Diego Cevallos

Brazil on cutting-edge of world's aeronautics industry. - Embraer

Latin America Lags in Innovation and Technology

Although there have been important efforts in recent years, Latin America lags far behind the industrialized countries in the global science and technology race.

Among the leaders in the destruction of forests: Honduras. - Fundación Democracia sin Fronteras

Deforestation Still Winning in Latin America

By Diego Cevallos and - -

The plans of Latin American governments to fight indiscriminate logging have achieved some victories, but they continue to run up against strong economic interests.

A Hellish Life for Dolphins

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Except for a few notable exceptions, dolphins in captivity in Latin America face mistreatment from humans and the ills associated with being kept far from their natural habitat.

A Peñoles drill worker. - Courtesy of Peñoles

Science Shows the Way to Cleaner Mining

By Diego Cevallos and - -

An invention of Mexican university researchers could put an end to the toxic waste that the mining of gold and silver leave behind.

MEXICO: A Naked Call for Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Land

By Diego Cevallos

Every year, some 300 indigenous people from the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz march naked through the streets of the capital to demand land. But while their unusual form of protest certainly attracts attention, there is little chance that it will achieve their goals.

Few things seem more harmless than a child's toy. - Photo Stock

Careful with the Toys

By Diego Cevallos, IPS, and - -

The scandal of toxic China-made toys has cast doubt over the health safety of products for children around the world, and in Latin America in particular.

Forests The Battle of Statistics

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Authorities say that deforestation in Mexico has been reduced by nearly 100,000 hectares annually since 1990 and could be halted in five years. But environmental activists refute those figures, saying forests continue on the road towards disappearing.

Sierra Gorda's hope for income. - Proceso magazine

Emigration a Blessing for Biosphere Reserve

By Diego Cevallos, IPS, and - -

Mexico's Sierra Gorda Reserve embodies the paradox of the emigration of the poor: nature benefits from a smaller human population, while remittances from family members abroad are the main source of income for those who remain.

The green of the Sierra Gorda forests could be lost forever. - El Universal Newspaper

Sierra Gorda Reserve Hit Hard by Climate Change

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Less rain and more heat seem to be the cause of the persistent pests afflicting the trees of the unique Sierra Gorda reserve in Mexico.

Junk food reigns at snack time. - Photo Stock

Limiting the Junk Food Banquet

By Diego Cevallos, IPS, and - -

Latin America is waging its first wars against uncontrolled advertising and consumption of junk food.

Mexican eco-housing does not include solar energy or wastewater treatment. - National Housing Commission

Uphill Effort for Eco-Friendly Housing

By Diego Cevallos, IPS, and - -

Buildings in North America produce vast amounts of greenhouse gases, sewage and other waste. In Mexico, ecological construction is just getting started, with 5,000 housing units near completion.

Farmers and Scientists See Risks in Wind Energy

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Mexico intends to erect as many as 3,000 wind turbines on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec by 2030. Peasant farmers have doubts about the project's benefits for the local community, and scientists warn about potential hazards to birds.

The Chamela-Cuixmala reserve is home to species like the wild boar. - Claudio Contreras

Tourism Projects Trigger Conflict in Preserve

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Experts and activists plan to take two mega-developments in the Mexican state of Jalisco to international courts, for threatening the Chamela-Cuixmala protected area.

Mazahuas Choose Jail Over Going Without Water

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Indigenous women are at the forefront of a protest in Mexico demanding water. "We won't give up until they give us water," says Beatriz Flores, one of the movement's leaders.

50 million Latin Americans lack access to potable water - Photo Stock

Kids Pay Dearly for Lack of Clean Water

By Diego Cevallos and - -

Diarrhea, caused by contaminated drinking water, kills more children in Latin America and the Caribbean than tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS, warns the United Nations. Millions of children -- children of the indigenous and black communities in particular -- are at risk.