A motorcycle that can run solely on sugar cane ethanol, gasoline or a mixture of both has gone on sale in Brazil, where biofuel cars already dominate the roads, burning cheaper home-grown energy.

As Washington tries to rebuild its strained relationships in Latin America, China is stepping in vigorously, offering countries across the region large amounts of money while they struggle with sharply slowing economies, a plunge in commodity prices and restricted access to credit.

Water is not distributed evenly over the globe. Fewer than 10 countries possess 60% of the world's available fresh water supply: Brazil, Russia, China, Canada, Indonesia, U.S., India, Columbia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, local variations within countries can be highly significant.

Less than 3% of the world's water is fresh - the rest is seawater and undrinkable.

The discovery of huge offshore oil reserves has made Brazil one of the world's hottest energy markets, with firms that make everything from planning software for wells to floating "hotels" for platfor

Much to the worry of environmentalists, India is on the way to becoming the third largest carbon emitter by 2015. But there is some good news, too. Indian and Brazilian consumers are the most eco-friendly in the world, says a recent study.

Argentina, Brazil May See Change In Paraguay Dam Deal PARAGUAY: April 9, 2008 ASUNCION - South American giants Argentina and Brazil are grappling with energy shortfalls as their economies roar, and could soon face calls to pay more for key power supplies from their poor neighbour Paraguay. Both regional powerhouses jointly own hydroelectric plants with Paraguay and benefit from decades-old deals that provide them with electricity at cut-rate prices.