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Friday, October 2, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
CUBA: Village with English Past, Ecological Present
Only hurricanes disrupt the tranquility of Cocodrilo, a Cuban coastal village founded by immigrants from the Cayman Islands in the early 20th century.
Cuban Village with English Past, Ecological Present
An environmental protection regimen is changing the fate of a community founded in Cuba by English-speakers from the Cayman Islands.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Making Use of Power Lines' Wasted Electricity
The energy that is lost along electrical transmission lines can be utilized by small, nearby communities, says José Ezequiel Ramos, an engineer with the government electrical company Eletrobras.
Clean Energy and Cultural Survival in Nicaragua
On Nicaragua's Atlantic coast, a project is under way to ensure the survival of an indigenous culture through environmentally friendly development.Ecobreves – MEXICO: No Profits from GM Crops, Says Greenpeace
Yields from genetically modified (GM) crops did not provide additional economic benefits for the farmers in many countries, and the same could happen in Mexico, according to a study by the environmental organization Greenpeace.Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Another Controversial Project on the Uruguay River
Residents of Concepción, in the eastern Argentine province of Entre Ríos, have denounced the start of infrastructure construction on the Uruguay River without the approval of the bilateral commission that oversees this border river.
Spain’s Renewable Energy Heads West
Plagued by Spain's economic recession and subsidy cuts, renewable energy businesses are following the sun and wind to Latin America in search of profits.
GUATEMALA: Reviving Lake Atitlan
"There are hardly any tourists now, and nearly all the hotels are empty," says Rosa Rosales, who works at the Hotel Pa Muelle, on the shores of Guatemala's Lake Atitlán, a natural treasure that has been overcome by pollution.
ARGENTINA: A Livelihood from Whales – Without Hunting
If you want to observe the charismatic southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), the most popular place to do so is off Argentina's Valdés Peninsula, an enclave on the Atlantic coast that relies on tourist dollars -- and therefore opposes whale hunting.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Cellulose to Drive Ethanol Industry
Sugar-based ethanol, the agro-fuel with the best energy results according to Brazil's agricultural research agency EMBRAPA, could be even more competitive if it makes use of the cane stalks and pulp as cellulose ethanol. It would boost Brazil's ethanol production 30 percent without having to expand sugarcane crops.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Timber Companies Propose New Forest Management
The Honduran Association of Timber Companies has proposed to work with the authorities to formulate a forest management plan to halt illegal logging and negative farming practices.Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Construction Begun on Wind Park
Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA this month began building a wind energy park in the northwestern peninsula of Paraguaná, with 76 turbines that in two years will provide 100 megawatt/hour to the region, an area of oil refineries, shopping centers and tourism.Reviving Lake Atitlán
What was once a beautiful blue lake surrounded by volcanoes is now stewing with tons of pollutants and the proliferation of toxic bacteria.Ecobreves – CHILE-ARGENTINA: Binational Campaign Against Mining
Environmental activists from Chile and Argentina have come up with a plan to defend the Andean glaciers from mining and are challenging the 1997 treaty signed by the two countries on mining integration.
BRAZIL: Electricity Trumps Biodiversity for Xingu River
Herculano Porto de Oliveira, of Brazil, said he felt forced "to live in hiding on my own land, though I never fought with anyone or stole anything," just for making a living from the biodiversity of the Amazon's Xingú River Basin, where he was born 66 years ago.
Q&A: “Latin America Faces an Environmental Emergency”
The Latin American economy based on exploitation of natural resources does not create social well-being and is unsustainable in the context of climate change, says Uruguayan Eduardo Gudynas, lead researcher at the Latin American Centre for Social Ecology (CLAES).
GALÁPAGOS: The Return of the Giant Tortoise
The historic reintroduction of giant tortoises is under way on Pinta Island, where not a single one of the famous animals that gave their name to the Ecuadorian archipelago of Galápagos remained.
GERMANY: Nature vs. Nurture in Forest Recovery
Amidst criticism and applause from environmentalists and experts, a programme is emerging in Germany to expand the total area covered by forests -- to as much as five percent of national territory. The debate centres on just how much human intervention there should be.
The Return of the Giant Tortoise
An ecological restoration plan in Ecuador is unfolding with the successful return of 39 Galápagos tortoises to their habitat.
“Latin America Faces an Environmental Emergency”
An Uruguayan expert warns that the unrelenting extraction of natural resources in Latin America fails to take into account the environmental damage, with the pretext that the wealth generated will sustain social programs.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Lack of Seeds for Reforestation
The scarcity of seeds and seedlings of native species is blocking Brazil's plan to plant 20 billion trees over the next five years.« 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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