Ecobreves – MERCOSUR-EU:: Environmentalists Against Trade Accord

Civil society groups from Mercosur (Southern Common Market) issued a call this month to protest the signing of a free trade agreement with the European Union.

Ecobreves – COLOMBIA:: Promoting a Reforestation Plan

Colombia is to spend 20 million dollars on reforestation for industrial and environmental purposes, with the backing of the government and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Ecobreves – PERU: : Choropampa Villagers vs. Newmont

Residents of Choropampa, a village in Peru's northern sierra, have filed a lawsuit against the mining transnational Newmont in a federal U.S. court over a spill of 115 kg of mercury on a highway in June 2000.

Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: Indians Urge Protection of Wildlife

Indigenous groups have asked the Guatemalan government to adopt new regulatory, protection and reproduction measures for endangered species, and to bring the cases before the global conference on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), under way in Thailand until Oct. 14.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Unstoppable Deforestation

The intervention commission designated to halt illegal logging and precious lumber smuggling in Olancho, in northeast Honduras, has not achieved its objectives.

Soy Threatens the Amazon, Warn Activists

Environmental groups say soybean production is driving deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon, but some agricultural experts disagree.

INTERVIEW: HANAN ASHRAWI – “UNILATERAL DISENGAGEMENT PLAN IS A DIVERSION TACTIC”

As Israel\'s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza approaches its fifth decade, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is proposing a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The issue has created a contentious debate. In the meantime, people keep dying: since the beginning of the second Intifada in September 2000, around 3,500 Palestinians --including suicide attackers-- and 960 Israelis have died as a direct result of the conflict, according to Agence France Presse. Hanan Ashrawi, an outspoken Palestinian scholar from Ramallah, educated in Lebanon and the U.S., speaks with IPS about Sharon\'s move and Palestine\'s perspectives.

Green Votes for Candidate Kerry

Activists believe the Democratic Party's candidate would strengthen international environmental agreements if he wins the U.S. presidency in the Nov. 2 election.

Harpy Eagle to Take Flight Again

Panama is a pioneer in rescuing the impressive raptor, the harpy eagle. More than 30 harpy chicks have hatched in captivity there since 2001.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: A Law to Combat Biopiracy

The Brazilian government wants a law for fighting biopiracy. A bill on this issue, drafted by the Environment Ministry, will be sent to parliament this year, and will define the crimes against Brazil's national genetic wealth and establish sentences.

Ecobreves – CHILE:: Digital Map of Environmental Damage

The Chilean National Ecological Action Network, RENACE, presented the first digital version of its ''Map of Ecological Destruction in Chile'', an annual report that highlights the environmental trouble spots in each region of the country and the disputes with greatest public impact.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Center to Help Beached Whales

The Venezuelan Environment Ministry is pushing for the creation of a special center to deal with cetaceans -- whale and dolphin species -- that end up beached on the country's coast. There have been 40 such cases in the past three years.

Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: Summit Against Drought

Some 200 officials and experts will gather in the Guatemalan capital in November to study the problems of drought and desertification afflicting Latin America and attempt to come up with some solutions, announced this Central American country's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Protecting Sea Turtles

Authorities from the Honduran Ministry of Natural Resources set up a ban a month ago to protect the sea turtle species that nest around the Gulf of Fonseca, a maritime area shared by Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Ecobreves – CUBA: New Trees for Havana

''My Green Plan'' has slated for this year the planting of 2.5 million trees of 52 species in the Cuban capital, part of ongoing efforts to re-establish vegetation in this city of 2.3 million people

BIODIVERSITY ESSENTIAL TO ELIMINATING HUNGER

World Food Day, October 16, presents an occasion to reflect on the nature and extent of hunger in the world today, which affects more than 840 million people, writes Jacques Diouf, Director General of the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). In this article, Diouf writes that this year FAO has decided to stress the importance of biodiversity for the world food supply, present and future. What this means is that the conservation of the varieties of plants and animals that we have today is fundamental to preserving an array of essential natural processes, from pollenisation by insects to the regeneration of soil with microorganisms. It also means that we must create the conditions for plants and animals to be better able resist blights and disease. The reduction of biodiversity seriously jeopardises world food security. The food supply is growing ever more vulnerable, and opportunities for growth and innovation are growing fewer in agriculture, the capacity of which to adopt to environmental changes is weakening.

