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Loading ...Climate Change Adaptation Costs May Be Very Underestimated
Friday, August 28th, 2009From the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): Costs of adapting to climate change significantly under-estimated UN climate negotiations should aim for substantially more funding Scientists led by a former co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will warn today that the UN negotiations aimed at tackling climate change are based on substantial […]
IDB Backs Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative / BID respalda Iniciativa para la Transparencia en las Industrias Extractivas / BID endossa Iniciativa pela Transparência nas Indústrias Extrativistas
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): IDB Backs Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative The Inter-American Development Bank has endorsed the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which encourages governments and companies to disclose revenues and payments generated by oil, gas, and mining industries. The endorsement was approved today by the IDB’s Board of Executive Directors. EITI is […]
An Illustration of the Mining Dilemma in Colombia
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009I just read a good article in Tierramérica that illustrates well, I think, the current split in Colombia over mining, particularly mining that affects protected areas. They examine the controversy over AngloGold Ashanti‘s gold exploration activities in the municipality of Cajamarca, in Tolima Department*, in the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) and the Central Forest […]
LAC Projects Receive 2009 SEED Award
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009This year’s recipients of the SEED Awards were announced yesterday by the SEED Initiative at a reception linked to this year’s session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), and several of the recipients were from Latin America. What is the SEED Award and who is the SEED Initiative? you ask. The Initiative was […]
The State of LAC’s Forests
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has just released State of the World’s Forests 2009 (English, Spanish), the latest update of its annual overview of forest resources worldwide. While it does not shed significant new light or offer new data on forest cover and the state of deforestation in Latin America and the Caribbean […]
Protecting Andean High Plateaus from Mining
Friday, March 13th, 2009Should mining be banned from, or severely restricted in, the Andean high plateaus? Most national environment agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientists and academic experts in the Andean Community (CAN) nations (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) seem to think so. They argue that without strong restrictions and supervision, mining in the highlands may seriously harm the role the plateaus play […]
Colombia: Mining, Yes, But Not in National Parks
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009“Mining in Colombia, yes, but not in national parks,” insists Colombia’s Environment Minister Juan Lozano Ramírez. “Mining in Colombia, yes, but environmentally responsible. Mining in Colombia, yes, but not that they rob everything of value and leave us with deserts and zones of erosion.” He announced a total prohibition on all granting of mining licenses […]
Finally, a Chance for a Global Mercury Accord / Por fin, un chance para un acuerdo global sobre el mercurio
Saturday, February 21st, 2009When the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Governing Council (GC) considered and agreed on the draft decision on chemicals management, including mercury, this past Thursday, I was in the room. It’s difficult to say which emotion filled the conference room more — joy or excitement. There was plenty of both. This decision had been many years […]
Economic Growth Model is Rapidly Transforming/Degrading the Amazon
Thursday, February 19th, 2009From the UN Environment Programme (UNEP): A Strong Impact is Made on the Amazonia by its Economic Growth Model However, responses by the governments of Amazonian countries indicate that efforts are under way on concrete action to deal with their environmental challenges. The population is increasing, reaching a level of 33.5 million inhabitants in 2007. […]
Peru Opens Public Consultations on Draft National Environment Policy / Peru pone en consulta pública borrador de política nacional del ambiente
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Peru’s Environment Ministry (Minam) is circulating for public comment its proposal for a National Environment Policy. Interested parties can submit comments and suggestions through a web-based form. Minam will also be holding consultative workshops on the draft Policy in Lima and four regions. The draft Policy is clear and concise, with a set of overarching […]