Global sharks and rays populations
--------- have halved since 1970
December 6th, 4:43pm
(Prensa Latina)
The world's shark and ray population have declined
by more than 50 percent since 1970, a new study
published in Science journal was revealed
on Friday.
The main factor behind their demise is overfishing, which
has wiped out populations of chondrichthyans fishes
(cartilaginous fishes) ..such as sharks, rays, and
chimaeras, over the last 50 years.
In the case of sharks, the threat posed by intentional
fishing and bycatch is compounded by habitat
degradation, climate change, and pollution.
The result is over one-third of chondrichthyans fishes
now face the threat of extinction, a statement by
Australia’s James Cook University noted.
The sequential depletion... of the largest and most
functionally important species -- such as sawfish
and rhino rays, the latter considered the world’s
most threatened marine fish - was followed by
the decline of large manta rays, eagle rays,
angel sharks, hammerhead sharks, and
requiem sharks.
_________________________________________
Caring for soils is a priority
------------ for global survival
December 5th, 11:13am
(Prensa Latina)
As World Soil Day is celebrated this Thursday, experts are urging
people to step up its care, from which over 95% of our food
comes, and the 15 naturally occurring chemical elements
that are essential for plants.
This year’s theme, “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage,”
underscores the importance -- of having accurate data and
information about this natural element to understand its
properties and make informed decisions about its
sustainable management, to ensure global
food availability.
Despite climate change and human activities, soils are being
degraded; erosion and poor management are altering the
natural balance of the land, wasting water resources,
and reducing the levels of vitamins and nutrients
in the food we produce (and eat).
Sustainable soil management practices, such as minimum tillage,
crop rotation, organic matter additions, and cover crops, improve
soil's health, reduce erosion and pollution, and increase water
infiltration and retention.
These practices also conserve soil biodiversity, improve fertility,
and contribute to soil-based carbon sequestration, playing a
critical role in fighting climate change.
A report released by the United Nations Convention, to Combat
Desertification and presented at the Conference of the Parties
(COP16) in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday stated that at least
2.6 trillion dollars in investment are required by 2030 -
to restore the over one billion hectares of degraded
land and to enhance global resilience to drought.
_______________________________
Philippines hosts 4th FRLD board
meeting ---- on climate resilience
December 2nd, 4:04pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Philippines is hosting the 4th meeting of the Board of the Fund
for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), starting on Monday
and marking a milestone in the country's commitment to
climate resilience.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga made the remarks
---- after welcoming the delegates at the Philippine
International Convention Centre in Pasay City.
It is a moment of pride for the Philippines to host this 4th
meeting of the Board, and the first in our country since
we were selected to host the Board.
The meeting is particularly significant as it comes at an
important stage in the Fund’s establishment and
implementation, Loyzaga noted, in her
opening remarks.
The secretary highlighted that the meeting underscored the
Philippines’ commitment to supporting global climate
resilience and addressing the urgent needs
of climate-vulnerable nations --- while
strengthening its leadership... in the
global fight against climate change.
______________________________
Indonesia - plans to implement
oil palm to produce biodiesel
December 2nd, 2:19pm
(Prensa Latina)
Indonesia is set to implement the B40 biodiesel program,
based on the most abundant of its crops, the oil palm,
starting on January 1, 2025.
At the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Council of Palm Oil Producing
Countries (CPOPC), Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for
Economic Affairs in this nation, highlighted at a press briefing
the usefulness of the initiative.
The program aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions by up to 40 million tons annually.
Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, an essential
ingredient in the manufacture of a wide array of goods, including
food, and the most widely used vegetable oil, globally.
__________________________________________
Ghanaian capital.. at risk of
being submerged in water?
Accra, November 27th, 10:59am
(Prensa Latina)
In a health cure, specialized sources warned today
that this city - the capital of Ghana - could be
submerged by the waters - and recommend
to prioritize the defenses against floods.
