Tierramérica

Issue of April, 17, 2004



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Report
Greens United, but Their Color Has Faded
By Julio Godoy
European environmentalists have created a regional Green Party with sights on EU parliamentary elections in June. But the Greens' political influence remains limited. Currently there are just two green parties -- in Germany and Latvia -- that form part of governing coalitions in Europe.

Accents
New Offensive Against Asbestos
By Mario Osava
Labor authorities in Brazil are seeking a ban on the carcinogenic mineral that is used in more than 3,000 products, but the private sector is expected to put up a fight. SAMA, the only asbestos producer in the country, exported 140,000 tons in 2003.

Credit: Fabricio Van Den Broeck

Analysis
Galápagos on the Brink
By Javier Ponce
The famed archipelago is suffering the effects of political clientelism, unregulated economic activity and the institutional weakness of Ecuador, says analyst Javier Ponce in this exclusive column for Tierramérica.

Eco-Briefs

CUBA: Snail Farming
A project to artificially raise Zachrysia guanensis, a land snail, is under way in Cuba's Viñales National Park, 150 km from the capital.

VENEZUELA: Tuna Industry Looks Out for Dolphins
The tuna boats of Venezuela and Mexico, regional leaders in the sector, are looking out for the dolphins that swim alongside the schools of tuna, according to the Venezuelan Foundation for the Sustainable and Responsible Tuna Fishing (Fundatún).

CHILE: Promises to Cut Air Pollution Risks in Santiago
The Chilean government has promised through Santiago metropolitan region leader Marcelo Trivelli that next year there will be no more "environmental pre-emergencies" declared in this city of five million inhabitants.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Wetlands in Danger
The wetlands of the Gulf of Fonseca, shared by Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador, are threatened by the shrimp farming operations that use toxic chemicals to get rid of pests.

COSTA RICA: Opposition to Open Pit Mining
Environmental groups in Costa Rica aim to stop the Bellavista mining project in Miramar de Puntarenas, 100 km northeast of San José, because they say it will ruin the area's water sources.

GUATEMALA: Park Rangers Wanted in El Petén
The Protected Areas Council, CONAP, in Guatemala has just 45 park rangers to cover the 90 posts for monitoring the vast preserves in El Petén, the country's largest department and richest in natural resources.

HONDURAS: Mining Activity Under Fire
Residents and authorities in 14 municipalities of western Honduras are demanding a reform of the mining law, saying it is an attack on the environment. They gave the government an ultimatum to remove the mining transnational Maverick from the Guiyasote ecological reserve.

BRAZIL: Plans Against the Greenhouse Effect
Projects to fight global warming by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases will be the focus of the second Latin American Symposium on Carbon Fixation, Apr. 21-24 in Curitiba, capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná.

Lessons From a Unique Decade - José Graziano da Silva *
Rio+20 and Beyond: Together for a Sustainable Future - José Graziano da Silva *
Why Inclusive Green Growth Can Sustain Recent Gains in Latin America - Hasan Tuluy*
The Global Food Crisis and the Latin American Paradox - Pamela Cox