they no longer impact cities with such magnitude,” said ecologist Marcelo Dutra, professor at the Rio Grande Federal University.

“We can’t oppose nature. We have to wake up to this force that is telling us we need to adapt and respect nature,” he said.

Climate Activists Call For Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro To Face Punishments For ‘Crimes Against Humanity’

/in , /by

A group of climate lawyers are calling for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his reported attacks on the Amazon, which they refer to as “crimes against humanity.”

According to CNN, AllRise, an Austrian non – profit organization, filed a landmark complaint that consisted of 286 pages in court in The Hauge, Netherlands, stating that Bolsonaro’s attacks on the Amazon and its supporters resulted in “persecution, murder, and inhumane suffering” in not just Brazil, but on a global scale.

CNN included some of the filing’s statements, which says that Bolsonaro should be held responsible for the future consequences that could derive from his Amazon policies, which have been highly criticized in the past.

“Climate science demonstrates that consequent fatalities, devastation and insecurity will occur on a far greater scale regionally and globally, long into the future, through the attributable links between the rapid acceleration in deforestation, its contribution to climate change, and the frequency and intensification of extreme weather events.”

Climate Observatory, which is composed of dozens of Brazilian civil society groups, is standing with AllRise and told CNN that Bolsonaro “promotes environmental destruction” and that he is an obstacle in the way of efforts to prevent global warming.

AllRise founder Johannes Wesemann spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP), saying that “what’s happening in Brazil — mass deforestation — we want to understand the causal link to the global climate.” As AFP notes, this would be the first case seeking to connect deforestation to the loss of life.

Embed from Getty Images

Wesemann also stated the goal of the complaint was to show the impact of deforestation, rather than speak on behalf of any person.

According to a statement release by Climate Observatory, deforestation rates have grown for two consecutive years by almost 56% since Bolsonaro took office in January of 2019. Those rates are expected to remain at a level of 10,000km, which would increase Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

AllRise estimates that the emission caused from the increased deforestation could cause over 180,000 heat-related deaths.

Meanwhile, Climate Observatory states the destruction of wildlife has worsened under Bolsonaro due to a lack of punishments for environmental violations, while the fund dedicated to preserving the rainforest has staggered.

“Under Bolsonaro, fines imposed by Ibama [Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources] have dropped to the lowest level in two decades, field operations have dwindled and the Amazon Fund, with nearly R$3 billion earmarked for forest protection, has been paralyzed since 2019.”

Illegal activities and mining have also increased in towns that support the President. It’s not too hard to guess why thousands have called for Bolsonaro’s impeachment.

However, there’s also a possibility this filing stops in its tracks. According to the AFP, the ICC has no obligation to consider complaints from individuals or groups, and cannot comment on matters until a prosecutor announces a preliminary examination into a matter.

Embed from Getty Images

As Vox explains, the U.S. has been among the countries that have previously pushed Brazil to better defend its precious rainforests. However, during Bolsonaro and Donald Trump’s overlapping tenures, protection efforts decreased by up to 20%.

Since Joe Biden has taken office, Bolsonaro sings a much different tune, advocating his concern for defense of the rainforest while also asking for money in order to progress environmental efforts. The two leaders were unable to reach a rainforest protection agreement during April’s climate summit.

Deforestation isn’t the only action Bolsonaro has been under a barrage of fire for in the past couple days. In a press conference, Bolsonaro said he didn’t want to be “bored” with questions about Brazil’s coronavirus death toll. Brazil currently has 601,266 total COVID deaths, the second-most of any country and right behind the U.S.

Covid-19 Brazil

Brazil Covid-19 Cases Surge This Week, Breaking Its Single Day Record 

/in , /by

Brazil has broken its record for new Covid-19 cases reported in a single day this Wednesday with 115,228 new cases. This increase is due to the nation’s continuous delays in vaccine distribution.

Brazil’s health ministry and data from Reuters revealed that the country now leads the world for the highest seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases and fatalities; they surpassed India last week, which is also struggling greatly due to a lack of vaccine distribution and access. 

