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Friday, May 1, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Ecobreves – CHILE: New Environmental Courts Welcomed
Environmental organizations praised the adoption of a law to create special environmental courts in Chile, which grants the Superintendency of the Environment the power to prosecute environmental violations.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Metro Cuts Air Pollution in São Paulo by Three Quarters
The concentration of air pollutants in São Paulo would be 75 percent greater if it were not for the city’s underground rapid transit system, according to a study by the Federal University of São Paulo.
Q&A: Changing Argentina’s Energy Mix Will Take Intelligence and Time
The recovery of state control over the oil company YPF was a strategic move for Argentina, which is highly dependent on fossil fuels. But the country needs to incorporate cleaner sources of energy, and this will take time, says energy expert Mariana Matranga in this interview.
Changing Argentina’s Energy Mix Will Take Intelligence and Time
Unconventional gas and oil exploitation might be sensible in the short or medium term in Argentina. But in the long run, it will have to increase the use of other energy sources and reduce the weight of hydrocarbons, says specialist Mariana Matranga.Ecobreves – MEXICO: Injunction Requested Against GM Soy
Non-governmental organizations and honey producers in the southern Mexican states of Yucatán and Chiapas have filed a petition with the federal court for an injunction against the government’s authorization of commercial production of genetically modified (GM) soybeans on an area of some 253,000 hectares.Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Could Finally Become a Reality
Environmental and civil society organizations in Latin America, with support from other regions, feel confident that an initiative for whale conservation in the South Atlantic will finally be approved this year.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Despite Awareness, Water Is Still Being Wasted
Brazilians recognize that water is a limited resource, but they have yet to cultivate habits to preserve it, according to a survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Climate Change: Waiting for a Catastrophic Wake-Up Call *
Disasters are the new midwives of history. But in order to play this role, they need to be catastrophic, like the accidents in Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011 that led governments to suspend and even abolish their nuclear energy programs.
Climate-Smart Agriculture to Reduce Vulnerability*
Agroforestry is gaining ground as a tool for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Central America, a region where global warming could generate losses equivalent to 19 percent of gross domestic product.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: External Aid for Disasters and Security
The World Bank has announced the approval of 80 million dollars in new loans for Honduras, which will be primarily invested in natural disaster prevention and public security.
Why Inclusive Green Growth Can Sustain Recent Gains in Latin America
Latin America could become a victim of its own economic success, which is intimately tied to the generosity of nature, due to an increase in consumerism, says the World Bank vice president for the region, Hasan Tuluy.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Bio-Detergent Cleans Up Oil Spills
Researchers at the Microbiology Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have developed a bio-detergent that eliminates oil residue resulting from spills.Ecobreves – CUBA: Promoting the Use of Solar Water Heaters
The production of solar water heaters will be stepped up in Cuba as part of efforts to promote the use of renewable energy sources.Ecobreves – CHILE: Community Demands Halt to Construction of Thermoelectric Plant
On behalf of a group of residents of the northern Chilean municipality of Huasco, the non-governmental organization Oceana has called on the Environmental Assessment Commission of the region of Atacama to deny authorization for the Punta Alcalde thermoelectric power plant to be built by Endesa-Enel.
Rio+20 and Beyond: Together for a Sustainable Future
We cannot call development sustainable while nearly one out of every seven men, women and children in the world are victims of undernourishment, says FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.
G20 Summit in an Unsustainable Environment
Water shortages, hotel development projects, overfishing and the impacts of mining activities are among the main environmental problems in the region of Los Cabos, the venue for the summit of the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies.
Brazil Takes Steps to Confiscate Property of Landowners Using Slave Labour
Today, in the 21st century, there are still tens of thousands of Brazilians subjected to slave-like working conditions. Last year alone, 2,501 workers were freed from this situation by Ministry of Labour inspectors.
World Bank: Latin America Has the Green Antidote Within Reach
The natural resources of currently buoyant Latin America could be significantly depleted in less than a generation. Combined with the fact that this is the region with the greatest income inequality between the rich and the poor, the outlook might appear disastrous. But the warning, voiced by the World Bank, is not meant as cause for despair.Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Swift Progress in DNA Barcoding of Birds
Argentina has made rapid progress in the genetic identification of birds as part of the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL).Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Residents of the Capital Clean Up Their Neighborhoods
Residents of 39 districts and neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa are participating in the Barrio Limpio (Clean Neighborhood) project, clearing trash from ravines, ditches and roads to help prevent flooding during the upcoming rainy season.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Rio to Offer Incentives for Sustainable Construction
Rio de Janeiro City Hall has decided to encourage sustainable construction by offering a 50 percent tax reduction for certified building projects.« 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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