Earth Stewardship, Climate Change, and Low Carbon Consciousness: Refl ections from Brazil and South America - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 361

supply of water of large cities located in dry regions, such as Lima, Quito, and
Mendoza; (iv) due to change in rainfall, agricultural areas all across the continent
will lose productivity, and eastern Amazonia could be transformed into a savannah;
(v) electricity production also will be affected greatly.
Hydroelectricity is, in fact, one of the continent's low carbon features: no other
region of the world produces as much electricity from hydropower as South
America. The decision to invest in hydropower was based on energy security con-
cerns. In the 1970s, when the oil crises hit the world, many countries decided to rely
on their hydro potential for electricity, and large hydropower plants were built. It is
curious that even countries with large oil reserves use hydro for electricity genera-
tion - the best example is Venezuela, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC). In the continent, great hydropower potential remains
to be explored. However, important parts of this potential are in areas that could
affect Amerindian people, biodiversity, or magnifi cent natural beauties, raising a
great controversy in the continent and around the world.
The Amazon region has been at the center of environmental policy discussions
in the continent. Due to Brazilian policies to increase the population in the area and
exploit it commercially, Amazon deforestation has been a major issue during the
last quarter of the twentieth Century. The Amazonian countries, led by Brazil -
70 % of the Amazon forest is in its territory -, have answered sharply to foreigners
that have criticized the use of the Amazon. These countries have highlighted their
sovereign rights over the area, and argued that social, economic, and environmental
sustainability are impossible to be obtained without economic development, espe-
cially in a continent in which the latter remains a major issue.
Indeed, coupling economic development and environmental sustainability is the
continent's platform in international negotiations. Even if the links between the
issues are real and have been acknowledged internationally, they are frequently
distorted in South American discourse. Legacy of the colonization process, the
discourse of Northern imperialism and foreign exploitation of South American
resources is deep-rooted in South American culture. The world is blamed for the
continent's lower development standards, and every new issue that rises in interna-
tional arenas is met with suspicion. The discourse might win votes for populist
governments, but it is too simplistic to explain the real picture.
In the end, South America is a victim of itself (Viola et al. 2013 ; Halperin Donghi
1970 ; O'Donnel 1999 ). One of the greatest stumbling blocks to South American
development is the low level of republicanism around the continent - using the
Kantian defi nition, which implies understanding the difference between private and
public spheres, and the importance of a civic attitude towards public matters. 5
Cronyism is rooted deeply in South American politics. From the time the states
5 Republican values are in force when there is: (i) a clear distinction between the public and private
interests, (ii) equality of opportunities for all, through quality public education, (iii) legal equality
of all, (iv) due process of law, (v) state intervention in the economy to balance private and public
interests, and (vi) a welfare state with relatively low social inequality.