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Thursday, October 8, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Ecobreves – MEXICO: Incentives to Modernize Public Transport
A loan from the World Bank will allow Mexico to plan public passenger transportation and promote it as an alternative to the traffic jams of individual cars that are a problem in at least 40 cities in this country with a population of more than 500,000.Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Freshwater for the World
The Amazonas Aquifer, the largest known in the world, is a strategic reserve of potable water, say Brazilian authorities.
Colombian Forest Project Reaps Credits… and Criticism
A program to plant trees in Colombia's coffee-growing basin is facing criticism from environmentalists, though it was just certified by the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto climate treaty.
Saving the Condor – A Mission Possible
The condor appears on Ecuador's national coat of arms and is in danger of extinction. But efforts at nurseries and conservation at different sites across the country intend to reverse the giant bird's endangered status.
Big Southern Eye in Search of Extraterrestrial Life
Chilean scientists are touting the benefits of the European Southern Observatory's choice of this country for a site to scan the far reaches of the universe.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Mining Co. Sued for Polluting
The Honduran Environmental Prosecutor Aldo Santos reported that the mining company Entremares, subsidiary of the Canadian consortium Glamis Gold, will be charged with polluting the central valley of Siria and of hiding information from the authorities.
PERU: Murky Waters Cut Through Andes
The Olmos megaproject, which will divert water from the Huancabamba River through a trans-Andean tunnel to a desert area along Peru's northern coast, is being touted as a catalyst for development, but disputes are heating up over land, crops and water.
Q&A: Coal, a Silent Killer
Fatal accidents at coalmines, like the recent tragedies in China and the United States, cause great public alarm. But U.S. physician Alan Lockwood warns that many more deaths are caused by the pollution that comes from the use of coal as an energy source.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Forests Not for Absorbing Carbon, Say Activists
The UN-led global initiative to use forest conservation as a way to offset greenhouse gas emissions heated things up at the people's summit against climate change in Bolivia. In the end, the participants reached a consensus - and rejected the plan.
Murky Waters Flow from Peruvian Andes
Work on a gigantic plan for water diversion and irrigation in a vast area of northern Peru is gaining speed amidst environmental and agricultural worries.
Coal, a Silent Killer
The only way to fight climate-changing carbon emissions is to shut down all of the coalmines and power plants and develop only alternative energy sources, says U.S. expert Alan Lockwood.Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Jesuits Launch Eco-Campaign
"Later is too late" is the campaign launched by the Society of Jesus in Honduras, working with various civil society groups, that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment.Ecobreves – CHILE: Renewed Mapuche Opposition to Airport
The Mapuche organization Ayún Mapu, which includes eight communities of Chile's largest indigenous group, will turn to the courts to prevent the construction of an airport on their land in the region of Araucanía, near Temuco, 670 kilometers south of Santiago.
Forests Not for Absorbing Carbon, Say Activists
Thousands of activists left the international civil society meet in Bolivia with the goal to fight the use of forests for absorbing carbon emissions, following sharp debate and criticisms of the host government of President Evo Morales.
URUGUAY: Tools Needed for Those Most Vulnerable to Climate Change
Water-borne diseases and illness related to natural disasters are on the agenda for plans of officials and civil society to help the precarious settlements in the outskirts of the metropolitan area of Montevideo and in other Uruguayan cities.
ENVIRONMENT: Giant Bacteria Colonise the Oceans
A mat the size of Uruguay composed of giant bacteria has been discovered in the mid-depths of the ocean off the coasts of Chile and Peru, report scientists who are working on a series of studies of the ocean's smallest life forms.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Voice of Civil Society Loud and Clear in Cochabamba
The success of the climate change conference taking place in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba will depend on how unified civil society ultimately is in its efforts to influence the United Nations climate summit, in Mexico, say Latin American activists.
PARAGUAY: Bamboo Against Deforestation
Uncontrolled expansion of cattle farming in Paraguay has led to "cutting down trees and planting exotic grasses," says environmentalist Guillermo Gayo. To put a halt to this practice in the southern department of Paraguarí, the foundation he heads has implemented what is known as "permaculture."Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Government Suspends Logging Permit
Honduran authorities ordered a halt to logging in 600 hectares of forest in six communities of Valle de Siria, in the central department of Francisco Morazán, in the wake of protests by local residents and clashes with the loggers, which left one person dead and two injured.Ecobreves – MEXICO: A Push for Eco-Lighting
The environmental group Greenpeace is pressuring the Mexican Parliament and businesses to promote the replacement of incandescent light bulbs with ecological alternatives.
Civil Society's Voice Loud and Clear in Cochabamba
Activists from across the Americas are in Bolivia for an event with little government participation. They are looking for ways to join forces ahead of the next global climate summit, to be held in Mexico at the end of this year.« 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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