The fears of environmental groups are by no means
idle, viewing the hundreds of deaths and damage
caused by floods in several African countries
due to an unusually wet season --- after a
prolonged drought --- unprecedented
in years.
The ''likely'' crisis would be compounded by the
overcrowding of the metropolitan area where
some three million people reside, thousands
of whom migrated to higher ground after
witnessing the increasing frequency
and intensity of storms.
However, the usual migration... from rural areas to the
capital --- a repeatedly phenomenon in developing
countries, increases the risks as these persons
build illegal settlements in low-lying areas
and near rivers.
In addition, there is a history of flooding during the
rainy season... which, without being lethal, is a
warning of what could be coming - in the form
of floods that trigger outbreaks of infectious
stomach and respiratory diseases.. and an
invasion of rats, the usual companions of
these catastrophes.
_________________________________________
COP29: Venezuelan Government
Strengthens Strategies for the
Generation of Clean Energy
in the Country
November 21st, 7pm
(teleSUR)
During the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29)
held in Azerbaijan, the Minister of People’s Power
for Ecosocialism, José Lorca ------ met with Ajay
Mathur, Director-General of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA).
At the meeting, both discussed the importance
of Venezuela’s --- active participation in this
organization, dedicated to promoting
the use of renewable energies.
Minister Lorca highlighted, that Venezuela is positioned
as one of the countries most committed to training and
technological development in the field of solar energy.
“We are implementing photovoltaic projects --- that
not only improve our electricity service - but also
demonstrate the commitment of the government
of President Nicolás Maduro - and the Sectoral
Vice President of Public Works and Services,
General in Chief Jorge Márquez, to the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),”
he said.
Lorca also emphasized --- that Venezuela’s geographic
location makes it an ideal site for photovoltaic power
generation. “It is essential ---- to diversify our energy
sources in order to face the climate crisis and move
towards a more sustainable future,” he said.
Currently... it is estimated that 80% of the electricity
generation in Venezuela comes from hydroelectric
sources. However, photovoltaic projects are
being developed --- with the objective of
reaching 30% of national generation --
as indicated by Tania Masea, Deputy
Minister for New Sources and
Rational Use of Energy.
____________________________________
COP29: Delegates --- renegotiate new
compensation for developing nations
November 19th, 2:24pm
(africanews)
Money is the key issue at the United Nations climate
talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, where negotiators are
working on a new amount for developing
nations to transition to clean energy,
adapt to climate change and deal
with weather disasters.
Experts put the need close to $1 trillion, while
developing nations have said they'll need
$1.3 trillion in climate finance.
But negotiators are talking about different types of
money -- as well as amounts, involving a complex
package of grants, loans and private investment.
Whatever the form of the finance, Ireland’s
environment minister Eamon Ryan said it
would be “unforgivable” for developed
countries ----- to walk away from
negotiations, without making
a firm commitment toward
developing ones.
“We have to make an agreement here,” he said. "We
do have to provide the finance, particularly for the
developing countries, and to give confidence that
they will not be excluded, that they will be
centre stage.”
Kenya’s special envoy for climate Ali Mohamed said
that most developing nations are in agreement that
funds for climate finance need to be at $1.3 trillion.
That’s a similar figure to one proposed by
independent U.N. experts last week.
“We hope -- that our partners from the developed world
will come up and join us in addressing this challenge
honestly ---- and with commitment,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed said “it is not encouraging that we continue
haggling” - while people continue to die and become
displaced --- due to climate crises around the world.
_________________________________________________
COP29: Oil and Gas Company
Delegates... Outnumber
Social Activists
November 15th, 12:10pm
(teleSUR)
While 1,773 lobbyists represent corporations, only
1,033 people speak on behalf of the 10 most
climate-vulnerable nations.
On Friday, the environmental group “Kick Big Polluters
Out” denounced that the COP29 conference in Baku
hosts 1,773 representatives ---- from the fossil
fuel companies. This number ------- exceeds
the delegations of the most vulnerable
countries, and the staff of nearly all
the states present at the UN
climate conference.
