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Loading ...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. […]
Comisión argentina comienza trabaajo sobre los agroquímicos
Thursday, February 5th, 2009Desde la Secretaria de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable (SAyDS): Comenzó a funcionar comisión para prevenir intoxicación por agroquímicos Presidida por la Ministra de Salud de la Nación, Graciela Ocaña, y con la presencia del Secretario de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable, Homero Bibiloni, sesionó hoy por primera vez la Comisión Nacional de Investigación para la prevención, […]
Bolivia Bans Dozens of Pesticides, Activists Call for Rest of LAC to Follow
Monday, February 2nd, 2009At the close of the meeting of the Latin American section of the Pesticide Action Network (known by its Spanish acronym RAP-AL) in La Paz last week, host country Bolivia announced that it was banning all pesticides with active ingredients classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as extremely (Class 1a) or highly (Class 1b) […]
Colombia Finally Joins the POPs Convention / Por fin Colombia es Estado Parte del Convenio sobre los COPs
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009On 20 January Colombia finally joined the ranks of Contracting Parties (CPs) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The Stockholm Convention commits CPs to eliminate, severely restrict and/or minimize the production, use and trade of 12 POPs — nine pesticides (including DDT), three byproducts of industrial processes and of combustion (dioxins, furans […]
A Unique GEO for MEROSUR
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008Last month a GEO for the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR or MERCOSUL) was finally unveiled with much fanfare by representatives of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the meeting of MERCOSUR Environment Ministers. What’s a GEO? It’s probably the best known type of comprehensive environmental diagnosis available. “GEO” was the acronym for “Global […]
Unique Customs Cooperation Pact on Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Monday, December 29th, 2008Earlier this month Ministers from Central America and the Dominican Republic responsible for the environment, agriculture, health, defense and customs signed an Inter-Institutional Cooperation Convention for the Control of Imports, Exports and Transit Related to Multilateral Environment Agreements. The accord is supposedly the first of its kind in the world (I would be interested to […]
Update: Colombian Eco-Authorities Now Have Sharp Teeth?
Friday, August 8th, 2008Last year I did a post about Colombia’s Environment Minister, Juan Lozano Ramírez, calling upon that country’s Senate to finally give environmental authorities “teeth” — a true, tough environmental sanctions regime. Proposals for such a law had been before the national legislature for years (Lozano says it’s been decades). A few weeks ago the legislature […]
Paraná Seeks to Cut Pesticide Use
Monday, August 4th, 2008Synopsis in English: Starting with the next major planting this month, Paraná plans to substantially increase its Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program with the goal of reducing pesticide use in plantings by its farmers 30% over the next four to five years. The new Program push is motivated in large part about foreign market scrutiny […]
A Solid Waste Plan for Costa Rica
Friday, July 18th, 2008Recently Costa Rica was presented its long-awaited Solid Waste Plan (PRESOL) by the entities belonging to the Inter-Institutional Platform of the Competitiveness and Environment Program (CYMA): the Health Ministry (MinSalud), the Planning Ministry (Mideplan), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Institute for Municipal Development and Advice (Instituto de Fomento y Asesoria Municipal – […]