Exotic Fish Has Bad Reputation but High Yields

A foreign catfish in Cuba is a symbol of all the challenges posed by exotic species, which once introduced in a habitat become invasive.

Questions Surround Mexican Genome

In deciphering the population’s genome, Mexico has entered new scientific territory, replete with legal and ethical challenges.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Agrarian Reform Also Deforests

The settlements created or officialized by Brazilian agrarian reform in 2008 contributed 21 percent of deforestation in the nine states that are part of the Amazon jungle, according to a new report by the national agrarian reform and settlements institute, INCRA.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Newborn Whale Shark Rescued

A newborn whale shark (Rhincodon typus), measuring some 40 centimeters long, was found this month by artisanal fisherfolk off the coast of northeast Venezuela and taken to the Marine Museum of Isla Margarita.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Spain Aids in Protecting Hummingbird

Spain has granted Honduras 1.9 million dollars to develop sustainable programs in the habitat of the endangered emerald hummingbird (Amazilia luciae).

Ecobreves – CUBA: Urban Agriculture Boosts Production

The urban agriculture movement in Cuba produced 409,668 tons of fresh vegetables and herbs in the first quarter of this year, and is now working to offer products even at the height of the northern summer season.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Pets All the Rage in Santiago

Keeping pets, especially dogs and cats, is a daily reality for more and more residents of the Chilean capital, according to a survey by the social studies and public opinion center at the private Central University.

WHY FREE TRADE IS THE BEST ROUTE TO FEEDING THE WORLD HUNGRY

While the world could probably agree on basic objectives for our agricultural systems -adequate, nutritious, and affordable food, decent pay for farmers, and culturally and environmentally-sensitive production - we still disagree on what global integration could bring to this process.

NEPAL: DEMOCRACY TO DEMAGOGUERY

The shaky amateur video shows the leader of Nepal's Maoist party boasting how he tricked the United Nations into thinking his army was 35,000 strong when it had only 7,000 guerrillas. He goes on to admit how he has lied to everyone about his commitment to democracy and the peace process, and that his real goal is total control of the army and the state.

Science on the Trail of New Flu's Secrets

Using genetic studies, scientists are seeking conclusive answers about influenza virus A/H1N1, which continues to mutate.

The Nuclear Club's New Clothes

It's false that electricity production from nuclear reactors does not produce carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, explains Chilean environmental expert Sara Larraín in this exclusive Tierramérica column.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Biodegradable Plastic from Sugarcane

Brazil will produce 200,000 tons a year of biodegradable plastic made from sugarcane. This raw material could be used to make fuel tanks for vehicles and containers for yogurt, milk, detergents and other products.

Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: Unionists Demand Eco-Jobs

Labor unionists in Latin America and the Caribbean are calling for greater participation in sustainable development through the promotion of jobs in environmentally friendly technologies.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Nudist Resort Destroys Mangrove

Residents of Marquelia, a coastal town of some 15,000 people in the southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero, have complained that municipal authorities allowed the destruction of mangrove forests in an area where a nudist resort is to be built.

Ecobreves – CENTRAL AMERICA: A Digital System to Avoid Natural Disasters

The countries of Central America will set up a digital platform to detect areas of risk of natural disasters, and to share experiences in prevention and mitigation, reported the Honduran Permanent Commission for Contingencies, Copeco.

THE PROBLEMATIC FUTURE OF THE SUCRE

Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia and the seat of the Supreme Court of Justice. It was named in honour of Antonio Jose de Sucre y Alcala (1795-1830), a friend of South American liberator Simon Bolivar and second president of Bolivia, born in what is now Venezuela and buried in Quito. The sucre was the currency of Ecuador until 2000 when it adopted the dollar. SUCRE is also the acronym of the Unified System for Regional Compensation, a common currency that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has proposed for the countries of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of the Andes (ALBA), an alliance comprised of Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, and now the Caribbean microstates of Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (which use the East Caribbean dollar as their common currency). Ecuador will be an observer (it isn't sure what it will do with the dollar). ALBA is partially a response to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (ALCA), born in 1994 in Miami, and now defunct.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Anti-Dam Campaign Reaches Europe

May 8 will mark the end of a two-week tour through Spain and Italy by activist Juan Pablo Orrego, international coordinator of the Patagonia Defense Council, which is fighting the construction of five dams in the southern Chilean region of Aysén.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: National Park Restricts Vehicles

Access of all-terrain four-wheel-drive vehicles is being limited in the Cainama National Park, in southeastern Venezuela, bordering Brazil and part of the Guiana massif.

Chernobyl Kids Keep Arriving in Cuba

More than 24,000 people affected by Ukraine's 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster have been treated in Cuba since 1990.

Mexico's Future Hinges on Near-Empty Science Classrooms

The suspension of classes in Mexico due to the swine flu epidemic is not the only reason science and technology university courses have been nearly deserted.

Foreigners Lead Global Agricultural Land Rush

Corporations and governments with financial resources to spend are buying up agricultural land in poor countries as a means to ensure food and energy supplies.