“The 1,773 lobbyists registered in Baku are surpassed
only by the delegations of Azerbaijan (2,229), Brazil
(1,914), & Turkey (1,862),” said Kick Big Polluters
Out, noting that the same situation occurred
during COP28 in Dubai in 2023.
Representatives from fossil fuel companies outnumber
all the delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable
nations combined (1,033), highlighting how industry
presence - overshadows those on the frontlines of
the climate crisis, added the environmental
platform.
At COP28 in Dubai - for the first time - attendees were
required to disclose whom they represent, “exposing
many lobbyists who likely attended covertly in
previous years.”
Most of the accredited fossil delegates come from
wealthy countries, representing companies such
as like the French oil giant TotalEnergies, the
Italian gas company Eni, or the Japanese
coal company Sumitomo. Major fossil
energy corporations - such as
Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP,
and Shell.... are also
represented.
“The control of fossil fuel lobbyists over climate
negotiations is like a venomous snake coiling
around the future of our planet. We must
expose their deception, remove them
from these discussions, and hold
them accountable ---- for their
violations - against Earth,”
said Nnimmo Bassey ------
the head of the Health of
Mother Earth Foundation.
On Friday, a group of scientists and experts, including
former UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon, former UN climate
chief Christiana Figueres, and renowned scientist
Johan Rockström ----- called for a fundamental
reform of UN conferences in an open letter.
Among other recommendations, they demanded that
climate summits ensure “equitable representation”
and criticized that, during the last edition, COP28
in Dubai - also held in a gas-rich country, like the
United Arab Emirates - 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists
were accredited.
____________________________________________
COP29: GSLTF Proposes Climate Taxes
on Cryptocurrencies, Plastics, and
the Ultra-Rich
November 14th, 12:24pm
(teleSUR)
The solidarity levies would also affect aviation,
fossil fuels, and financial transactions.
On Thursday, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force
(GSLTF) published its progress report at COP29,
presenting proposals for new taxes on
cryptocurrencies, plastics, and the
ultra-wealthy -- to help close the
global climate financing gap.
These new “solidarity levies” ..would be used to
financeclimate action and development efforts
and would also affect aviation, fossil fuels,
and financial transactions.
For cryptocurrencies, “considering the high energy
demand of mining” necessary to obtain them, this
coalition of countries and organizations proposes
a tax of US$0.045 per kilowatt-hour, which could
generate US$5.2 billion while also
reducing emissions.
The levy on the plastics sector would apply to the
primary production of polymers at a rate ranging
between US$60 and US$90 per ton, which would
allow for the collection of between US$25 billion
and US$35 billion annually and simultaneously
support actions against pollution from
this material.
Regarding individuals with very high net worth, the
report proposes a coordinated minimum tax of 2%
that would impact billionaires -- which was
recently discussed at the G20 and would
generate between US$200 billion and
US$250 billion -- promoting a fairer
global tax landscape.
The GSLTF also includes other “more specific” options
in its document to tax industries considered “highly
polluting” like aviation, ---- for which - it suggests a
kerosene fuel tax, including a coordinated levy on
private jet fuel, luxury tickets, and frequent fliers,
which would provide between US$19 billion and
US$164 billion annually “depending on design
and scope.”
It also proposes tougher measures on the fossil fuel
sector with “a combination of levies” that would
include new taxes on extraction and on windfall
profits, as well as an increase in the minimum
corporate tax rate for multinationals or a
mixed instrument that would vary
by country.
As for financial transactions ------- options under
consideration include “revitalizing EU efforts”
to design a global tax ------ by mobilizing a
coalition of countries willing to adopt
measures - on stocks, bonds, and
derivatives, while also working
toward global harmonization
of transaction taxes.
This action would include a tax of 0.1 percent on
equity and bond instruments and another of 0.01
percent on derivatives.
Officially led by Kenya, Barbados, and France, the
GSLTF currently includes 17 countries and
associated observer organizations, among
which are Spain, Denmark, the European
Commission, the African Union,
and Senegal.
