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Sunday, November 15, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Environment
High Oil Costs Drive Jamaica’s Clean Energy Agenda
A growing appetite for oil and some of the Caribbean region's highest electricity rates and petroleum prices are driving Jamaica's thrust toward clean energy alternatives.
Energy Forests, the Feminine Art of Reforesting
María Elena Muñoz industriously weeds a clearing in the forest and then digs several holes, where she and another four dozen women are planting plantain seedlings, to help feed their families in this poor farming area in El Salvador.
Q&A: The Road to Rio Goes Through Cairo
The U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) rightly believes the road to Rio goes via Cairo - and that sustainable development and population are inextricably linked.
Women in Brazil Turn to Eco-Friendly Farming in Wake of Storms
In the green belt of market gardens that feeds the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, women farmers are learning environmentally friendly techniques in response to extreme weather events and their effects on the land.
U.S. Corporations Sponsor Carbon Scam in Europe
The Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change ended up creating a perverse incentive that gave rise to an emissions reduction scam in Europe.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Fundraising to Protect Sea Turtles
A lack of funds has forced the Centre for Sea Turtle Research and Conservation (CICTMAR) to cut back its patrolling of Cipara and Querepere beaches on the northeastern Venezuelan pensinsula of Paria, where female leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are laying their eggs.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Community Works to Rescue Coastal Sand Dunes
The community of Santa Rosa de Aguán, in the northern Honduran department of Colón, is preparing to implement a plan to rehabilitate coastal sand dunes as a means of reducing its vulnerability to extreme weather events.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: New Technology Lowers Cost of Biodegradable Plastic
The Federal University of São Carlos is developing a new technology that will lower the cost of producing biodegradable plastics.Ecobreves – CHILE: Campaign for Communities Blighted by Pollution
The Chilean environmental organization Oceana has launched a campaign to support the communities of Ventanas and Puchuncaví, which face severe impacts from the pollution created by a nearby copper foundry and three coal-fired thermoelectric power plants.OP-ED: Carbon Doxide Emissions on the Rise as the Kyoto Era Fades
At the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the latest on-site measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography reveal that global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations reached 391.3 parts per million (ppm) in 2011, up from 388.56 ppm in 2010 and from 280 ppm from pre-industrial times.AGRICULTURE: Farm Animals Join Rio+20 Agenda
Human development and biodiversity will not be the only focus of the Rio+20 Earth Summit in June, for which representatives of hundreds of states and non- governmental organisations (NGOs) will gather to discuss sustainable development.
Tribal Farming Beats Climate Change
Tribal farmer Harish Saraka has rediscovered the key to sustainable farming in this rain-dependent hinterland of eastern Odisha state – mixed cropping.
Wiping the Iron Dust Off Their Feet in Small Brazilian Town
The 380 families living in Piquiá de Baixo, a small town in the northeastern Brazilian state of Maranhão, are fed up with having to endure high levels of pollution from nearby steelworks in their water, air and soil.
In New U.S. “Bioeconomy”, Industry Trumps Environment
The White House on Thursday announced the formulation of the National Bioeconomy Blueprint, aimed at shoring up the U.S. commitment to bioscience-related research.
CLIMATE CHANGE-CARIBBEAN: Low-Cost Adaptation Measures Needed
As a result of climate change-related extreme weather events like a rise in the sea level and increasingly intense storms alternating with drought, Caribbean island nations are facing the challenge of adopting adaptation measures that could be too costly for their budgets.
Trash Disposal Complicates Climate Change Fight in Jamaica
For more than a week this past February, the city choked on the acrid smoke that forced schools and business to close. It racked up millions of dollars in lost production and an estimated 60 million dollars in firefighting costs as the city tried to combat yet another fire at Kingston's Riverton city dump.
Blue Crab Revival Offers Hope for Ailing Fisheries
Authorities in Maryland and Virginia have rescued the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab from the brink of collapse, tripling its population in five years, by using methods that emerging crabmeat-exporting countries in Asia and Central America could emulate, scientists say.
Civil Society Determined to Have an Impact on Rio+20
Innovating and stepping up the pressure on governments are the bywords for civil society participation in the run-up to Rio+20, a conference with the ambitious goal of changing the way humankind relates with the planet.
But What in Place of Nuclear Power
In the wake of Fukushima, the Swiss government decided last year to slowly, but definitely phase out nuclear energy. But the new energy strategy for the next decade has drawn criticism, especially from environmental organisations.
Kenya “Becoming Economic Heartbeat of Africa”
When Kenya’s newly announced geothermal power generation project comes online, it will turn the East African country into an economic powerhouse in the region.
Coming Together for Environmental Restoration in Haiti
In honour of Earth Day, we run an interview with Yves-André Wainright, who discusses ways that poor governance and the role of foreign donors have contributed to the country's environmental catastrophe.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Through our global network of local writers, we are continuing our award-winning coverage of global and local environmental challenges, with a focus on the people for whom the ecosphere matters in a direct way: rural dwellers who have little means to protect themselves against adverse conditions; communities that need to switch to sustainable development in order to survive; poor women and children, who are the most vulnerable in natural disasters. Sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and The World Bank (WB), IPS also maintains the award-winning Tierramérica, a specialised information service on environment and development.
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