Activists say they are satisfied with the naming of Juan Elvira as the environment minister for the new government of Mexico, but that his stated intention of making the environment a central issue of public policy will be difficult. President Felipe Calderón, who began his six-year term on Dec. 1, asked Elvira, 48, a former official with the Federal Prosecutor for Environmental Protection, to work towards Mexico achieving sustainable development.

“We know Elvira, who has served in environmental posts as someone open to dialogue. He is a good choice, but we are worried that he won't have sufficient power within the government, where there are those who respond to particular economic interests and who see the environment as a bother,” Cecilia Navarro, spokeswoman for Greenpeace, told Tierramérica.