Ecobreves – Rivers to be Rescued

Saving Brazil's rivers is a top priority this year, says Environment minister Jose Sarney Filho. With that goal in mind, a program is underway to clean up the river basins under the authority of the National Water Agency (ANA).

Ecobreves – Dangerous Species

Animals and plants originating in other countries and ecosystems can transform their new environment and even displace local species, warns Venezuela's National Office of Biological Diversity.

Big Petroleum Takes Power

Supported by a Cabinet rich in energy executives, George W. Bush, who took office Saturday as President of the United States, could halt environmental progress and abandon the crucial Kyoto Protocol negotiations on curbing greenhouse gas emissions

Is Another World Possible?

Leaders and representatives from social movements around the world are to meet in Brazil to debate ecological alternatives to what has been called the ''exclusive globalization'' promoted by the World Economic Forum, held annually in Davos, Switzerland

The Earth's Cycles

In addition to energy, organisms require a supply of materials to live. These chemical elements are found in the biosphere but must be constantly recycled in order to maintain their availability. Following is an account of some of these cycles.

Ecobreves – Ultraviolet Risk

Scientists from 40 countries met in December in Mar del Plata, a city 400 km south of the Argentine capital, to compare studies about the effects of rising ultraviolet radiation on plants, animals and humans.

Ecobreves – A Boost for Tourism

The Cuban government's official drive to expand eco-tourism could reach the island's network of national parks, which, say experts, have the necessary conditions to attract a great number of visitors.

Ecobreves – Jungle in Danger

Mexico's federal government must intervene in the dispute between peasant farmers and indigenous peoples over the Chimalapas jungle, a conflict that threatens to destroy an area that is unique in the world, warns the non-governmental group 'Maderas del Pueblo' (Woods of the People).

“The Center of World Poverty”

According to World Bank projections, by 2020 Africa will have a food shortage of 250 million tons. If we do not take concerted steps to reverse the negative trends now, the global center of poverty will increasingly be rural Africa.

Ecobreves – On the Verge of Impunity

Costa Rica has had a hard time cracking down on environmental crime because it lacks economic resources, specialized courts and solid government regulations, acknowledge two top officials.

Ecobreves – A Giant Aquifer

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay are to present a joint proposal before the Global Environment Fund for the management, protection and sustainable use of the Guaraní Aquifer.

Ecobreves – Green Candidates

- The environmental group Green Alternative will participate in Peru's April 8 general elections with candidates for the presidency and for parliament. The presidential hopeful is Alex Castillo, the party's secretary general, and among the likely parliamentary candidates are Gina Torrealba, former member of the national volleyball team, and several mayors.

Ecobreves – Protecting Fishing Resources

The Chilean government has reduced the quota for the 'jurel,' or scad, catch from 1.20 million tons to 1.14 million tons annually, and for the first time set limits on fishing for anchovies, sardines and hake.

A New Target: Oil Company's Investors

Environmentalists boast of having pressured Fidelity Investments to sell off 60 percent of its shares in the US-based oil company that has commenced drilling operations in an indigenous-held area of Colombia. The investors say the sale was unrelated to the anti-oil campaign

MEXICO: A Year of Change in Chiapas

Life in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas changed dramatically this year after the emergence of a popularly based insurgence movement last Jan.1.

PEACE IS THE WAY

The following article by Deepak Chopra, is part of a book entitled \"Peace is the Way\", published by Harmony Books and set to be released on January 18, 2005. In conjunction with the book, the author has created a website for peacemakers, www.peaceisthewayglobalcommunity.org which will be up and running by mid January. Chopra, one of the world\'s best-selling spiritual authors, is a doctor and the founder of the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California. His passionate new book was inspired by a saying from Mahatma Gandhi: \"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.\"

THE DOUBLE DIVIDEND: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE SPURRING DEVELOPMENT

On August 29-30, environment ministers and high-ranking officials from around the world will meet in Cape Town, South Africa, for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly, writes Katherine Sierra, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. In this article, Sierra writes that GEF projects have shown how sound management of natural resources is good for the economy, good for local development, and good for business. The time has come to move away from the myth that economic growth inevitably leads to environmental degradation or, conversely, that sustaining the environment harms the potential for wealth creation. This false dichotomy has contributed to marginalising the environment within the broader development agenda. The survival of human societies depends upon the preservation of healthy ecosystems and the sustainable use of these resources. Without this, efforts to reduce poverty, hunger, and child mortality cannot have lasting results.