He is expected that the new millennium, with the worldwide shortage of water, this precious liquid will be worth more than oil. However, in Brazil, 80% of the sewer is cleared in rivers, lakes and springs. Without treatment of sewage and waste control, riparian cities strangling the Sao Francisco River. Says Jorge Almeida, President of the NGO new boy who plays garbage in the Arrudas or old river or knows that there is the San Francisco River. The celebrated jurist Antonio Herman Benjamin notes: Brazil still takes the first steps in the search for the compatibilization between economic growth and protection of the environment. By monograph AC and research in environmental law our 500 years of history are marked to iron (first, the axe, later, tractors and chainsaws) and fire (the burned and, more recently, uncontrolled fireplaces). Throughout this period, we were slaves of the distorted view of the naturaleza-enemiga (valve on the author).
Happily, non-governmental organizations and civil society outlines reactions. The order of the lawyers of Brazil, section Minas Gerais, insurgio-si against the pollution of rivers in the region of Hormiga-MG, where, in July 1999, were discovered three points of clandestine nesting of materials used in vehicles of the FIAT automobile assembler. It also required the Regional Attorney of the Republic administrative and judicial measures against the installation license of the hydroelectric factory of Itapebi, granted by the Brazilian Institute of environment and resources natural renewable IBAMA, the bahiana Itapebi power generation company. The initiative will be implemented in the Jequitinhonha River, neighbor to the mining Township of jump of the currency, threatening the waterfall of the Tumbo of smoke. We read in the State of Minas newspaper: even in front of the sad scene of destruction of our forests and degradation of the quality of our soil, water and air, we are reacting. Currently, several well experiences of rational exploitation and sustainable development projects are showing that we are on the right track.