Tierramerica - Ecobrief

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Agatha Cost 72 Million Dollars

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Tropical storm Agatha left a wake of destruction in her path across Honduras three weeks ago, causing 72 million dollars in losses in farming and road infrastructure, say officials.

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 – MEXICO: United Against GM Maize

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Farmers organizations and academics from three public universities in Mexico created an alliance to promote native maize and to reject the introduction of genetically modified varieties of this crop.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Sanitation Begins in the Kitchen

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Recycling kitchen oils to produce biodiesel has the advantage of protecting the sewer system, as well as preventing soil and water contamination.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Patagonia Ecologists for Clean Energy

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A dozen environmental organizations from the southern Argentina region of Patagonia signed a declaration on energy that opposes expansion of nuclear, hydroelectric and coal-based projects.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Forest Planting Begins

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Honduran authorities have launched a plan to recover 25,000 hectares of forest, with an emphasis on areas degraded by fires and illegal logging.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Alliance for Food Sovereignty

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Around 30 non-governmental organizations in Honduras make up the Alliance for Food Sovereignty, whose mission is to promote sustainable agriculture and reforms that give a boost to small farmers.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Less Pollution, More Savings

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A forest biomass gasification plant to produce electricity in Cocodrilo, a tiny community on Cuba's Isla de la Juventud, would mean considerable savings in fuel and reduce the emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Ecologically Produced Natural Rubber

By IPS Correspondents and - -
It is finally possible in Brazil to produce high-quality natural rubber on a large scale and still save water and energy, thanks to technology developed by the University of Brasilia.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Forest Inventory Advances

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The inventory of the forests that cover approximately 40 percent of Venezuela's 916,500 square kilometers should be ready by 2012, project director Leonardo Lugo of the Environment Ministry told Tierramérica.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Request for More Protected Nature Areas

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Argentine Wildlife Foundation has called upon the government of Cristina Fernández to increase the total coverage of protected areas, which currently remains below the minimum recommended by the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Science Mission to the Arctic

By IPS Correspondents and - -
An international science team left last week for the Arctic Ocean to study the effects of climate change.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Emerald Hummingbird Closer to Extinction

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The threat of extinction hanging over the emerald hummingbird (Amazilia luciae) is growing, as evidenced in the latest report, which found just 500 mating pairs in its habitat of tropical arid forest in the northern Honduran province of Yoro.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Purified Water, No Energy Wasted

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A technique developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo's school of agriculture could help Brazilians obtain purified water at low cost and using less energy.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Ex-Foreign Minister Accused of Environmental Crime

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Honduran justice authorities are investigating former foreign minister and retired colonel César Elvir Sierra for the destruction of more than 1,000 pine trees in La Tigra mountain nature reserve, the main "lungs" of the nation's capital.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Massive Bird Die-Off

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The deaths of some 700 sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) along the cost of Cobquecura, 434 kilometers south of the Chilean capital, has prompted the authorities to open a legal investigation.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: A Seal for Timber Certification

By IPS Correspondents and - -
As of this month, Argentina has its own forestry certification seal that ensures the sustainable management of its forests - native or planted - and proper handling of the tree from harvest to the final product.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Criticism for Website on Air Quality

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The launch of a webpage (http://proyectos.aequum.org/proaire/) to collect citizen proposal to improve air quality in the Mexico City metropolitan area has left some environmentalists doubtful.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Environmental Law Reform Begins

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Honduran ecologists, archeologists and architects are debating in Parliament the reforms to the General Law on Environment, dating back to 1993, in order to adapt it to the new realities of climate change, deforestation and housing construction.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: When the Internet Saves Energy

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A new Internet-based control system developed in Brazil allows greater energy efficiency in public buildings, homes and machinery.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Food Aid Arrives

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The drought that affects some 150,000 people in six of the 18 departments in Honduras has led to stepping up aid with the support of the World Food Program, Lisandro Rosales, coordinator of the government's Permanent Contingency Committee, told Tierramérica.
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