Paper short abstract:

This paper will explore the dynamics of contemporary approaches to the environment by looking at the construction of an Olympic Village on part of a preserved, albeit abandoned, mangrove in the periphery of Rio de Janeiro, against the backdrop of the reform of the Forest Code.

Paper long abstract:

Depictions of the natural environment have often been associated with processes of nation formation. In the 90's, two public opinion surveys were conducted in Brazil to prove that 'edenismo' (from Eden), the exaltation of the natural qualities of the landscape common in the romantic literature movement of the nineteenth century, is still alive today. Using the indicator 'national pride', the conclusion of the survey was that the main reason for Brazilians' national pride is 'nature'. This paper will explore how the institutionalisation of the environment, including the Forest Code and the Brazilian National System of Conservation Units, both granting rights to nature in a selective manner, is a major stake in Brazilian politics, with loud repercussions in the international arena. While there appears to be a rhetorical shift from the neo-liberal model towards progressive socio-environmental policies, alternative ways of achieving economic growth are treated with scepticism. Some stake-holders have an optimistic vision of the dialectical encounter between capitalism and limited natural resources and call that vision green economy, while others claim that social welfare should come first. This study will try to unveil the many voices in the contemporary discussion on environmental issues in Brazil by presenting the controversies around the reform of the Forest Code as a backdrop, and then focusing on what could be seen as a fractal of the overarching environmental picture: the construction of an Olympic Village on part of a preserved, albeit abandoned, mangrove in the periphery of Rio de Janeiro.