Tierramerica
Mangrove on the Negril River. - Kathy Barrett/IPS

Final Throes for Jamaica's 'Hippie Paradise'?

By Kathy Barrett and - -
What was once a magical place in Jamaica is on the verge of losing its best trait: the beaches.
The open wounds of the Amazon. Credit: Rolly Valdivia/IPS

PERU: The Tangled Paths of New Forest Law

By Milagros Salazar
Indigenous protests prompted the introduction of a new legislative bill on forests and wildlife in Peru, the second most forested country in South America. Experts consulted by Tierramérica pointed to what the initiative gets right, but also to what's wrong with it.
A "dry toilet" created by the eco-tech company EMUH in collaboration with the Ceibo Centre. Credit: Courtesy of the Ceibo Centre

CHILE: Quake a Chance for Sustainable Rebuilding

By Daniela Estrada
Although there is not yet an official tally of the environmental consequences of Chile's Feb. 27 earthquake and tsunami, environmental groups and experts are calling for quick and sustainable responses to the problems.
Baby beluga sturgeon Credit: Courtesy of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Scienc

BIODIVERSITY-EUROPE: Sturgeons Return to the Danube

By Julio Godoy
A century ago, when the Danube was still blue, it teemed with beluga sturgeon, as did the Rhine with salmon. But industrialisation and the construction of canals and dams have destroyed the habitat of both species of fish.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Fires Cover Caracas in Smog

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A hot, dense haze covered the Venezuelan capital in late March, when the ash from a series of fires across some 140 hectares on Mount Ávila, which looms over the capital, mixed with the city's usual air pollution

Ecobreves – CHILE: Quake Shifted the Environmental Calendar

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The government's environmental agency CONAMA on Mar. 19 suspended for 15 workdays the deadlines for proceedings before the Environmental Impact Evaluation System in the regions of El Maule, Bío-Bío and La Araucanía, the hardest hit by the Feb. 27 earthquake.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Eastern Region under Seismic Alert

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A quake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale shook up residents in Cuba's southeastern provinces, prompting concern about increasing seismic activity in the Caribbean, most notably the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
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Quake a Chance for Sustainable Rebuilding in Chile

By Daniela Estrada and - -
Chilean environmentalists are promoting sustainable and inclusive reconstruction of their country in the aftermath of the Feb. 27 quake. They want better-planned cities and unconventional renewable energy sources.
The wounds of the Amazon jungle. - Rolly Valdivia/IPS

The Tangled Road of Peru's Forest Law

By Milagros Salazar and - -
Some of the provisions of new regulations for protecting the forests of Peru and the rights of the indigenous communities of the Amazon have stirred up controversy.

Sturgeons Return to the Danube

By Julio Godoy and - -
A program involving experts and officials from eight European countries is working to repopulate the iconic Danube with the endangered beluga sturgeon.
A street in Kingston following the 1907 quake. Credit: Courtesy National Library of Jamaica

DEVELOPMENT: The Caribbean Trembles

By Kathy Barrett
Better known for its hurricanes, the region that extends from the Cayman Islands in the west to the chain of Windward and Leeward Islands in the east is home to one of the earth's principal seismic belts.
The beauty of coral - a factor in its destruction. Credit: Courtesy G. Marola/ SeaWeb Marine Photo Bank

BIODIVERSITY: Corals Fight for Survival

By Stephen Leahy
The survival of corals, which face grave threats from ocean acidification, bottom trawling and the jewelry and decor trade, is in even greater doubt after a vote taken at a conference under way in Doha, Qatar.
The beauty of coral a factor in its destruction. - G. Marola/ SeaWeb Marine Photo Bank

Corals Fight for Survival

By Stephen Leahy and - -
Delegates from 175 countries discuss listing endangered plant and animal species to protect them from unregulated trade. For corals it's a lost opportunity.
A street in Kingston following the 1907 quake. - National Library of Jamaica

The Caribbean Trembles

By Kathy Barrett and - -
The Haiti earthquake was a reminder that the beautiful Caribbean is one of the planet's most geologically active zones.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: A Green University

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The private Ibero-American University of Mexico is working to reduce its harm to the environment through the ambitious "Green Campus" program.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Bioinsecticide Against Dengue

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A biological insecticide developed at Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is an effective weapon against dengue because it does not harm human health or the environment, say researchers.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: More and More Garbage

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The government of the Argentine capital is depositing twice the volume of solid waste in sanitary landfills than is allowed under the 2005 "zero garbage" law.
Photovoltaic power plant Credit: Imagebroker/Photo Stock

ENERGY-LATIN AMERICA: Moving Towards Renewables

By Marcela Valente
Argentina is building its first solar energy park in the northwestern province of San Juan. The project calls for the manufacture of photovoltaic panels to supply the rest of the country and the other member countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).
Searching through the rubble in Ojos del Mar, a tourist destination in the Valparaíso region of Chile that was hit by the tsunami. Credit: Fernando Fiedler/IPS

CHILE: Cracks Exposed in Readiness Plan

By Daniela Estrada
Inadequacies in technical equipment, specialised human resources, institutional coordination, land zoning and citizen awareness were all laid bare by the major earthquake and subsequent tsunami on Feb. 27 in central and southern Chile.
Searching through the rubble in Ojos del Mar, a tourist destination in the Valparaíso region of Chile that was hit by the quake-triggered tsunami - Fernando Fiedler/IPS

Cracks in the Readiness Plan of the 'Chilean Miracle'

By Daniela Estrada and - -
Chile still lacks experts capable of operating new anti-seismic technologies and the ability to disseminate emergency information among officials and the population.
A photovoltaic power plant - Imagebroker/Photo Stock

Latin America Builds Another Energy Capital

By Marcela Valente and - -
Generating electricity from the sun and from the wind is taking off with Latin American projects that include the region's own technology and manufacturing.
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