Tierramérica

Issue of October, 21, 2006



	Current Edition

	Report

	Accents

	Analysis

	Dialogues

	Notable Writings

	Eco-Briefs

	Gallery

	Video



	Contacts

	Permisos de uso

Greenpeace cuts the word "No" into a field in Mexico state.
Credit: Greenpeace/Gustavo Graf

Report
Mexico Shuts the Door on GM Maize
By Diego Cevallos
Mexico is closing the door on experimentation with genetically modified corn varieties. Environmentalists applaud the decision, but biotech scientists are disappointed.

A wind turbine in Mexico
Credit: CFE

Accents
Answer to Energy Crisis? Waste Not, Want Not
By Stephen Leahy
To fight climate change, it is not enough to produce alternative sources -- we must promote the idea of consuming less, warn experts.

Notable Writings
Playing for Our Lives
By Achim Steiner and Yvo de Boer
Governments of the world will gather in Kenya in November to discuss new ways to help the South adapt to climate change.

Eco-Briefs

COLOMBIA: Organic Coffee for Japan
Beginning in February, the indigenous Arhuacos of Colombia's northern Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, will export annually 15 containers to Japan with 289 tons of Tiwun coffee, which the community grows using environmentally sustainable methods.

BRAZIL: Plant Fibers to Replace Asbestos
Research at the University of Campina Grande, in the eastern Brazilian state of Paraíba, explores the potential uses of sisal (Agave sisalana) as a substitute for asbestos, a toxin and carcinogen, as a construction material.

ARGENTINA: Plastic Bricks Certified for Building
Argentina's Housing Secretariat this month granted certification of technical fitness to a prototype of a brick made from plastic bottles for use in construction of houses and buildings of up to two stories.

MEXICO: UNEP Wins Communication Prize
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) received the Silver Shell award in Mexico on Oct. 16. The award recognizes Ibero-American initiatives in communications about issues of social responsibility.

BRAZIL: Delay in Law to Limit Eucalyptus
Far past the 45 days predicted, the delay continues for the parliamentary vote on a bill that aims to stop the expansion of eucalyptus in the Brazilian municipality of Sao Luiz do Paraitinga, 170 km from Sao Paulo.

GUATEMALA: Ban on Leatherback Turtle Sales
From Oct. 15 to Apr. 15, 2007, a ban is in place on collecting and selling the eggs of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), imposed by the Guatemalan government's National Council on Protected Areas (CONAP).

HONDURAS: El Tigre Hydroelectric Dam Loses Support
The Honduran Parliament voted last week to ask the Executive Branch to "detain" construction of El Tigre hydroelectric dam, on the Honduras-El Salvador border, until the diplomatic conflict between the two countries is resolved.

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