BEYOND THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM

The secret of the vitality of the World Social Forum (WSF) lies in the fact that it is organised as an open space which, without renouncing its original mission of challenging neoliberalism, proposes to recharge the batteries of citizen activism, which is now necessary on a planetary scale if the earth is to move beyond the current mode of extreme capitalism. This process is underway and is following its own course, led by organisations and social movements and networks around the world.

LEARNING TO BE HUMAN

The smiling faces and laughing voices of children are the true measure of a peaceful and healthy society, much more so than any statistical indices.

THREE REQUESTS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA

I have been a sincere admirer of yours since I started following your writing and speaking about your plans during the presidential campaign. I admire your humanism, your culture, your valour, and your style. Unlike you, I am not a believer. I am agnostic and have a certain amount of experience in public life. However, I said to many friends that your victory constituted an authentic miracle for the United States and for the world, however little I believe in miracles.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Swan Death Investigation Extended

The investigation into the 2004 deaths of hundreds of black-necked swans in the Carlos Anwandter Nature Sanctuary, 800 km south of the Chilean capital, will wrap up in June.

Rural Wisdom Against Climate Change in Peru

The proposal to take into account the ancestral knowledge of rural communities in Peru has become key in designing strategies for confronting climate change.

Water a Matter of National Security in Chile

The constitutional declaration of water as a public good could put Chile on the same level as Uruguay and Ecuador as Latin American leaders in defending this essential resource.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: A Natural Way for Preserving Meats

Grape seeds and skins, already known for their antioxidant properties, can be used as a natural preservative for fresh meats in cold storage, researchers at the University of São Paulo have shown.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: No More Pitbulls

A law enacted at the beginning of this year orders that all pitbull dogs (crosses of several types of bull terriers) must be eliminated in Venezuela by 2015. In the meantime, these dogs must be kept strictly kenneled.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Food Distributed to Drought Victims

The most vulnerable regions of seven of the 18 departments of Honduras, hit by drought resulting from the El Niño climate phenomenon, this month are receiving the first round of food aid coordinated by national and international emergency agencies.

Wanted: Methane-Free Livestock

Studies of cattle metabolism and diet seek to reduce gas emissions from the meat industry, another villain in the climate change drama.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Complaints Against Dakar Rally

An environmental group from the central Argentine province of Córdoba has charged that no environmental impact studies were conducted for the 2010 Dakar Rally under way in Argentina and neighboring Chile.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Making Use of E-Waste

The University of São Paulo has begun to recycle electronic waste, creating a center, known as CEDIR, which has started in-house with the university's own obsolete devices of information technology.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Poultry Farmers Promote Certification

Poultry farmers in the Mexico City area want to organize under a system that allows them to certify their production, following models that exist for sectors like corn and sugarcane farmers.

Doors Opening for Carbon Tax

The disappointing results of the Copenhagen climate summit could give a push to taxes on emissions of carbon dioxide, something many economists have been calling for and some governments have already adopted.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Punishment Lifted for Illegal Loggers

The Brazilian government has put a three-year suspension on punishments for illegal logging issued up to Dec. 10, leading environmental activists to charge that the government is reversing the stance it took at the United Nations climate change conference held earlier this month in Copenhagen.

Ecobreves – CUBA: New Planetarium in Old Havana

A planetarium that will contribute to research and promotion of astronomy in Cuba was inaugurated this month in Old Havana.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Drought Means Christmas in the Dark

The drought in the area of the southeastern Caroní River, the result of the phenomenon known as El Niño, is casting a shadow in all populated areas of Venezuela, as the government ordered restrictions on public lighting.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Replacing Polluting Trucks

About 150 new trucks will be given to cargo transport microbusinesses in several Chilean cities as part of a government program to remove polluting vehicles from circulation.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: 2010 Without Water in 5 Departments

The drought caused by the climate phenomenon known as El Niño will hit five of Honduras's 18 departments hard in 2010, and at least 50,000 families are likely to face food problems, according to a government source.

YEAR ENDER – NOT YET OUT OF THE WOODS

In February of this year, the global economic downturn was peaking. The collapse of industrial output and exports was approaching a 40 percent year-on-year on average. Trade was shrinking dramatically. The outlook was indeed gloomy.

AS LONG AS THERE IS HUNGER THERE WILL BE NO SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

When we place an undernourished child on the scale, we are weighing not only a weakened organism, but also the synthesis of a system of reasoning as cruel as the one that cuts down trees, blows destruction and excludes the possibility of a decent life to over one billion people worldwide. The conscience of the XXI Century can no longer neglect that, as long as there is hunger, there will be no sustainable future