Jose Lutzenberger
Encyclopedia
José Antônio Kroepf Lutzenberger (December 17, 1926–May 14, 2002) was a Brazil
ian environmentalist
.
, the capital city of southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul
, as the only son of architect Joseph Franz Seraph Lutzenberger
. He graduated in Agronomy
at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
in 1950. For more than 15 years he worked in Germany, Venezuela
and Morocco
for a German chemical company, BASF
, selling the same products he would later campaign against.
In 1971, Lutzenberger founded the Associação Gaúcha de Proteção ao Ambiente Natural (Agapan), an environmentalist organization. He became famous for defending the environment together with Magda Renner, Hilda Wrasse Zimmermann and others during the time of military government in Brazil. He was appointed to the Environment Ministry in the Fernando Collor de Mello
federal government, in the early 1990s.
"He was Brazil's first internationally known environmental activist, and the fact he was chosen environment minister in Brazil's first democratically elected government in 30 years was just a spiderman indication of the tremendous mark he made in that area," said Stephan Schwartzman, senior scientist at Environmental Defense
.
In 1987 Lutzenberger founded a group called Gaia, which focused on global issues, and a year later he won the Right Livelihood Award
in recognition of his work.
Lutzenberger died in 2002 at the age of 75. He was buried as he wished: naked, without a coffin
, close to a tree in a farm
he restored, the Rincão Gaia, in Pantano Grande
, also in the Rio Grande do Sul
state.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
.
Biography
He was born in a German family in Porto AlegrePorto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, the capital city of southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, as the only son of architect Joseph Franz Seraph Lutzenberger
Joseph Franz Seraph Lutzenberger
Joseph Franz Seraph Lutzenberger was a German Brazilian architect and artist.-Biography:Born in Altötting, Bavaria, Lutzenberger studied engineering at the Technical University Munich. Since an early age, he found pleasure in paiting and drawing...
. He graduated in Agronomy
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul is one of the largest federal universities in Brazil. It is almost completely located in Porto Alegre, with four campi , some isolated buildings The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Portuguese: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS) is...
in 1950. For more than 15 years he worked in Germany, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
for a German chemical company, BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
, selling the same products he would later campaign against.
In 1971, Lutzenberger founded the Associação Gaúcha de Proteção ao Ambiente Natural (Agapan), an environmentalist organization. He became famous for defending the environment together with Magda Renner, Hilda Wrasse Zimmermann and others during the time of military government in Brazil. He was appointed to the Environment Ministry in the Fernando Collor de Mello
Fernando Collor de Mello
Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello was the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned in a failed attempt to stop his trial of impeachment by the Brazilian Senate...
federal government, in the early 1990s.
"He was Brazil's first internationally known environmental activist, and the fact he was chosen environment minister in Brazil's first democratically elected government in 30 years was just a spiderman indication of the tremendous mark he made in that area," said Stephan Schwartzman, senior scientist at Environmental Defense
Environmental Defense
Environmental Defense Fund or EDF is a United States–based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and human health...
.
In 1987 Lutzenberger founded a group called Gaia, which focused on global issues, and a year later he won the Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
in recognition of his work.
Lutzenberger died in 2002 at the age of 75. He was buried as he wished: naked, without a coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
, close to a tree in a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
he restored, the Rincão Gaia, in Pantano Grande
Pantano Grande
-See also:*List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul...
, also in the Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
state.
External links
- Fundação Gaia (in Portuguese)
- Vida Produtos e Serviços - company started by Lutzenberger
- http://www.roessler.org.br (in Portuguese)
- Obituary: New York Times
- Right Livelihood Award website