All members are committed to finding solutions
to generate substantial, fair, and predictable
funding to address urgent global needs.
_____________________________________________
Cuba urges to guarantee funds
to fight climate change
November 14th, 11:40am
(Prensa Latina)
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday
urged world leaders at the COP29 Climate Action
Summit to focus on financing to guarantee
actions to fight climate change.
On X, the head of Cuban diplomacy expressed that it is
time to prioritize the means that will implement what
has been agreed for a reinforced climate action.
Officials and experts from the Cuban Science,
Technology, and Environment Ministry
(CITMA) and the Foreign Ministry
(MINREX) are attending
the meeting.
On the first day, United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres urged to tear down the walls of
climate finance after acknowledging that no
country is immune to such human-made
challenges.
Guterres warned that the world is in a final countdown
to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius,
and insisted on changing the current order in which
“the rich cause the problem, the poor pay the
highest price.”
COP29 brings together hundreds of representatives
worldwide in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from
November 11 to 22, to prepare a new financial
plan to develop clean energy and overcome
the effects of extreme weather.
_______________________________________
Pope Francis - tells COP29
to fight to save the planet
November 13th, 10:44am
(Prensa Latina)
Pope Francis sent a message to the Conference of
States Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (COP29), where
he called for greater common efforts to save
the planet.
In the document published by the Holy See press office
and read on Wednesday by the Vatican Secretary of
State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the event, which
takes place from November 11 to 22 in Baku,
the capital of Azerbaijan, the Supreme
Pontiff ---- deplores the selfishness
that weighs down this effort.
That selfish attitude of “individual, national and power
groups --- feeds a climate of distrust and division that
does not respond to the needs of an interdependent
world in which we should act and live - as members
of a family that inhabits the same interconnected
global village,” Francis said.
The Pope emphasized that this COP29 takes place “in
a context conditioned by a growing disillusionment
with multilateral institutions, and dangerous
tendencies.... to build walls, while the
preservation of creation is one of
the most urgent issues - of our
time, closely related to the
preservation of peace”.
The Bishop of Rome stressed that ---------- “society is
increasingly globalizing and makes us neighbours,
but it doesn't make us brothers”, while economic
development does not reduce inequality and, on
the contrary, favours the prioritization of profit
and special interests “to the detriment of the
protection of the weakest”.
This negative tendency contributes ---- in an important
way “to the progressive worsening of environmental
problems”, the Pontiff emphasized, adding that “it
is essential to seek a new international financial
architecture centred on the human being, bold,
creative -------- and based on the principles
of equity, justice and solidarity”.
____________________________
High Levels of CO2 To Lead to
Years of Rising Temperatures
October 28th, 10:52am
(teleSUR)
On Monday ---- the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) reported that greenhouse gas concentrations
broke all previous records again in 2023. The main
constituent of these gases, carbon dioxide (CO2),
increased by 11.4% over the past two decades.
According to the annual report on greenhouse gas
concentrations, published by the UN agency two
weeks before the Climate Summit in Baku, CO2
levels reached 420 parts per million last year,
a 151 percent increase over pre-industrial
levels (before 1750).
Concentrations of methane... were measured at 1,934
parts per billion, and nitrous oxide at 336.9 parts per
billion, the other two gases responsible for global
warming, with levels up by 265 percent and 125
percent from pre-industrial levels, respectively.
“Another year --- another record. This should sound all
the alarms for decision-makers; there is no doubt that
we are very far from meeting the Paris Agreement
goal of keeping global warming well below
2 degrees above pre-industrial levels,”
emphasized the WMO Secretary
Celeste Saulo.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), estimated to contribute about 64
percent to global warming and primarily derived from
fossil fuel burning and cement production, rose by
2.3 parts per million in 2023 compared to 2022 - a
figure higher than the previous year though lower
than the three years before that.