Embed from Getty Images

When it comes to the total number of infections, Brazil is currently in third behind the US and India with about 18 million cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Brazil, however, has now surpassed India in terms of total death, with more than 570,000 fatalities as a result of Covid-19; India has experienced around 392,000 deaths. 

The US and other wealthier countries are seeing cases decline as more and more individuals receive their vaccinations. Other countries haven’t been so lucky in terms of receiving vaccines due to a lack of infrastructure and access. 

According to the Brazilian Health Ministry, 12% of the nation’s population is fully vaccinated. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has faced constant protests and criticism from citizens and other political leaders over his lack of action throughout the pandemic and slow distribution of vaccines. 

Embed from Getty Images

According to news reports, “a Brazilian Senate committee is investigating allegations of misconduct in the government’s response, particularly arguments that Bolsonaro did not respond to offers from Pfizer for its vaccine last year, instead making a deal to receive the more expensive inoculation from India’s Bharat Biotech.”

Bolsonaro and former US president Donald Trump received very similar criticism throughout the pandemic in 2020 due to their downplaying of the virus’ severity, and pushing for drug treatments that showed no evidence of preventing Covid-19. 

Bolsonaro has been fined by several local government bodies for not enforcing local mask mandates which led to an exponential increase in cases within the past year. 

He said earlier this month while speaking in Sao Paulo that “those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should not have to wear a mask. Whoever is against this proposal is because they don’t believe in science, because if they are vaccinated, there is no way the virus can be transmitted.”

Deforestation

Deforestation In The Amazon Is At A 12-Year High 

/in , /by

Between August 2019 and July 2020 the Brazilian Amazon experienced a 12-year high in deforestation rates, according to the nation’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). During that one-year time period, 6,890 square miles of forest were completely destroyed, along with the thousands of wildlife habitats within them. 

The destruction that occurred within this year is 9.5% greater than the previous year-long period, and is the highest level of destruction the Amazon has endured since 2008, according to the INPE, who recently spoke at a news conference to discuss this major issue. 

In general, deforestation rates have skyrocketed in Brazil since current far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took office back in January 2019. Bolsonaro has highly encouraged the commercial development of the Amazon and has defunded numerous agencies that are responsible for preventing illegal logging, ranching, and mining within the rainforest. 

Embed from Getty Images

Fires are often lit in the Amazon on purpose to clear vegetation from parts of the forest to make room for these illegal ranches. The surrounding forest area is typically already destroyed due to deforestation as well. Environmentalists have been outspoken about their disapproval of Bolsonaro and his policies that promote illegal logging and development in the Amazon. 

Back in August Bolsonaro was called out for referring to official data and news reports regarding fires in the Amazon “a lie.” Back in 2019 the president was faced with a threat from 34 international investors who all threatened to divest from Brazilian companies unless Bolsonaro made a genuine effort to slow the destruction of the forest as well as the illegal fires and ranching. 

While his government did take steps to curb that destruction by periodically banning fires and allocating military personnel to control them, the new data shows the opposite. NGO Greenpeace is an environmental group that’s been documenting the destruction of the Amazon throughout the past year.

Embed from Getty Images

NGO released photos from a flyover operation they completed in August. The images showed the southern portion of the forest located in Rondônia which included protected areas where commercial development and exploitation is prohibited, however, the images clearly showed the areas engulfed in flames and smoke. 

Back in September current president-elect Joe Biden even brought up the deforestation issue in the Amazon during a debate, claiming that the “rainforests in Brazil are being torn down but [he would] make sure we had the countries of the world coming up with $20 billion to say ‘here’s $20 billion, stop tearing down the forest and if you don’t, you are going to have significant economic consequences.’”

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and is now an integral player in the fight against global climate change. When the rainforest is healthy and thriving, it’s able to pull billions of tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and thus defend the planet from further climate destruction. 

It’s also a biodiversity hotspot and home to numerous species, and according to NGO South America’s Pantanal region has been hit by the worst wildfires in decades. The fires have now consumed over 28% of the area, meaning the area that is typically responsible for absorbing carbon dioxide and maintaining a healthy ecosystem for the forest is struggling for survival now.