Ecobreves – MEXICO: Communities Protest Planned Location of Thermoelectric Plant

Residents of 60 communities in three states in southern Mexico are protesting the construction of a thermoelectric power plant that they consider to pose a threat to the environment, their economic livelihoods and their safety.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Birds in the Classroom

The Audubon Society of Venezuela and the government of the northern state of Miranda are offering “Birds in the Classroom” workshops to teach dozens of teachers in rural and coastal areas about the importance, care and enjoyment of bird species.

Ecobreves – CHILE: New Environmental Courts Welcomed

Environmental organizations praised the adoption of a law to create special environmental courts in Chile, which grants the Superintendency of the Environment the power to prosecute environmental violations.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Metro Cuts Air Pollution in São Paulo by Three Quarters

The concentration of air pollutants in São Paulo would be 75 percent greater if it were not for the city’s underground rapid transit system, according to a study by the Federal University of São Paulo.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Municipalities Promote Discussion of Draft Mining Law

The Association of Municipalities of Honduras has launched community discussion of a bill for a new mining law to be tabled in Congress later this year.

Changing Argentina’s Energy Mix Will Take Intelligence and Time

Unconventional gas and oil exploitation might be sensible in the short or medium term in Argentina. But in the long run, it will have to increase the use of other energy sources and reduce the weight of hydrocarbons, says specialist Mariana Matranga.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Injunction Requested Against GM Soy

Non-governmental organizations and honey producers in the southern Mexican states of Yucatán and Chiapas have filed a petition with the federal court for an injunction against the government’s authorization of commercial production of genetically modified (GM) soybeans on an area of some 253,000 hectares.

Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Could Finally Become a Reality

Environmental and civil society organizations in Latin America, with support from other regions, feel confident that an initiative for whale conservation in the South Atlantic will finally be approved this year.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Despite Awareness, Water Is Still Being Wasted

Brazilians recognize that water is a limited resource, but they have yet to cultivate habits to preserve it, according to a survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Rio+20 and Beyond: Together for a Sustainable Future

We cannot call development sustainable while nearly one out of every seven men, women and children in the world are victims of undernourishment, says FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.

Why Inclusive Green Growth Can Sustain Recent Gains in Latin America

Latin America could become a victim of its own economic success, which is intimately tied to the generosity of nature, due to an increase in consumerism, says the World Bank vice president for the region, Hasan Tuluy.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Promoting the Use of Solar Water Heaters

The production of solar water heaters will be stepped up in Cuba as part of efforts to promote the use of renewable energy sources.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Community Demands Halt to Construction of Thermoelectric Plant

On behalf of a group of residents of the northern Chilean municipality of Huasco, the non-governmental organization Oceana has called on the Environmental Assessment Commission of the region of Atacama to deny authorization for the Punta Alcalde thermoelectric power plant to be built by Endesa-Enel.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: External Aid for Disasters and Security

The World Bank has announced the approval of 80 million dollars in new loans for Honduras, which will be primarily invested in natural disaster prevention and public security.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Bio-Detergent Cleans Up Oil Spills

Researchers at the Microbiology Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have developed a bio-detergent that eliminates oil residue resulting from spills.

Brazil Takes Steps to Confiscate Property of Landowners Using Slave Labor

Decent work is an essential requirement for sustainable development, the central theme of the Rio+20 summit, taking place in a country where slave labor has yet to be eradicated.

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).

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 – 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.

Global Economy: Prospects Are Bleak Almost Everywhere

Global economic conditions continue to have a strong bearing on production, trade and investment in developing economies. In this respect the current landscape is not very encouraging. After three years of recovery the world economy still remains highly fragile. The short-term outlook predicts contraction in several advanced economies in Europe. Growth in others, including the U.S., is weak and erratic. But more importantly, medium term prospects are bleak almost everywhere.

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.