The Independence of Brazilian Culture

Oil is the basis of development for the entire world. Even though it must imported and supplies are limited, nearly all energy is produced from fossil fuels. The oil crisis of the 1970s brought these facts to the everyday lives of citizens around the world. While other nations forgot these lessons within a decade, Brazil drove the movement to rely on their own means of production, in this case sugar-cane derived Ethanol. Over the following decades, Brazil turned this specialized knowledge and local commodity into an engineering and economic boon. It is now the world's most efficient producer of ethanol and produces much of its electricity through sugarcane biomass generation. Why did Brazil choose to embrace this technology at a time when no other nation did? What circumstances were unique to Brazil to make the ethanol industry successful where others failed? The answer lies in Brazil's history of colonization and slave labor, its abundance of fertile land to grow sugar cane, and government commitment to the success of the nation's ethanol program.

When the Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500, the population of indigenous peoples was approximately three million; more than Portugal itself. Accounts tell of indigenous tribes being curious and open to trade with the new arrivals. Initially, the Portuguese bartered with the natives to bring brazilwood and other forest items to the coast. However, when the natives had accumulated all the tools and pots that they needed, they showed a lack of interest in continuing the arrangement. Consequently, the Portuguese turned to violent persuasion. The enslavement of the natives shaped much of the history of Brazil that would follow.

How did the country of Portugal, with a population of around one million, conquer a country with over 3 million? There were many tribes, nearly all with different languages and some with histories of war and distrust. The Europeans took advantage of the cultural differences among the Indian peoples to pit one against the other. They used historical vendettas to keep the Indians from uniting against them and subsequently to obtain slaves. The conquest of Brazil was not a simple toppling of an organized empire, but a drawn out process that spread slowly over huge distances, different peoples, and centuries.

Since the arrival of the Portuguese, sugar has been the most important commodity of Brazil.

They realized that some of the most moist and fertile soil in the world is located on the seaboard of what is now the State of Pernambuco. It's climate is very suitable for growing sugar and it is also conveniently located as a port of call for sailing ships traveling from Portugal to West Africa and the Orient. A triangular trade soon flourished, in which slave labor was imported from West Africa to work on sugar plantations. The sugar was exported to markets in Europe where rising demand was beginning to outrun supplies.

While a desire to stay independent of the need to import oil and the abundance of sugar cane make for a great start to ethanol production, the government's commitment to the program is what advanced it to a global powerhouse. First, the government offered credit guarantees and low-interest loans for construction of new refineries. Second, a state trading enterprise began purchasing ethanol at favorable prices. Third, gasoline prices were set to give ethanol a competitive advantage. Fourth, a marketing program was launched, with the slogan “Let’s unite, make alcohol.” Finally, the state-owned oil company, Petrobras, began making investments for distribution of ethanol throughout the country. Without these measures the oil industry might have been able to muscle ethanol out of the market.

Brazil is leading the world in efficient ethanol production because of their history of oppression, their subsequent desire for independence, their bounty of sugar cane, and the support of the government. Lessons can be learned from analyzing how Brazil became successful. While it might not be able to be translated to every country, some might have the opportunity to become more energy independent thanks to the pioneering steps taken by Brazil.

References: 1. Sandalow, David. (2006) ETHANOL: LESSONS FROM BRAZIL

2. Country Studies. Brazil. The Indigenous Population. http://countrystudies.us/brazil/4.htm

Malta's Sense of Self

It is quite remarkable to see how large of an influence and impact religion has on the tiny island of Malta, especially in more recent history. A 90% Christian population is not a statistic to be overlooked, and is one that falls in the top 20 countries that have high Christian percentages. As such an overwhelmingly large percentage of the people are Christian, it has become a defining factor of being Maltan since the times of St. Paul. The (relatively) recent sense of independence that Malta has experienced has produced a constitution that allows for “freedom” of religion, but at the same time declares Christianity (Roman Catholicism) as a state religion. For me at least, these seem nearly contradictory. Having a state religion established means that the government, in a way, expects the Maltese to be Christian. This leads to political decisions being aimed towards what may be religiously “correct” (i.e. ones that may promote religious ideals rather than ones that may progress the country as a whole: realize these two are not always correlated). I realize that this is simply the norm in Malta, and is likely generally regarded as a perfectly acceptable and reasonable method of making decisions. It is simply difficult for me, a member of another country which is in many respects different from this religious extreme, to understand how it has become the social norm.

In a bit of irony, the other largest defining aspect of being Maltese, based on a few of the readings, is the Maltese language itself. An extremely small number of people speak it in the world, making it unique and its speakers identifiable. The irony comes from its origins: the Arab invasion in 870 CE. This left an Islamic influence on the Maltese culture during that time which has propagated and can be seen in various aspects even today including the naming of some towns and villages. The fact that these influences are Arab in nature, conflicts with the extreme part of the culture that is now Christian. If being Maltese means pulling from conflicting ideals, it is interesting that it persists (a bit of what Dr. Gambin spoke about) throughout the culture.

Furthermore, this strong sense of belonging and the specific identifiers that the Maltese use in present day are quite different to Malta historically. Malta, being a pit-stop along trade routes and a country that has simply been ruled by the current world power (which has switched many times), has had a difficult time establishing traits that set it apart from other areas of Europe. It has simply been mainly an extension of other cultures. But since gaining its independence, it has developed a sense of self. It uses the traits discussed above, and has very recently (2004) joined the EU as its own nation. These steps of independence mark important milestones in Malta’s development. To quote Dr. Gambin again, Malta is in a state of adolescence as a country, and is still “finding itself,” which I find extremely interesting.

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http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127324.htm

http://www.guidetomalta.net/malta-culture/maltese-culture-religion/

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080726/opinion/true-maltese-identity

http://www.maltabulb.com/maltese_culture.html