Brazil's environmental movement is under threat – and Lula is siding with oil industry

Political bullying is rarely as brutal as it was in Brazil this week when the environment minister Marina Silva was ambushed in a senate meeting. Her thuggish tormentors - all white male politicians on the infrastructure committee - took turns to publicly belittle the 67-year-old black woman, who has done more than anyone to protect the natural wealth of the country - the Amazon rainforest, Pantanal wetlands, Cerrado savannah and other biomes - from rapacious abuse. One by one, they lined up to attack her for these globally important efforts. Decorum gave way to name-calling and sneering: "Know your place,"…