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Sunday, November 8, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Years Before Katrina's Environmental Costs Measured
Hurricane Katrina wiped out 52 square kilometers of coastal wetlands, and many barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico coast disappeared. The environmental effects of this mega-storm will be felt for at least 15 years, say scientists.
An Island That Wants to Survive
Wind and sun produce 70 percent of the electricity in Foehr, an island in northern Germany in the North Sea that is fighting against rising sea levels.Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: 'Green' Volunteers Mobilize
Thousands of people in Latin America will take part in clean-up and repair campaigns for parks, streets and beaches Sep. 16-18.Ecobreves – CHILE: Limits on Drag Net Fishing
The regulations for drag net fishing for merluza (Merlucius hubbsi), which take effect in Chile on Sep. 15 to protect the smaller fish of this species, are a positive step but insufficient, says the environmental group Oceana.
Why Is the Ozone Hole Growing?
The hole in the atmosphere's ozone layer over southern Chile and Argentina is expected to reach its maximum size this week. Scientists consulted by Tierramérica analyze the ongoing causes of this phenomenon.Ecobreves – CUBA: A Network to Benefit Beaches
The coastal management office of the Cuban resort city of Varadero is promoting a Latin American network for the exchange of information on positive experiences in protecting the region's beaches.When the Jungle Plays Host to Tourists
Indigenous communities are managing more and more tourism projects in Bolivia. Thousands of visitors arrive each year at the jungle lodges like Chalalán, in Madidi National Park.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Hemispheric Eco-Forum
Involving national leaders, politicians, diplomats and civil society leaders in the search for solutions is the aim of the "Greenmeeting of the Americas", which has its fifth edition Sep 20-22 in Belo Horizonte, capital of the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.Ecobreves – GUATEMALA: Nickel Mining Returns
A Guatemalan subsidiary of the Canadian Skye Resources will pick up on nickel mining in the northeast of this Central American country.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Reforestation in Northern Venezuela
Venezuela initiated a program for the recovery in eight years of up to 400,000 hectares of forest in the areas to the north of the Orinoco River, with the planting of 92 million trees, announced Environment Minister Jacqueline Faría.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Iron's Decontaminant Properties Explored
A team of scientists from the chemistry institute at the University of Sao Paulo is researching cheaper and more efficient ways to make use of the decontaminating property of iron.
Mexico Speeds Up CFC Elimination
The Mexican company Quimobásicos stopped producing CFCs, thus reducing output of this ozone-depleting gas worldwide by 12 percent.
The Contaminated “Blue Lake”
Fecal coliforms, organic material, phosphorous and nitrogen pollute Lake Ypacaraí, the main attraction for travelers in Paraguay outside the big cities. The results of a study of the lake by a Japanese aid agency are soon to be released.Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: New Air Pollution Controls
The Argentine capital now has two air quality monitoring stations that will for the first time allow officials to track the city's pollution levels and design policies to fight emissions of the so-called greenhouse gases that lead to global warming.Ecobreves – COLOMBIA: Trees Planted in New Transport System
Approximately 60,000 trees will be planted along the Integrated Mass Transit System being built in the western Colombian city of Cali to compensate for the trees that have to be removed to make way for the new routes.Ecobreves – PERU: Mining Law Includes Satellite Monitoring
A law passed recently in Peru states that mining companies will have to submit to rigorous standards for minimizing environmental harm and must present financial backing to ensure that once their operations end they will not leave behind contaminants.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Uncertainty Despite Decline in Deforestation
The deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon saw a sharp reduction this year, but the future is uncertain, and there is no assurance that this positive trend will continue, say environmentalists and researchers.
Infertility Linked to Environmental Factors
The sperm count is on the decline among the male inhabitants of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city. Experts associate the problem with air pollution, chemical substances in food, and the stress of urban life.
Low Marks in Achieving 'Green' Goals
Latin America and the Caribbean will continue to lag behind as long as they fail to recognize that sustainable management of their natural capital can be good business, says Ricardo Sánchez, regional director of the United Nations Environment Program.
Biological Clean-Up for Oil Spills
A Cuban bio-product cleans up marine oil spills in just 30 days. Some five million barrels of fuel are moved each day through the Caribbean waters in tanker ships.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Compensation for Families on Overflowing Lake
More than a thousand families who lost their homes on the shores of the flooded Lake Valencia, Venezuela's second largest, are receiving compensation from the government and will have to rebuild their lives elsewhere.« 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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