SAO PAULO — The massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rain forest won approval from Brazil’s environmental protection agency on Wednesday, clearing the way for construction of a project fiercely opposed by environmentalists, indigenous activists and celebrities including film director James Cameron and rock star Sting. The dam would be the world’s third largest, behind China’s Three Gorges dam and the Itaipu, which straddles the border of Brazil and Paraguay. The consortium building Belo Monte still must obtain an operating license before producing energy, but Wednesday’s decision allows for full-scale construction of an $11-billion project designed to produce 11,000 megawatts of electricity, more than 6 percent of Brazil’s energy needs. Read full article >>