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Ecobreves – HONDURAS:: Lawmaker Accused of Setting Forest Fire

The Honduran environmental prosecutor's office will charge lawmaker Mauro Caballero, of the opposition Liberal Party, of setting fire to eight hectares of forest, habitat of several endangered animals, including turtle and snake species, government attorney Juan Francisco González said.

Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: : Farm Irrigation Plan Promoted

By IPS Correspondents and - -

Guatemala will invest 17.2 million dollars in irrigation programs in order to boost farm production in areas afflicted by prolonged drought, Carlos Set, minister of agriculture and livestock, told Tierramérica.

Ecobreves – EL SALVADOR: Killer Pneumonia

By IPS Correspondents and - -

With the assistance of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Salvadoran authorities will investigate the cause of the high mortality rate associated with pneumonia in this country, where 326 people have died of the illness so far this year.

A Farmer Prepares for Final Battle Against Monsant

By Stephen Leahy and - -

The resolution of the case of Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser against the agribusiness-biotech giant Monsanto could have global repercussions for patent rights. The Canadian Supreme Court will hear the case in January 2004.

Dual Fuel Cars Revive Brazil's Alcohol Industry

By Mario Osava and - -

The new "bi-fuel" vehicles could expand the use of renewable energy, which had been on the decline in the late 1990s.

Sugarcane a Culprit in Cuban Soil Depletion

By Patricia Grogg and - -

In less than 200 years, Cuba lost eight million hectares of forests.

Eco-Guerrilla 'Poisons' Local Environmental Movement

By IPS Correspondents and - -

According to environmentalists in the Honduran department of Olancho, there is a campaign underway to undermine their efforts and to frighten the population.

Ecobreves – COLOMBIA: Coal Ports to Be Relocated

By IPS Correspondents and - -

The Colombian government is planning to move three coal shipping ports on the northern coast as part of an environmental plan after two ships collided, causing a fuel spill and the temporary closing of nearby beaches.

Ecobreves – GLOBAL: IFAW Seeks Iceland Sanction

By IPS Correspondents and - -

The International fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has called for economic sanctions against Iceland, which last week began hunting whales after a 14-year moratorium.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Petrochemicals Leave Lead Contamination

By IPS Correspondents and - -

Fifty percent of the children who live near a petrochemical center in Argentina's Buenos Aires province have high levels of lead in their blood, according to a study by the private consultancy JMB environmental engineering, conducted at the behest of municipal authorities.

The Cockroach

By IPS Correspondents and - -

The evolutionary persistence of the cockroach over hundreds of millions of years -- in which it hasn't much changed in appearance -- while the planet has undergone dramatic transformations is an impressive feat, but not enough to win people's affection.

Ecobreves – GLOBAL: 190 Countries Talk Desertification

By IPS Correspondents and - -

Government leaders, lawmakers, scientists and activists from 190 countries will gather in the Cuban capital later this month to discuss ways to mitigate desertification and its impacts, which affect nearly 40 percent of the earth's land surface.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Andean Condor Born in Captivity

By IPS Correspondents and - -

An Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) chick hatched in late July at Venezuela's Chorros de Milla Zoo, in the southeastern city of Mérida, in the context of a program to rescue this species in danger of extinction in the South American mountains.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: An International Pat on the Back

By IPS Correspondents and - -

Brazil is key for shifting global paradigms in favor of sustainable development, said Austrian physicist Fritjof Capra, who is organizing an international network of scientists and environmentalists to support related polices of the Brazilian government, led by leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.