A Brazilian call for a climate equity metric faces significant opposition from the U.S. and the European Union. At the Warsaw Climate Change Conference—which began on November 11th and will last for two weeks—Brazil proposed a program whereby nations would calculate their total output of greenhouse gases since 1850 in order to determine their responsibility for climate change. The proposal, which was supported by 130 nations, would focus attention away from China and India—two major emitters—and onto wealthier countries that have emitted carbon dioxide since the industrial revolution.

A federal judge ordered dam construction activities in the Teles Pires river to be suspended due to faults in the environmental licensing process and the project's impacts on three local tribes. The order was in response to a suit filed by the prosecutor's office, which cited "gross errors" in the project's environmental impact assessment regarding the required "indigenous component." The indigenous component was presented over a year after the rest of the assessment, and technical staff flagged several major shortcomings, especially in terms of downstream water quality and fisheries.

A federal court suspended the use of the military during research on the São Luíz do Tapajós Dam in the Amazon. The government brought in police and military personnel to halt indigenous protests from groups living along the Tapajós, but a judge decreed that such groups must give free, prior, and informed consent before further studies on the dam. A few weeks ago, indigenous groups warned that they would "go to war" with the government if they forced the dam through, and President Dilma Rousseff authorized the deployment of forces during technical and environmental studies.

An increase in foreign demand for beef and soy may lead Brazil to reverse decades of slowing forest losses by clearing more of the Amazon, according to the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research. The Center warned that demand for the products, which already account for 2.7 billion metric tons of carbon emissions caused by Brazil's deforestation, may indirectly contribute to the loss of forests industrialized countries had hoped to protect with international agreements.

Brazil appears to be suffering from an increase in deforestation after decades of decline, according to data compiled by researchers. Imazon, a research institute that tracks deforestation by satellite imagery, said that destruction in the Amazon increased for the fourth consecutive month in December as farmers, loggers, miners, and builders moved into previously untouched woodland. If the increase continues, it will confirm scientists' fears that government-backed infrastructure projects are helping to destroy the region.

The Amazon rainforest may be more susceptible to drought than previously believed, according to a new study. The impacts of a 2005 drought persisted significantly longer than scientists had previously believed, raising questions about the forest's ability to cope with climate change. The research is based on satellite data and analysis of rainfall observations, measuring characteristics of the forest including water content in leaves and the overall structure of the canopy, to look at the response of the rainforest to the 2005 drought, the worst on record at the time.

Norway will contribute $180 million in Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) funding to Brazil, even as the nations disagree over who should monitor carbon savings. Payments from Norway now total $670 million, out of $1 billion pledged by 2015, and Brazil's rate of deforestation has fallen nearly 70 percent from historic levels as it reduced the rate of loss by 27 percent from 2011 to 2012. However, the nations' disagreement over who should measure the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by trees is hampering efforts at forest protection.

Indigenous groups began an occupation of the work site of the future Belo Monte electric dam in Brazil last week, attempting for the second time to halt construction on a project that they say threatens their way of life. Around 100 Indians, fishermen, and activists formed a group known as Xingu Alive Forever and said that they plan to "definitively dam the Xingu River." Some 40,000 people depend on the river for their livelihoods, and the occupation follows years of legal challenges. Over the summer, around 300 people successfully occupied the dam site for 21 days.

Chevron paid Brazil a $12.1 million fine for irregularities related to an oil spill northeast of Rio de Janeiro in November, according to a statement released by the country's oil regulator last week. Chevron received a 30 percent discount for paying promptly and not challenging the violations. Executives with Chevron and Transocean still face up to $20 billion in damages in a civil suit and up to 31 years in prison for last year's 3,600 barrel spill, as Brazil increasingly scrutinizes environmental damage.

A Brazilian federal appeals court ordered a halt to the construction of the controversial Belo Monte dam last week until indigenous groups can be properly consulted. Up to 12,000 construction workers were due to work on the project this year, and the dam, which is expected to power 23 million homes, is a key part of Brazil's plan to rely on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.