Tierramerica

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Southern Plains Devastated and Neglected

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Pampa, the biome of prairies in Brazil's far south, has already lost 54 percent of its original vegetation, according to figures from the Ministry of Environment, which show that 2,183 square kilometers were destroyed between 2002 and 2008.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Cleaning Up the Malecón

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Residents of Havana have begun to gather along the Cuban capital's Malecón, an eight-kilometer esplanade and roadway, to clean up the garbage left by pedestrians.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Warning Against Tourism on Protected Islands

By IPS Correspondents and - -
Venezuelan environmentalists are on alert after President Hugo Chávez proposed organizing massive tourism to Los Roques archipelago, an idyllic group of Caribbean islands with white sands and turquoise waters, 180 kilometers north of Caracas.
Workers at a Chilean salmon factory Credit: Courtesy of Fundación Terram

CHILE: Salmon Industry Won’t Give Up

By Daniela Estrada
The once booming salmon industry in Chile is trying to get back on its feet after the devastating health crisis that cut production in half. But its long-term viability has been called into question.
The brittle star is a common nocturnal echinoderm found in the Caribbean. Credit: César Herrera - Census of Marine Life

BIODIVERSITY: An Ocean of Crustaceans

By Stephen Leahy
What lives in the world's oceans? Crabs mostly, according to the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year research effort.
Dry, cracked soil in Chiapas, Mexico Credit: Mauricio Ramos/IPS

CLIMATE CHANGE: Cancun Conference Holds Out Little Hope in Face of Extreme Weather

By Julio Godoy
Unusually warm temperatures and more frequent and intense droughts and hurricanes... you have seen the headlines. As options dwindle for negotiating a global pact to fight climate change, the United Nations is pointing to today's "extreme conditions."
Workers at a Chilean salmon company - Courtesy of Fundación Terram

Salmon Industry Won't Give Up

By Daniela Estrada and - -
The unregulated farming of exotic salmon species in Chile generated a chain reaction that has cast a cloud over this industry -- but now salmon operations are attempting to turn things around.
Dry, cracked soil in Chiapas, Mexico - Mauricio Ramos/IPS

Extreme Weather Focuses Attention on Cancún Climate Conference

By Julio Godoy and - -
The world's climate is undergoing serious disturbances as talks aimed at a global pact to fight global warming have been cast adrift, warn experts
The brittle star is a common nocturnal echinoderm found in the Caribbean - César Herrera - Census of Marine Life

An Ocean of Crustaceans

By Stephen Leahy and - -
Fish represent just 12 percent of all ocean species, according to the Census of Marine Life, to be published in October.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: A Boost to Oil-Producing Crops

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Mexican government's plan to promote oil-producing crops like canola is being challenged by experts.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Bacteria Inventory of the Atlantic Forest

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A study by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation produced the Collection of Bacteria from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil's most deforested ecosystem. The collection marks the beginning of a project to record all of the forest's biodiversity.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: National Park Expropriated

By IPS Correspondents and - -
An Argentine environmental group is challenging a decision by the central province of San Luis, which in late July expropriated a protected area to turn it over to an indigenous community.
Children playing in mining tailings in Morococha, Peru Credit: Milagros Salazar/IPS

PERU: Transparency a Challenge for Mining and Oil

By Milagros Salazar
Peru is the only Latin American country that has made steps towards joining the international Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), but has a difficult stretch ahead as it tries to overcome industry resistance to reporting profits and the government's own obstacles.
This Montezuma cypress, known as "the candelabra," is 40 metres tall and 200 years old. Credit: Emilio Godoy/IPS

MEXICO: Conservation Gaining Ground on Private Lands

By Emilio Godoy
The Mexican government is promoting the notion of private lands dedicated to sustainable use, a tool created in 1997 in this country with great biodiversity, but experts say there are still many shortcomings in the plan.
A Montezuma cypress known as

Private Environmental Protection Gaining Ground in Mexico

By Emilio Godoy and - -
Privately managed protected areas cover 34 million hectares in Mexico, more than 17 percent of the country's territory, compared to 25 million hectares of federally protected lands.
Children playing in mining tailings in Morococha, Peru - Milagros Salazar/IPS

Transparency a Challenge for Peru Mining and Oil

By Milagros Salazar and - -
Peru, with its vast mining and petroleum wealth, is progressing slowly in its adherence to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Identifying Geological Faults in Tegucigalpa

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A mission of experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency is in Honduras to identify the main geological faults in the capital and propose actions to reduce the city's vulnerabilities, which have been revealed over the last two months of heavy rains

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Small Grants Program Arrives

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The Small Grants Program of the United Nations will provide support at a maximum of 50,000 dollars to initiatives from non-governmental organizations, academic groups and communities in Venezuela for mitigating climate change and promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: First Ethics Tribunal for Border Mining

By IPS Correspondents and - -
The First Ethics Tribunal on Border Mining in Latin America will hear cases involving Argentina and Chile, Bolivia and Brazil, and Ecuador and Peru in its Sep. 30 sessions in the Chilean capital.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Plastic Cuts Wastewater Treatment Costs

By IPS Correspondents and - -
A polyethylene plastic bracket, to replace the stones and imported synthetic materials used in filtering sewage water, is poised to help Brazil overcome its sanitation problems.
A girl in the village of Kahkabila, Nicaragua, now has electricity. Credit: Courtesy of blueEnergy 2010

Q&A: Clean Energy and Cultural Survival in Nicaragua

By Julio Godoy
For the past six years, French and U.S. engineers have been installing solar panels and wind turbines in the southeastern Nicaraguan town of Bluefields, promoting clean energy and development among the region's Rama indigenous peoples.
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