Tierramerica
Maize is a food staple in Guatemala's "Dry Corridor," which has been hit by both drought and flood. Credit: Danilo Valladares/IPS

CENTRAL AMERICA: Water as a ‘Divine Gift’

By Danilo Valladares
"Many people still believe that water is a gift from God." This statement from a Guatemalan scientist alludes to Central America's neglect of its water resources - - and the subsequent impact on agriculture.
Lion's claw (Leontochir ovallei), a flower native to the Atacama Desert and sold abroad. - Courtesy of INIA

Genetic Flight of Nature's Jewels from Chile

By Daniela Estrada, IPS, and - -
Nearly half of Chile's flora is found exclusively in this country and many possess unique chemical compounds. But for now there is no legal way to control their exploitation abroad.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Eco-Friendly Formaldehyde Disposal

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A technique for breaking down formaldehyde before disposal has been developed by Brazilian scientist Sônia Borges de Oliveira, professor at the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto.
Maize is a food staple in Guatemala's

Water as a 'Divine Gift'

By Danilo Valladares and - -
Central America has been focusing on tourism and exports, failing to pay necessary attention to water and agriculture, say experts.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Financing for a Million-Dollar Wind Project

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Central American Economic Integration Bank (BCIE) will provide 209.3 million dollars in financing for a company with U.S. capital to generate wind energy in Cerro de Hula, south of the Honduran capital.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Protests Against Sale of Pink River Dolphins

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Thousands of residents in the Venezuelan city of Valencia signed petitions to convince the government to halt the shipment of two pink river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) to Daejeon Aquaworld, in South Korea.
A school of yellowfin tuna. Credit: NOAA

Seasonal Bans Not Enough to Save Pacific Tuna

By Edgardo Ayala
The countries that fish for tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean see seasonal bans as a form of responsible fishing, but environmentalists argue that they are not enough to ensure the survival of a resource that is threatened around the world.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Making Use of Construction Waste

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Mineral and industrial waste from construction is becoming raw material for new building through a technique developed by engineer Janaína Accordi Junkes, at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Requesting More Funds Against Climate Change

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Actions for adapting to and mitigating climate change need at least one percent of Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP), proposed a collective of environmental groups.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: A New Way to Collect Trash

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The municipal government of the southern Honduran city of Choluteca decided to collect garbage using horse-drawn carts in the neighborhoods not served by the sanitation service.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Hunger Strike Against Fumigation

By IPS Correspondents and - -
On the eve of a predicted record soybean harvest, an Argentine forestry engineer, backed by environmental groups, began a hunger strike against crop fumigation with dangerous agro-chemicals.
Aerial view of the Moon Palace hotel, to host COP16, where an aero generator is to be installed without an environmental impact study. Credit: Courtesy of Mexican Centre for Environmental Law (CEMDA)

MEXICO: Summit Host Cancun No Model for Climate Change

By Emilio Godoy
The beauty of the Mexican Caribbean resort city of Cancún may have been one reason for choosing it to host the upcoming global summit on climate change. But Cancún has little to recommend it as a model for adapting to the challenges posed by climate change.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Unbeatable in Can Recycling

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Brazil recycled 98.2 percent of the aluminum cans used last year, according to a study by the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL).

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Eco-Stoves Arrive in the Capital

By IPS Correspondents and - -
"Eco-stoves," an improved version that reduces the consumption of firewood, are finding their way to Tegucigalpa's largest low-income neighborhoods -- in a bid to halt deforestation.

Ecobreves – Census of Environmentalists

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Venezuela has 131 civil society groups dedicated to environmental issues in a country of 28 million people, with half of its 916,445 square kilometers under some degree of environmental protection, according to the Directory of Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations, published by the Tierra Viva Foundation.
Rockhopper penguin in Isla Pingüino Park, Argentina. - Courtesy of the Argentine Administration of National Parks

More Protection, but Not Enough, for Patagonian Sea

By Marcela Valente, IPS, and - -
Argentina has widely expanded the protected area of the Patagonian Sea, but it is less than two percent of the nation's maritime waters.
Aerial view of the Moon Palace Hotel, site of the Cancún climate summit. The hotel is planning a wind energy turbine without an environmental impact study. - Courtesy of CEMDA

Summit Host Cancún No Model for Climate Change

By Emilio Godoy and - -
When the delegates arrive for the global climate summit in late November, Cancún cannot pose as a model city for confronting the impacts of climate change.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Saving Lake Yojoa

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Environmental, community and government organizations are putting the final touches on a plan to save Lake Yojoa, the largest lake in Honduras -- and on the verge of turning into a swamp.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Trees Are the Key to Sustainable Farming

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Farmers and members of a cooperative in Valle del Ribeira, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, are developing a farming technique that uses less water and no agro-chemicals, and is based on planting trees.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Irrigation Plan to Fight Climate Change's Effects

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Renewing water pumping equipment, rehabilitating wells and using technology in irrigation are the steps necessary to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adapt Mexico's agriculture to the new reality, propose two environmental organizations.

Biodiversity Pact Begins With the Genes

By Stephen Leahy
The delegates to the 10th Conference of Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity ended up with a relatively weak plan for the Herculean task of halting the disappearance of species. The exception was a pact on the use of genetic resources.
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