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Monday, July 6, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
U.S. Replaces Japan in Role of Villain on Whales
The United States has taken over the pro-whaling stance traditionally championed by Japan, but instead of supporting the capture of whales for scientific research purposes, it is doing so under the guise of aboriginal subsistence quotas.
BRAZIL: Politicians Out of Sync with Public Sentiment on the Environment
The environmental movement continues to gain credibility and support as scientific findings confirm its warnings and natural disasters become increasingly frequent. Yet this growing awareness has yet to reach political decision makers in countries like Brazil, much to the frustration of environmentalists.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Wind Power Potential Ignored by Government
Wind power is an abundant source of energy in Brazil, but it is not given priority in government plans, according to a study by the Institute of Electrotechnics and Energy at São Paulo University.Ecobreves – MEXICO: Mesoamerican Drylands Project Launched
Marginalized communities in four states in southern Mexico and the central Guatemalan department of Baja Verapaz will be involved in a project to improve natural resource management in areas with scant rainfall.Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Schools in Mendoza to Teach Safe Handling of Pesticides
An Argentine government agency is carrying out a program to teach students in rural primary schools in the western province of Mendoza about the safe handling of pesticides.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Climate Change Adaptation Projects in Indigenous Areas
Work will begin in July on four climate change adaptation projects in four primarily indigenous departments in Honduras.
Politicians Out of Sync With Public Sentiment on the Environment
While the vast majority of Brazilians place priority on environmental conservation, their elected leaders continue to focus on economic interests and short-term gains.
Whales: U.S. Replaces Japan in Role of Villain
In addition to the scientific whaling quotas defended by Japan, there are now demands for increased quotas for aboriginal subsistence whaling.
Carbon Markets Are Not Cooling the Planet
Carbon markets have been widely promoted as the only way to generate enough money to enable industries and countries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, which are largely responsible for global warming. The only problem is that nearly 20 years after their conception, they have failed to work, and have also been subject to fraud and other financial crimes.
Hidden Poisons in Mexican Meat
Serious concerns about industrial livestock production in Mexico have been raised once again by recent controversies over the use of the non-steroidal anabolic clenbuterol and a feed medicine for poultry containing aresenic.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Office Created to Administer Climate Funds
The government of Honduras has established a specialized unit to ensure transparency in the use of loans and donations earmarked for climate change initiatives, at the request of international financial institutions.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: The Páramos Are Shrinking
The Andean páramo grasslands, located between 3,000 and 4,500 meters above sea level, are shrinking as the result of the expansion of agriculture and cattle farming and the demand for freshwater, leading to the loss of endemic flora and fauna.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Consumers Less Concerned About the Environment
Despite the growing amount of information available on environmental issues, the Brazilian public’s willingness to adopt eco-friendly consumer behavior has declined in recent years, according to a survey by the Trade Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro.
Argentina and U.S. Launch Climate Observatory into Orbit
Argentina and the United States have launched a jointly developed satellite observatory that will provide real-time information critical to understanding two major components of the earth's climate system: the water cycle and ocean circulation.
Industrial Food Production Fuels Spread of E. Coli
In the 1998 medical thriller "Toxin" by U.S. novelist Robin Cook, the ground beef in hamburgers is contaminated with a deadly strain of the Escherichia coli or E. coli bacterium, unleashing a massive epidemic. The novel was inspired by a real outbreak that had taken place several years earlier.
Industrial Food Production Promotes Spread of E. Coli
Industrialized food production systems significantly contribute to the spread of the E. coli bacterium, say scientists.
Argentina and U.S. Launch Climate Observatory into Orbit
SAC-D/Aquarius is the fourth and most sophisticated satellite jointly developed and launched by the U.S. space agency NASA and the Argentine space agency CONAE.
Three Meals a Day
Eating is such a fundamental aspect of our existence, that I find it strange that anyone should question the wisdom of proposing that FAO should do all in its power to ensure that everyone can eat three meals a day, says Brazilian José Graziano da Silva.Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Better Classification of Agrochemicals Demanded
Social and environmental organizations in Argentina are threatening to hold a street protest if the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries does not respond to calls for more precise classification of the toxicity of agrochemicals.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Reuse of Wastewater for Agriculture
In the southeastern Honduran department of La Paz, a project for the reuse of wastewater for irrigation of food crops will be implemented as part of a plan to promote more environmentally friendly practices.« 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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