UNITED STATES: LET HISPANICS LIVE IN PEACE

It must be election time again. Hispanics are suddenly being rediscovered in the United States, by both US and Spanish politicians, writes Joaquin Roy, \'Jean Monnet\' professor and Director of the European Union Centre at the University of Miami. Amazingly, the presence of the mythical 40 million \'\'Hispanics\'\' in the US is being wielded as justification for the Spanish government\'s unconditional backing of US policy in Iraq, the author writes. But did Aznar read the polls showing that Hispanic support for Bush\'s policies in Iraq was 20 points lower than the national average? And why does Spain\'s prime minister hold US Hispanics in much higher esteem than the other 40 million real \'\'Hispanics\'\' in Spain, who overwhelmingly (90 percent) opposed the Iraq adventure? Applying his own logic, Aznar should side with Castro against the US because of the presence of 10 million \'\'Hispanics\'\' in Cuba. A humble suggestion. On the occasion of October 12th, the Day of Hispanity, the national day of Spain, or the Italianified Columbus Day in the US, leave Hispanics and Latinos in peace. They will really appreciate it.

WTO: THE POST-CANCUN CHALLENGE

It would behove us now to put behind us the accusations and recriminations about what happened or failed to happen at the WTO Ministerial in Cancun and focus on how best to launch a new phase of negotiations in Geneva by the end of this year, writes Carlos Perez del Castillo, president of the General Council of the World Trade Organisation. The outcome of Cancun has dampened the will of many countries to continue doing their utmost for a multilateral process which, since Doha, has been characterised by one failure after another, the author writes in this article for IPS. Some major trading partners are already talking about alternative ways of achieving free trade. Others have severely questioned the principles and organisation of the WTO and its failure to tailor itself to existing demands. Should we fail to put the negotiating process back on track, not only will the 1 January 2005 deadline for completion of this Round be jeopardised; the relevance of the multilateral trading system itself will be called into serious question. For this reason, a major and decisive new phase will be launched in Geneva this week.

The Conquest of Transgenic Crops

More than 18 million hectares in Latin America are planted with genetically modified crops. The trend is irreversible, say scientists, who are staking their bets that the region will adopt this new technology rather than condemn it.

'Sea Shepherds' to Cultivate Pearls

Pearl production could benefit 30,000 residents of La Guajira, including the Wayúu Indians, who see the ocean as an extensive pastureland.

OPEN FIRE AND OPEN MARKETS: STRATEGY OF AN EMPIRE

Eruptions of armed aggression by the US should not distract us from the underlying logic of economic imperialism. America\'s \'\'war for freedom\'\' or \'\'war on terrorism\'\' is at one with its expansionary goals for the market: open invasion in some places, and open markets everywhere. In this article for IPS, the author writes that the plans for Iraq go beyond reconstruction. The intention is to create a dream economy -- completely privatised and foreign-owned. The war on Iraq was shadowed by a battle among American corporations to win reconstruction contracts. Resistance to the unilateral US strategy does not go over well. In March 2003, President Bush alluded to the possibility of reprisals if Mexico didn\'t vote America\'s way in the UN Security Council on the question of Iraq. In July 2003, the administration cut off military aid to 35 friendly countries in retaliation for their support of the International Criminal Court (ICC). And following the collapse of trade talks in Cancun, the US is threatening \'\'to take note\'\' of those countries that \'\'torpedoed\'\' the negotiations in Cancun. However, the US position as a solo superpower could be short-lived. Washington\'s desire to dominate affairs around the world has created a global resistance stoked by a combination of developing country resentments inflamed by US arrogance, a crippled economy, an expensive invasion and occupation of Iraq that has not gone well for the US, and reinvigorated civil society resistance to corporate driven globalisation.

Trip to the Moon on Sun's Energy

The director of the first European mission to the moon explains to Tierramérica how a light, refrigerator-sized probe may transform space travel as we know it. The SMART-1 was launched Saturday.

U.S. Wants to Expand Use of Methyl Bromide

The initiative that the Bush administration will present in November would undermine efforts to curb this ozone-depleting gas, say environmentalists and scientists.

Eco-Demands Give Way to Money

Environmentalists say the payment of more than a million dollars to four indigenous women who had opposed construction of the Ralco hydroelectric dam is a blow to democracy. The energy plant is to begin operations in 2004.

Human Cloning

The InterAcademy Panel, comprising 60 international scientific organizations, has called on all countries to ban human cloning experiments. The appeal reflects the viewpoint of a broad swath of the scientific community, warning that the cloning process -- which has been conducted with animals -- deteriorates genetic mechanisms and would cause human suffering.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Asbestos Victims Receive Aid

Chile's governmental National Environment Commission (CONAMA) made a pledge Sep. 23 to the Asbestos Victims Association to begin a new phase of joint efforts to finalize solutions for families that have been exposed to this carcinogen in the capital's Maipú district.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA:: Squatters Take Over Protected Sites

Homeless families have invaded 306 vacant lots, houses and buildings so far this year in Caracas, says the capital's city council vice-president Wilfredo Rodríguez.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Alternative Energy for Remote Town

The 400 residents of El Mamey, a village in a remote mountainous region in central Cuba, saw their living conditions improve with the implementation of hydroelectric energy.

Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: Fruit Trees Planted in Poor Areas

The Guatemalan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources delivered thousands of fruit and forest trees to 12 impoverished communities affected by drought in the eastern department of Chiquimula.

Ecobreves – NICARAGUA: Antennae Regulated

Nicaraguan authorities are drafting rules to regulate the installation of antennae for cellular telephone transmission and put an end to the disorder that has environmentalists complaining.

Ecobreves – COSTA RICA: Satellite Reveals Deforestation

Global positioning satellite technology is being used by Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy since July to detect cases of forest mismanagement.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Genetics Reinforce Sugar Industry

The finalization of the sugarcane genetic map by Brazilian researchers this month will help Brazil maintain leadership in sugar production and export, say experts in the sector.

Ecobreves – COSTA RICA: Crocodile Center Opens Its Doors

On Sep. 26 the first center dedicated to environmental education and research of crocodiles and caimans opens its doors in Costa Rica.

Ecobreves – NICARAGUA: Respiratory Illnesses on the Decline

The incidence of acute respiratory ailments in Nicaragua decreased 23 percent in the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period in 2002, says Maribel Orozco, director of epidemiological monitoring at the Ministry of Health.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Ten Years Protecting the Environment

The Honduran non-governmental Vida Environment and Development Foundation has under its custody, after a decade of existence, 300,000 hectares of protected areas.

Pre-Columbian Society Found in the Amazon

Brazilian Carlos Fausto, member of the team that made the discovery, tells Tierramérica how the new archeological evidence debunks the myth that the Amazon was an uncivilized area prior to the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th century.

Extractive Industries on the Defensive

British Petroleum and Shell International, among other transnationals, pledge to respect protected areas, but conservationists are wary of the big business discourse.