Seventh Year with Highest Emissions
from Wildfires Since 2003
This increase..... was partly influenced by the transition
from the La Niña to the El Niño phenomenon (the latter
associated with rising Pacific Ocean temperatures) ---
and a disastrous wildfire season, with CO2 emissions
16% higher than the average of previous years,
including large forest fires in countries
like Canada and Australia.
Methane and nitrous oxide, produced by natural causes
and human activities.... such as agriculture, livestock
farming, and biomass burning, experienced smaller
concentration increases than in 2022.
The last time Earth experienced a concentration of
carbon dioxide comparable to today’s was three to
five million years ago, when the temperature was
2 to 3 degrees warmer, and sea levels were 10
to 20 centimetres higher than they are today.
The UN’s meteorological agency warns that ------ even if
emissions were quickly reduced to net zero (i.e., offset
by absorption phenomena like those provided by
forests), it would take decades to lower current
temperature levels due to the long-lasting
presence of CO2 in the atmosphere.
A Phenomenon That Could Accelerate
The WMO also warns ---- of the risk that the rise
in the concentrations of gases causing global
warming, could become increasingly intense.
“Wildfires could release more carbon emissions into
the atmosphere, while rising ocean temperatures
could reduce their CO2 absorption capacity,
leading to more CO2 accumulation in the
atmosphere and accelerating global
warming,” noted the WMO Deputy
Secretary, Ko Barrett.
Slightly less than half of carbon dioxide emissions
remain in the atmosphere, about a quarter is
absorbed by the oceans, and around 30%
by land ecosystems.... although - these
percentages vary due to phenomena
like La Niña or El Niño.
___________________________________
U.S. Approves Lithium Mining
Despite Opposition From
Indigenous Peoples
October 25th, 10:15 am
They warned of the potentially devastating impact
on Silver Peak Range’s fragile ecosystems and
sacred sites.
On Thursday, the U.S. government approved a lithium
mine project in Nevada aimed at increasing the
domestic supply of the essential mineral
needed for the US’s energy transition,
despite years of fierce opposition
from environmental groups,
Native American tribes,
& local communities.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management --- granted final
approval to Ioneer Ltd’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron
project -- located about 355 km southeast of Reno
city. The project’s lithium deposit is projected
to be sufficient to power approximately
370,000 electric vehicles annually for
over two decades. Construction is
set to begin in 2025 ------ with
production expected to
start in 2028.
The approval ...concluded a six-year review process,
during which opponents warned of the potentially
devastating impact on the region’s fragile
ecosystem and sacred sites in the
Silver Peak Range, which are
integral ---- to the cultural
heritage of the Western
Shoshone people.
Environmental groups also highlighted the project’s
existential threat to Tiehm’s buckwheat, a rare
wildflower found nowhere else on Earth.
In June, over 100 scientists submitted a letter to the
Bureau of Land Management, expressing concern
that the mine would put Tiehm’s buckwheat
“on a path to extinction.”
“By greenlighting this mine, the Bureau of Land
Management is abandoning its duty to protect
endangered species, like Tiehm’s buckwheat,
and ---- making a mockery of the Endangered
Species Act. We need lithium for the energy
transition --- but it can’t come with a price
tag of extinction,” said Patrick Donnelly,
Great Basin director at the charitable
organization, the Centre for
Biological Diversity.
Water consumption emerged as another significant
environmental concern. According to the online
news website Nevada Current, traditional
ithium mining operations can consume
up to 2 million litres of water, per
metric ton of lithium produced -
jeopardizing already strained
desert aquifers.
Indigenous peoples, including the Fort McDermitt
Paiute and Shoshone Tribe --- have expressed
serious worries about the project’s impact
on their water supplies and sacred
cultural sites.
Beyond water usage, the Institute for Energy Research
noted that lithium mining operations can lead to
significant soil and water contamination, air
pollution from dust... and potential ground-
water contamination from the extraction
chemicals. The mining also generates
extensive waste tailings, containing
toxic substances and heavy metals.
Lithium, a key component of lithium-ion batteries,
is considered essential for electric vehicles and
renewable energy storage systems, both
crucial for transitioning to a clean
energy economy.
