Forests Not for Absorbing Carbon, Say Activists

Thousands of activists left the international civil society meet in Bolivia with the goal to fight the use of forests for absorbing carbon emissions, following sharp debate and criticisms of the host government of President Evo Morales.

Murky Waters Flow from Peruvian Andes

Work on a gigantic plan for water diversion and irrigation in a vast area of northern Peru is gaining speed amidst environmental and agricultural worries.

Coal, a Silent Killer

The only way to fight climate-changing carbon emissions is to shut down all of the coalmines and power plants and develop only alternative energy sources, says U.S. expert Alan Lockwood.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Jesuits Launch Eco-Campaign

"Later is too late" is the campaign launched by the Society of Jesus in Honduras, working with various civil society groups, that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Renewed Mapuche Opposition to Airport

The Mapuche organization Ayún Mapu, which includes eight communities of Chile's largest indigenous group, will turn to the courts to prevent the construction of an airport on their land in the region of Araucanía, near Temuco, 670 kilometers south of Santiago.

EUROPE: THE SOCIAL QUESTION

With the motto "Stop the misery", the European Union (EU) has declared 2010 "The Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion". In the 27 countries of the EU, there are some 85 million poor [i]. One in six Europeans lives in poverty [ii]. And the situation is getting worse as the effects of the global economic crisis spread. The social question must be put at the centre of the debate.

Civil Society's Voice Loud and Clear in Cochabamba

Activists from across the Americas are in Bolivia for an event with little government participation. They are looking for ways to join forces ahead of the next global climate summit, to be held in Mexico at the end of this year.

Giant Bacteria Colonize the Oceans

Marine biologists have discovered giant mats composed of megabacteria off the coast of South America, and suggest that they could serve vital ecological functions.

Tools Needed for Those Most Vulnerable to Climate Change

A global forum in Uruguay is evaluating the country's plans for dealing with the problems that arise from increasing variability and unpredictability of the climate, especially for poorer populations.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Government Suspends Logging Permit

Honduran authorities ordered a halt to logging in 600 hectares of forest in six communities of Valle de Siria, in the central department of Francisco Morazán, in the wake of protests by local residents and clashes with the loggers, which left one person dead and two injured.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: A Push for Eco-Lighting

The environmental group Greenpeace is pressuring the Mexican Parliament and businesses to promote the replacement of incandescent light bulbs with ecological alternatives.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: To the Rescue of Stranded Marine Animals

Argentine environmental activists and officials have united to help marine animals that are in situations of risk along the coast of the province of Buenos Aires.

US, EU, AND CHINA: GLOBAL GOVERNANCE GROWS HARDER AND HARDER

In the few weeks since President Obama succeeded in passing his health reform bill, we have seen numerous developments that clearly indicate the search for global governance is growing more and more difficult. Let's begin with the United States, where the lesson to be learned is that politics, in matters of greatest importance, can simply ignore public opinion. Various Democratic senators whom Obama pressured to support the reform bill now run the risk of losing re-election for doing so.

A FUTURE WORLD OF REGIONS

The US Empire is declining and leaving a power vacuum. China will not fill the gap, nor the European Union (EU) with its recent experience of how colonialism ended. The state system is also fading, with regions gaining in importance.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Blue Scorpion Against Cancer

Cuban scientists have isolated three proteins from the poison of the Caribbean's blue scorpion (Rhopalurus junceus), which inhibit malignant cancer cells. The scientists say they are willing to work with other laboratories to expand the research.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Preparing for Cochabamba Climate Summit

More than 100 people will be part of the Chilean delegation to the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, to take place Apr. 19-22 in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Plant Fiber Production Expands

The Brazilian Amazon region is beginning to reinstate itself in production of plant fibers, benefitting from campaigns against plastics.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Readying for Reforestation

Venezuela's Environment Ministry announced that it will finalize resources for the Tree Mission, a reforestation program for river headwater areas begun in 2006, and now intended to recover national parks affected by the fires resulting from the drought that has lasted since 2009.

European Activists Against Economic Growth

They are economists, sociologists, political scientists and environmentalists from Europe, and they're criticizing current efforts for "sustainable development." They are calling for renouncing "uncontrolled consumerism" and implementing policies for "degrowth."

Bamboo Against Deforestation

As the farming frontier pushes into forests and threatens natural resources, in southern Paraguay an effort is under way to cultivate tacuara and other cane species in harmony with nature.

Quake Damage Begins at Home

There is little awareness about quake-related dangers for homes and other buildings in vulnerable zones like Cuba, say experts.