2.7 Brazil

Question 1

When did Brazil begin to diversify their energy

Answer 1

Began to diversify in the 1970s – investing in hydroelectric power and then biofuels.

Question 2

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of ________

Answer 2

sugar canes grown for 500 years, now in order to produce ethanol

Question 3

How many barrels of oil can be made from bio-refineries

Answer 3

Bio-refineries produce 930,000 barrels of oil / day,

$50bn/yr, 1.34 direct jobs, 16% of energy

Question 4

How many jobs are created in the ethanol industry

Answer 4

Ethanol industry provides 11 jobs for every tonne of oil

that is produced – work is formalised and better paid

Question 5

What is an advantage of using sugar cane

Answer 5

Sugar cane provides between 8-10 times more energy than input required – and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 90%

Question 6

What is the disadvantage for biofuel farmers?

Answer 6

Government reduced taxes on fossil fuels to control inflation– and this created problems for biofuel farmers (less stability)

Question 7

What issues are caused by increasing demand?

Answer 7

Larger areas needed for sugar cane production. There is less space for pastoral land and agriculture = competition for primary rainforest