Tierramerica - Ecobrief

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Water Shortages Threaten 3,059 Municipalities

By IPS Correspondents and - -
According to a report on urban water supply released Mar. 22, 55 percent of Brazil’s municipalities could face water shortages by 2015.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Bat Protection Measures Planned

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Venezuelan researchers and authorities have created a working group to develop initiatives for the protection of the country’s 165 species of bats, whose populations are threatened by the degradation of their natural habitats.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Eco-Friendly Comic Strip Launched

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A beaver and a drop of water are the “heroes” in a new comic strip that recounts their adventures in protecting the environment, to be published in Honduran newspapers.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Shutdown of Embalse Nuclear Plant Urged

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Foundation for the Defence of the Environment in Argentina has challenged the decision of the government of the central province of Córdoba to continue operating the Embalse nuclear power plant without conducting an environmental impact assessment or public hearing.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Banana Peels Can Filter Heavy Metals

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Water contaminated with potentially toxic metals can be purified using banana peels as a filter, according to a study from the São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Botucatú, 230 kilometres from the city of São Paulo.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Flood Risk Targeted in 10 Vulnerable Municipalities

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Honduran government has begun infrastructure work to reduce the risk of overflowing rivers and flooding in 10 highly vulnerable municipalities.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Birdwatching Tourism Potential Untapped

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Mexico is failing to take advantage of the significant potential of ecotourism geared to birdwatching, says a report released by two environmental organisations on Mar. 15.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: A Boost for Community Gardens

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Honduran capital's city government is setting up organic community gardens to improve food security in low-income neighborhoods, given the forecasts for local food shortages resulting from climate change and deforestation.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Rain Shortages in the North to Worsen in 21st Century

By IPS Correspondents and - -
By 2100, droughts will be as much as 40 percent more severe in the Brazilian Amazon and Northeast regions, and rainfall 30 percent more intense in the southeast of South America, including the Paraná-La Plata Basin, predicts a report from the National Institute for Climate Change Science and Technology (INCT).

Ecobreves – CUBA: Drought Threatens the West

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The drought hitting the westernmost region of Cuba will last through the month of March, predicts the Cuban Meteorology Institute's climate center.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Solidarity Economy Legislation Under Study

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Draft legislation to foster the development of a solidarity economy is under study in two Mexican states and could promote more environmentally friendly food production, its supporters say.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Cheaper and Cleaner Desalination

By IPS Correspondents and - -
An engineer from Cape Verde working at the University of São Paulo Polytechnic School in Brazil has developed a system to transform saltwater into drinking water that is both cheaper than current methods and less harmful for the environment.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Regulations for Glacier Protection Law Criticised

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The regulations adopted to enforce Argentina’s new glacier protection law do not guarantee the urgently needed protection of sensitive areas where mining activities are already taking place, warn environmental activists.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: The Monarch Returns

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the forest area it occupies in Mexico grew last year in comparison to 2009, according to reports from various organizations.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Greater Local Autonomy for Environmental Management

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Honduras will promote the autonomy of local governments in environmental management, putting administrative tasks in their hands, like authorizing minor construction permits and charging specific taxes.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: From Coffee Dregs to Biofuel

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Coffee dregs can be used to produce biodiesel. That is the result of an experiment of the Polytechnic School's chemical engineering department at the University of São Paulo.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Falling Short in Preserving Atlantic Biome

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Just two of the 51 conservation objectives for Brazil's Mata Atlântica forest have been met, says a study by the Brazilian chapter of Word Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: UNESCO Urges More Protection for the Río Plátano Biosphere

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A technical team from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) sent a recommendation to the Honduran government to improve protection of the Río Plátano Biosphere, which extends through three of the country's 18 departments.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Freshwater Dolphins Victims of Polluted Water

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Two of the five freshwater dolphins, known here as "toninas" (Inia geoffrensis), in the aquarium of Valencia, west of Caracas, died this month as a result of illnesses caused by poor water quality, said Adelio Valente, of the Friends of the Toninas Movement.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: A Call for Transparency in Forest Projects

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Environmental groups are demanding transparency in the drafting and execution of Mexico's strategy for the United Nations-sponsored REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Clean Energy from Garbage

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The municipal government of Puerto Cortés, on the northern Honduran coast, aims to become a "green municipality" through a nine-million-dollar project that would recycle garbage to generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity in the area.
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