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Sunday, November 8, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Reservoirs Regain Water Levels, Rationing Ended
Last weekend the drastic rationing of potable water came to an end in the Honduran capital, after the main reservoirs supplying the city finally regained levels within the normal range.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Orthodox Church Embraces Defense of the Amazon
Aboard a boat, some 150 clerics, scientists, government officials, indigenous leaders and journalists will travel July 13-20 the rivers of the Brazilian Amazon while they discuss environmental questions related to the region, and issues related to water and ethics.
Ecobreves – CUBA: Beneficial Uses of Tobacco
Cuban scientists announced they are studying the extraction of solanesol from tobacco plants, in a search for additional benefits to the island's famous industry of hand-rolled cigars. The extract is the precursor of an antioxidant with anti-carcinogen properties.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Catholic Cardinal Urges Against Giving In to Gold
Catholic Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez has exhorted the executive and legislative branches of the Honduran government not to give in to pressure from the transnational mining corporations that want to expand open pit mining in this Central American country.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: The Return of the Water Lentil
The lemna sp, a floating green lentil, has made a forceful reappearance this month in Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela. It has contaminated the shores of the city of Maracaibo and fishing areas, and triggered protests from fishing communities, who demand that the government clear it away.Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: Ex-Paramilitaries Plant Trees
- Guatemala's President Oscar Berger planted the first tree in a two-year program for planting 75 million -- half of which will be done by former paramilitaries.
Environmental Thumbs-Down for Mexico's Presidential Candidates
Vague and contradictory -- that's how activists describe the environmental proposals of the presidential candidates for Mexico's July 2 elections. If natural gas and gasoline prices are cut, consumption and air pollution will skyrocket, they warn.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Promoting Organic Products
A national campaign to promote organic products began June 23 in Brazil, where at least 20,000 farmers, mostly running small operations, are dedicated to growing agrochemical-free crops on a total of 6.5 million hectares.
Pre-Pandemic Vaccine at the Forefront in Bird Flu Fight
Scientists around the globe are working around the clock in search of vaccines that could improve the human immunological response to a potential flu pandemic.Ecobreves – GLOBAL: Marine Bio-Riches in Danger
Fishing worldwide is growing so quickly that it has surpassed the regulating capacity of institutions, making it urgent to adopt new conservation measures, says a report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).Ecobreves – BRAZIL: A Bid to Put Brakes on Transgenic Cotton
The Brazilian Ministry of Environment is trying to prevent the legalization of planting Bollgard genetically modified cotton, and has asked the National Technical Commission on Biosafety to revise the authorization for its commercial cultivation, issued a year ago.
Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Responsible Fishing Code Not Applied
The Argentine environmental group Fundación Vida Silvestre warns that there is a gap between the local fishing reality and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing, of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a United Nations agency.
Vote Buying at International Whaling Meet?
Japan allegedly tried to bribe Central American countries ahead of the International Whaling Commission meeting to support an end to the moratorium on commercial whale hunting. Honduras and Guatemala deny there was any such pressure.Disasters Undercut Millennium Development Goals
The social and economic impacts of natural disasters are increasing, warn experts. In Cuba alone, hurricanes resulted in losses of 2.3 billion dollars in 2005.Troubled Waters Between Honduras and El Salvador
Border communities oppose the proposed binational El Tigre dam, which would flood 72 square kilometers. But officials say the project would prevent future conflicts between the two Central American countries about water.Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: Use Water Filters!
The Guatemalan association Afaguatemala is promoting the use of a low-cost, artisanal filter to purify water, says the inventor, Gernando Mazariegos.
Healthy Recovery Arrives on Horseback
Tierramérica visited a ranch in the outskirts of the Uruguayan capital where people who suffer emotional problems, addiction, autism or Down syndrome benefit from therapeutic horseback riding.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Artificial Rain from Potable Water
A method developed in Brazil and approved by the southern states of Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina, will produce artificial rains by seeding clouds with potable water, free of chemical products.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: 100 Million Plants for El Avila
El Avila mountain, which separates the Venezuelan capital from the Caribbean coast and is the center of a national park covering 85,000 hectares, will have 100 million plants cultivated on its slopes as part of the government program known as Misión Arbol (Mission Tree).
Ecobreves – CHILE: Award for Worst Polluting Businessman
On Jun. 5, World Environment Day, the eco-watchdog Greenpeace awarded its 2006 Environmental "Condorazo" Prize to magnate Anacleto Angelini, accused of being responsible for ecological disasters caused by pulp mill factories in southern Chile.
Soybean Exporters in Greenpeace's Sights
The international environmental group blames Cargill and other agricultural multinational corporations for deforestation in the Amazon, and charges that construction of new highways, like BR-163, will encourage more logging to clear land for soybean fields.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Tierramérica is the main communications platform on sustainable development and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is produced by IPS Noticias, the agency’s Spanish-language service, which created it jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with later support from the World Bank. The weekly editions of Tierramérica are published in Spanish, Portuguese and English and are picked up and printed by dozens of media outlets in the region. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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