India and Brazil - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 186

poor, hence they lack the income and education to participate so much.
Brazil also is a vibrant democracy. People, even poor people, have a long
history of protesting to protect their forests. Chico Mendes earned inter-
national fame as a poor rubber tapper who confronted loggers and ranch-
ers who cut down the trees in the Amazon Basin.
India has many political parties, Congress being the biggest. Perhaps
understandably for a country so poor, they do not place a high priority on
environmental protection. It has a tiny Green Party. Likewise, Brazilian
parties do not focus much on the environment. The Workers Party, which
has held the presidency from 2003 on talked only vaguely about deforesta-
tion and greenhouse emissions.
Interest groups are ubiquitous in both countries. Some are small and
homegrown such as the Bombay Natural History Society and the Sálim
Ali Centre for Ornithology. Others are Indian branches of international
groups like WWF. A number get financial help from the government.
In Brazil, one of the smallest groups is the best known: Chico Mendes's
Xapuri Rural Workers Union. Bigger ones are SOS Atlantic Forest and
the Social Environmental Institute. WWF, the Nature Conservancy, and
Friends of the Earth have Brazilian branches.
Both India and Brazil have a federal structure, like the United States,
Germany, Canada, and Australia. Since India does not do much to pro-
tect the environment, this makes little difference. In Brazil, federalism has
made enforcement of national regulations more difficult. In the Amazon
Basin, the state-level enforcement has made it easier for the logging
companies to exert their pressure.
The diplomatic agenda has brought attention to the environment.
Preparation for the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit stimulated interest.
In anticipation of the conference, 50 nongovernmental organizations
established the Brazilian Forum of NGOs. India also found a diplomatic
conference to focus attention. Holding the 2002 Conference of the Parties
for the Kyoto Protocol in New Delhi stimulated Indian scientists and
officials to mobilize.
India and Brazil came later to environmental issues than the indus-
trial countries did. Poverty and less-educated populations meant the
Environmental Decade did not penetrate so soon. Yet these countries
made their own contributions. The whole concept of mass demonstrations
owes much to the Indian marches for independence. More narrowly, the
term “tree hugger” came from the Chipko movement. The Amazon Basin
has attracted attention from all over the industrial world.