Saving the Mangroves Front

ANG PULO, Philippines, Jun 15 2012 (IPS) - On a humid islet covered with mangroves, Lucena Duman and her neighbours have found a route out of poverty. They work as conservationists and tour guides in this isolated corner of thePhilippines.

Women Targeted in Tahrir Square

CAIRO, Jun 15 2012 (IPS) - It is becoming increasingly uncomfortable to be female or foreign in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, birthplace of the January 2011 Egyptian revolution.  

Earth’s Future Not for Sale, Activists Say

WASHINGTON, Jun 15 2012 (IPS) - Just ahead of the start of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), many are worried about the influence that corporations will have on the summit’s agenda.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Rio to Offer Incentives for Sustainable Construction

Rio de Janeiro City Hall has decided to encourage sustainable construction by offering a 50 percent tax reduction for certified building projects.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Residents of the Capital Clean Up Their Neighborhoods

Residents of 39 districts and neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa are participating in the Barrio Limpio (Clean Neighborhood) project, clearing trash from ravines, ditches and roads to help prevent flooding during the upcoming rainy season.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Swift Progress in DNA Barcoding of Birds

Argentina has made rapid progress in the genetic identification of birds as part of the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL).

Ai Weiwei – Can One Artist Change China?

Coralie Tripier interviews ALISON KLAYMAN, Director of the documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. UNITED NATIONS, Jun. 15 2012 (IPS) - Ai Weiwei, China’s most famous contemporary artist and activist, is going to have a considerable influence on China’s future, says Alison Klayman, the director of the award-winning documentary Ai Weiwei: Never sorry.

Crisis Sows Community Gardens in Spain

MÁLAGA, Spain, Jun 13, 2012 (IPS) - The economic crisis is fuelling the search for less individualistic ways of life in Spain, and a growing interest in urban agriculture has given rise to flourishing community gardens on vacant lots in cities and towns.

Greater Global Peace Could Save Trillions of Dollars

UNITED NATIONS, June 15, 2012 (IPS) — With 98 days remaining in the countdown to the International Day of Peace, the launch of the Global Peace Index (GPI) (LINK: http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/) spotlights the links between peace and prosperity.

Mauritius introduces new ways to collect blood

The Mauritius blood bank is introducing new ways to get the youth to give blood. The drive could also help the country reach one of its MDG goals. Audio Slide Show

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Children Head Up Environmental Patrols

Girls and boys from ten schools in Tegucigalpa are collecting and recycling trash and using the proceeds to pay for their own school snacks, as well as taking part in patrols that educate the public and ensure that garbage is deposited in the proper place.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: More Protection for Trees in Caracas Demanded

Local residents and environmentalists are angry that a dozen trees were cut down to clear the way for a new mausoleum on the north side of Caracas to house the remains of Venezuela’s independence leader and founding father, Simón Bolívar.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Thousands of Species of Fungus in the Atlantic Forest

A study by the Luiz de Queiroz Higher School of Agriculture at the University of São Paulo has identified almost 1,840 species of fungus in the soil of the Mata Atlântica, a tropical forest biome on the eastern coast of Brazil.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Finalists Announced for Environmental “Anti-Prize”

The Chilean branch of international environmental watchdog Greenpeace is running its annual competition for the awarding of “anti-prizes” to the government authorities, politicians and businessmen who have been responsible for the worst environmental damages in the previous year.

Honduras Committed to Protecting its Marine Treasures

Given the abundance and variety of its corals, Honduras could serve as a gene bank for these species for the entire Mesoamerican region.

Partnerships make Sao Tome cocoa grow

Small farmers in Sao Tome are reaping the benefits of entering niche markets. Andrea Serpagli, a spokesperson for the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Sao Tome, told Tinus de Jager that the success of the farmers sprout from partnerships and knowledge gained from other similar projects.

Women and children need climate change education

70% of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are women. Many of these are semi-illiterate, yet they are the most affected by changes in climate.

Traditional farmers adapt to climate change

Experts say small-scale farmers are in a better position to adapt to climate change. IPS’s Tinus de Jager interviews Andrea Serpagli, from the International Fund for Agricultural Development, on their successful programme in Sao Tome.

Farmers can grow food and bio fuels in West Africa

Tinus de Jager speaks to Hugo Verkuijl, DG of MaliBiocarburant, who produces biofuels “in a way that supplements farmers' incomes, contributes to poverty alleviation and respects the environment”. The question is whether farmers can grow both food and fuel in Western Africa.

Women scientists must do more to succeed in Africa

Women in science face a difficult time getting recognition; they often have to put in more to get the same recognition as men.

Cameroon farmers fight infertile soil

Farmers blame infertile soil for the low food crop yields in many part of Cameroon. Aaron Yancho Kaah reports from the North-western region the country.