President Bush arrived in Brazil today, and the citizens laid out the you're-not-welcome mat. Protesters across the country, and even in the Congress, are angry that President Bush's interest in importing ethanol from Brazil will be just another instance of the U.S. exploiting a smaller nation.
Environmentalists bemoan the plan to import Brazilian ethanol because they fear it could involve more clear cutting of the Amazon Forest. Any deal to bring ethanol to the U.S. to feed our appetite for fuel should require that sustainable practices are followed. Buying ethanol without regard to the environment impact -- no matter where it occurs -- just ain't right.
More than 6,000 protesters lined the streets of Sao Paulo where Bush will stay, holding up signs that said Bush was not welcome in a country that is generally hospitable to Americans. Selling the American population on ethanol will seem easy by comparison.
Source: AP
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