Tierramerica - Ecobrief

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Identifying Geological Faults in Tegucigalpa

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A mission of experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency is in Honduras to identify the main geological faults in the capital and propose actions to reduce the city's vulnerabilities, which have been revealed over the last two months of heavy rains

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Small Grants Program Arrives

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Small Grants Program of the United Nations will provide support at a maximum of 50,000 dollars to initiatives from non-governmental organizations, academic groups and communities in Venezuela for mitigating climate change and promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: First Ethics Tribunal for Border Mining

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The First Ethics Tribunal on Border Mining in Latin America will hear cases involving Argentina and Chile, Bolivia and Brazil, and Ecuador and Peru in its Sep. 30 sessions in the Chilean capital.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Plastic Cuts Wastewater Treatment Costs

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A polyethylene plastic bracket, to replace the stones and imported synthetic materials used in filtering sewage water, is poised to help Brazil overcome its sanitation problems.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Making Use of Power Lines' Wasted Electricity

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The energy that is lost along electrical transmission lines can be utilized by small, nearby communities, says José Ezequiel Ramos, an engineer with the government electrical company Eletrobras.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: No Profits from GM Crops, Says Greenpeace

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Yields from genetically modified (GM) crops did not provide additional economic benefits for the farmers in many countries, and the same could happen in Mexico, according to a study by the environmental organization Greenpeace.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Another Controversial Project on the Uruguay River

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Residents of Concepción, in the eastern Argentine province of Entre Ríos, have denounced the start of infrastructure construction on the Uruguay River without the approval of the bilateral commission that oversees this border river.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Cellulose to Drive Ethanol Industry

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Sugar-based ethanol, the agro-fuel with the best energy results according to Brazil's agricultural research agency EMBRAPA, could be even more competitive if it makes use of the cane stalks and pulp as cellulose ethanol. It would boost Brazil's ethanol production 30 percent without having to expand sugarcane crops.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Timber Companies Propose New Forest Management

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Honduran Association of Timber Companies has proposed to work with the authorities to formulate a forest management plan to halt illegal logging and negative farming practices.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Construction Begun on Wind Park

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA this month began building a wind energy park in the northwestern peninsula of Paraguaná, with 76 turbines that in two years will provide 100 megawatt/hour to the region, an area of oil refineries, shopping centers and tourism.

Ecobreves – CHILE-ARGENTINA: Binational Campaign Against Mining

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Environmental activists from Chile and Argentina have come up with a plan to defend the Andean glaciers from mining and are challenging the 1997 treaty signed by the two countries on mining integration.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Lack of Seeds for Reforestation

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The scarcity of seeds and seedlings of native species is blocking Brazil's plan to plant 20 billion trees over the next five years.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: A Bicycle in Exchange for Zero Garbage

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The government of the northern Venezuelan state of Miranda, which covers 8,000 square kilometers and includes the eastern one-third of Caracas, launched a "Zero Garbage" program at the Monagas school to convince students and teachers alike to recycle plastic, paper and glass.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Coral Reefs Have Legal Protection

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Honduran Parliament approved a special law to preserve coral reefs in the Islands of Bahía, in the Caribbean, said legislator Germán Leitzelar, of the Innovation and Social Democratic Unity Party.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Environmentalists on War Footing

By IPS Correspondents and - -
More than 70 national and foreign organizations together issued a public statement in opposition to the proliferation of open-pit coal mining projects in Chile, citing their disastrous environmental consequences.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Self-Sufficient Streetlights

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A self-sufficient streetlight created by engineer Fernando Ximenes, of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará, could save up to 21,000 reais (11,280 dollars) per kilometer of public lighting.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Referendum on Agro-Chemical Plant

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Residents of Casilda, in the eastern Argentine province of Santa Fe, will gather at the voting booths in July to vote on whether an agro-chemical factory can be built in their town.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Wanted: Plan to Fight BP Oil Spill

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Mexican environmentalists are demanding that the Felipe Calderón administration do something to prevent the massive oil spill off the U.S. coast in the Gulf of Mexico from reaching this country's coast.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Communities Take Over Forest Management

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Two communities in the west-central Honduran region of Orica will be in charge of control and management of 496,000 hectares of forest as part of the benefits granted under the March 2008 Forestry Law.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Yellow Butterflies Return to Caracas

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The yellow butterflies have returned, after a harsh dry season, as the rainy months begin in the valley where Caracas is located. These insects have been absent for nearly three decades as a result of urban sprawl.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Logging Town Halts Deforestation

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Green Municipality program in the district of Paragominas, in the northern Brazilian state of Pará, is held up as an example for having dramatically reduced deforestation, planting 50 million trees and standardizing rural properties -- which means better environmental regulation.
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