With skyrocketing gas prices and dwindling supplies of oil, many energy experts have turned their attention to Brazil and its thirty year initiative to develop alternative sources of energy. Now former President Bill Clinton has joined the rank of those who see Brazil as a pioneer in this nascent industry. At yesterday’s IDB conference, “Building Opportunity for the Majority,” the former President discussed the growing importance of Brazil and its experiment with ethanol and bio fuel.  These two green fuels, which are produced from a variety of fermented products grown in Brazil, including soy beans, castor beans, and sugar cane, have, in recent years, become an integral part of this country’s energy infrastructure. But more than just being a substitute for petroleum, ethanol and bio fuel, if produced responsibly, could be an important economic catalyst with significant benefits for the BOP. 

The second day of “Building Opportunity for the Majority” had an inauspicious beginning: I was told no coffee would be allowed into the auditorium, a change from the previous day’s policy and a potential threat to my productivity. The threat was averted by something much more powerful than caffeine: Bill Clinton. The former president addressed a packed auditorium for over an hour, touching on subjects from fiscal policy and remittances to AIDS and clean energy. The electricity in the room was palpable, and Clinton lived up to the hype – he’s an amazingly intelligent person who can speak credibly on just about any topic. I never realized how articulate he is until the current President took office – quite a change. But I digress...