BIODIVERSITY: Brazil’s Lula Lashes Out At Rich Nations

Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva Monday castigated the wealthy and technologically advanced countries of the world for failing to live up to their responsibility in tackling poverty and environmental degradation on the planet.

BIODIVERSITY: Don’t Sell “Suicide Seeds”, Activists Warn

As officials from around the world gather here to discuss an international agreement to protect biodiversity, battle lines are being drawn on the question of whether governments should allow the use and sale of genetically modified "Terminator seeds".

TECHNOLOGY: Better Living Through Open Source?

Electronic governance promises to cut corruption and improve transparency, and open source software offers a way to break the South's technological dependence on industrialised countries, experts say.

POLITICS: India’s Russia Card Ups Nuclear Stakes

Hot on the heels of its landmark 'nuclear cooperation' agreement with the United States, which allows New Delhi to keep its nuclear weapons, the Indian government has entered into a controversial deal with Russia for the supply of nuclear fuel for two civilian power reactors.

AGRICULTURE-LATIN AMERICA: Transgenic Crops Make Their Mark

Genetically modified organisms are leaving an indelible mark on several Latin American countries, regardless of the standards for their use and the attempts to adopt an international regime governing their production and transportation.

GUATEMALA: Satellites Uncover Mayan Secrets

Mayan ruins, hidden beneath soil and dense forest, have been located in Guatemala using satellite technology, revealing more secrets of this ancient indigenous culture.

SCIENCE: Bioterror Fears Dim Biotech Potential

Terrorists using biotechnology could create virulent new diseases that threaten millions of people and imperil future development of the technology, ethical experts warn.

LATIN AMERICA: Wanted – Labels for Genetically Engineered Products

Labels on foods sold in Latin American countries don't indicate whether they contain genetically engineered ingredients. There is legislation on the books in Brazil, but companies aren't complying with the requirement. In Mexico the laws on the matter are imprecise, and in Chile a new law is expected soon.

ENVIRONMENT: Skating on Ever Thinner Ice

Canada's greatest hockey heroes honed their skills on backyard ice rinks and frozen ponds. But in an ominous development, these are starting to vanish because of warm winter temperatures, says Mike Hudema of Global Exchange, a youth-oriented environmental NGO.

POLITICS-US: They Blinded Us With Science

Evidence is mounting that U.S. scientists have been prevented by the George W. Bush administration from telling the truth about global warming and other environmental and health issues.

BALKANS: The World Must See the Light

Nikola Tesla did much to show the world the light, and Croatia and Serbia both want that recognised this year.

ENVIRONMENT-US: Major Firms Endorse Climate Plan

Several leading energy and manufacturing firms have joined with a prominent environmental think tank to develop the United States' first comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SCIENCE-BRAZIL: An Astronaut Opens a Door to Space

When the first Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Cesar Pontes, leaves for outer space in March, he will be opening the doors to the heavens not only for some renowned scientists in his country, but also for dozens of children at 39 municipal schools.

POLITICS-US: Bush Energy Proposals, Speech Underwhelm

U.S. President George W. Bush's proposals to boost government spending on clean energy technologies, like much of the rest of his State of the Union Address, received a tepid reaction from analysts here Wednesday who described the speech as uncharacteristically timid.

ENERGY-BRAZIL: Hot Water from Sunshine

Turning sunshine into electricity is still too costly for it to become widespread, but using it to heat water is a viable option that is expanding in many countries, and could make great strides in Brazil.

POLITICS: Bumpy Ride for Indo-US Nuclear Deal

The "nuclear cooperation" agreement signed by United States President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, six months ago in Washington, has run into trouble over separation of India’s civilian installations from the military.

BRAZIL: A Push for More Local Scientists in the Amazon

Foreign experts conduct most of the scientific studies of the vast and biologically rich Amazon region. Brazil is trying to triple the number of local graduate students in related fields by 2010.

ENVIRONMENT: World Stands at a Crossroads

With 60 percent of the Earth's ecosystems in trouble right now, according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, what will the future be like in 2050?

ENVIRONMENT: Biotech “Revolution” May Be Losing Steam

Just four countries plant 99 percent of the world's genetically engineered (GE) crops, despite more than a decade of hype about the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.

CHALLENGES 2005-2006: Racing Toward Climate Disaster

With 2005 the warmest year in modern times and new research confirming scientists' worst fears, most experts agree that urgent and innovative international action on climate change is needed.

CLIMATE CHANGE: The Post-Kyoto Era Up for Debate

Representatives from 180 countries are meeting in Montreal this week to finally put into action the Kyoto Protocol for monitoring climate change, and start a new international discussion on what comes after that agreement expires in 2012.