Clintons among investors at Brazilian ethanol plant with “degrading” worker conditions

In Brazil, an ethanol plant connected to an investment group including former US President Bill Clinton has been described as providing “degrading” conditions for its field workers. Brazil Renewable Energy, or Brenco, said that it was addressing the problems. President Clinto and his wife Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinto have an investment listed at between $15,000 and $50,000 in the plant, through the Yucaipa Company controlled by Ron Burkle. Yucaipa owns 2.8 percent of Brenco.

Burkle has raised more than $100,000 for the Clinton presidential campaign, and Senator Clinton has sponsored legislation to provide massive government investments in ethanol. Yucaipa has, in turn, invested in numerous ethanol companies, including Cilion.

The Miami Herald published a comparison of the climate change policies of the key remaining US Presidential candidates, but it did not show a significant difference between proposed policies on biofuels for Clinton compared to other leading candidates. Sen. Clinton voted for the Senate energy bill, and supports $2 billion in additional biofuel development.

Clinton’s program calls for a 10-year, $150 billion energy and climate change plan. The plan included increased CAFE standards for fuel efficiency to 55 miles per gallon, reducing oil imports by 66 percent by 2030, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The plan projects that 5 million jobs would be created in the alternative energy sector as a result.

Former US President Bill Clinton’s Clinton Global Initiative, is highly active in international biofuel policy, and hies ties to Ron Burkle’s interested have been widely reported. However, the Clintons reduced ties with Burkle as the campaign got underway. President Clinton’s Vice-President, Al Gore, recently won the Nobel Peace Prize for his activities in behalf of climate change.

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