THE NEW URUGUAY

Uruguay has passed through one of the most dire crises of its history, which called into question the values on which our society rests and was painstakingly built by previous generations, writes Jorge Larranaga, National Party candidate for president of Uruguay. In this article for IPS, Larranaga writes that the priorities of the next government must be job creation, decentralisation of the government bureaucracy, rejuvenation of the country\'s system of production, education, regional integration, and participation in the international arena. Four principles will guide a National Party administration: a reaffirmation of the principle of equal opportunity for all Uruguayans; making a top priority the satisfaction of the needs of the least well-off sectors of the society; the restoration of intergenerational solidarity; and transparency and honesty in all public service. A collective project of this nature must include all Uruguayans and be lead by an organisation that has true credibility. The National Party, which was founded with the country itself and represents, and has always represented, the true modernisation of Uruguay, has the credentials to realise the shared hopes of the people. I know that I am up to this daunting task.

WORLD FOOD DAY OR WORLD HUNGER DAY?

World Food Day is a painful reminder of the divide between those who are well nourished and those who live in hunger, writes Mary Robinson, Executive Director of Realising Rights: The Ethical Globalisation Initiative, and former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In this article, Robinson writes that every seven seconds a child under 10 dies directly or indirectly of hunger; more than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from hidden hunger or micronutrient malnutrition. The crisis is compounded by other global challenges which must be fought vigorously, particularly the fight against HIV/AIDS. Infection rates are rising among African women. Almost 60% of those living with AIDS in Africa are women, who make up 80% of Africa\'s small farmers and have traditionally been able to help their families and communities most in times of food crisis, but the toll taken by AIDS makes this task increasingly difficult. At the heart of any new strategy must be a greater commitment to implementing the human right to adequate food.

THE FUTURE OF THE CAR, AND THE EARTH

If oil lubricates the global economy, its increasing scarcity is driving the development of new technologies, writes Mark Sommer, directs the US-based Mainstream Media Project and is host of award-winning syndicated radio programme, A World of Possibilities. In this article, Sommer writes that with crude oil prices soaring and turmoil in oil-rich regions, transition technologies like electric-gas hybrid vehicles are starting to look like a cheap price to pay for salvation. But while current demand for hybrids is rising rapidly, it could yet collapse if its early promise is not followed up by auto makers with major expansion of production capability to meet rising demand, increased R&D to refine the technology, and a wider range of vehicles and models to meet varied user needs. In the case of hybrids, the customer is literally in the driver\'s seat. If we insist on fuel-efficient vehicles and forcefully address our demands to both auto makers and government regulators, we\'ll get them sooner rather than later. And by increasing sales volume, we will drive prices down to achieve mass market affordability. In the process, we will save more than money. We\'ll save ourselves, the author states.

THE FUTURE OF THE CAR, AND THE EARTH

If oil lubricates the global economy, its increasing scarcity is driving the development of new technologies, writes Mark Sommer, directs the US-based Mainstream Media Project and is host of award-winning syndicated radio programme, A World of Possibilities. In this article, Sommer writes that with crude oil prices soaring and turmoil in oil-rich regions, transition technologies like electric-gas hybrid vehicles are starting to look like a cheap price to pay for salvation. But while current demand for hybrids is rising rapidly, it could yet collapse if its early promise is not followed up by auto makers with major expansion of production capability to meet rising demand, increased R&D to refine the technology, and a wider range of vehicles and models to meet varied user needs. In the case of hybrids, the customer is literally in the driver\'s seat. If we insist on fuel-efficient vehicles and forcefully address our demands to both auto makers and government regulators, we\'ll get them sooner rather than later. And by increasing sales volume, we will drive prices down to achieve mass market affordability. In the process, we will save more than money. We\'ll save ourselves, the author states.

OSCE TO MONITOR US ELECTIONS

It\'s definitely news, but may well pass unnoticed: the upcoming US presidential elections will be monitored by a group of international observers working under the authority of the OSCE, writes Joaquin Roy, \'Jean Monnet\' Professor and Director of the European Union Centre of the University of Miami. The intervention of the OSCE was brought about by the confluence of two factors. On the one hand, the organisation already has a tradition of observing electoral processes in member countries, Roy writes in this article. On the other hand, there was the direct invitation issued by Secretary of State Colin Powell to participate in these elections, which followed the action of a group of thirteen democratic congressional representatives who, fearful of a repeat of the contentious 2000 contest and the administrative chaos of Florida, called on Kofi Annan for UN assistance. Annan replied that a direct request by the US government would be necessary to bring the UN into the act. Powell\'s alternative invitation of the OSCE came quickly to the rescue of electoral rigour.