The Rhyolite Ridge lithium project --- marks the first
domestic source of lithium permitted by President
Biden’s administration --- which has implemented
measures to support domestic critical minerals’
production, including a US$700 million loan
from the Department of Energy --- to
Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC.
The Silver Peak lithium mine, in Clayton Valley, Nevada,
is the only producing lithium mine in the United States
- although over 100 other sites are under exploration.
The brine evaporation mine has faced scrutiny - for
depleting groundwater aquifers in an increasingly
arid region.
A map from the Centre for Biological Diversity identifies
over 125 lithium extraction projects in the western US
-- seven of which are inactive and the majority -- at
various stages, from exploration to development.
Most proposed mines... are in Nevada, which is
considered a future “Silicon Valley of lithium.”
“Concerned about the risks ------ local residents and
environmentalists have resisted new mines with
tactics from protests to litigation...... but a
government-supported lithium boom
appears to be underway -
regardless,” reported
Energy News Net-
work in July.
Historically, the high costs of environmental
compliance and labour in the US, have
limited domestic lithium production,
with companies often finding it
cheaper to import it from
other countries.
A recent report by Solar Reviews ---- indicated that
production costs in the US, can range from $4,000
to US$12,000 per metric ton of lithium carbonate,
significantly higher than in major exporting
countries like Chile and Argentina.
“U.S. environmental regulations make it much more
expensive to extract lithium here. This is why
companies have traditionally chosen to
mine lithium in countries with fewer
environmental protection, ------
effectively exporting our
environmental impact,
overseas,” according
to the Institute for
Energy Research.
“Because lithium deposits come embedded in other
metals and minerals -- extracting lithium can be
incredibly difficult. More refineries, the plants
where raw lithium.... is processed into a
concentrated form of the metal that
goes into batteries, need to be
built in North America.”
Lithium processing also requires expertise, that is in
short supply in the United States ....and among our
allies,” it added ------ noting that “environmentalist
opponents, have driven mines from our shores.”
__________________________________________
Delegates meet in Colombia ---- to
address global biodiversity crisis
October 21st, 3:39pm
(africanews)
The United Nations Environment Programme, reports
that the planet is facing its most significant loss of
life since the time of the dinosaurs, with
approximately 1 million species of
plants and animals currently
at risk of extinction.
Global environmental leaders, convene on Monday, in
Cali, Colombia, to evaluate the declining biodiversity
worldwide ------ and the pledges made by nations to
safeguard plants, animals, and essential habitats.
Eva Zabey, executive director of the coalition Business
for Nature, calls for a Shift from establishing targets
to implementing tangible actions in the field. "The
biodiversity conference, the COP16, comes at an
absolutely critical moment for us to move from
targets setting to real actions on the ground."
The agreement outlines 23 actions aimed at stopping
and reversing the decline of nature, which includes
protecting 30% of the Earth's surface and 30%
of damaged ecosystems, by the year 2030.
According to Linda Krueger, director of biodiversity at
The Nature Conservancy --- all evidence indicates a
significant decrease in both the abundance and
distribution of species.
"All the evidence shows that there's dramatic decline
in species abundance and distribution. That means
wild species have less room to live, and and they
are declining in numbers. And we also see
rising extinction rates," she said.
During her opening remarks on Sunday, Susana
Muhamad, Colombia’s environment minister
and COP16 president, stated that the
conference presents a chance to
gather insights - from various
civilizations, cultures, and
knowledge.... throughout
history.
She emphasized the goal of creating sustainable and
stable conditions for a new society that will emerge
in response to the ongoing crisis.
The two-week United Nations Biodiversity Conference,
known as COP16, builds on the 2022 meetings
in Montreal ..where 196 nations agreed to a
landmark treaty aimed at safeguarding
biodiversity.
Additional sources • Other agencies
______________________________________
Nobel Prize laureate challenges
effectiveness of Paris climate
agreement
October 12th, 3pm
TASS)
The Paris climate agreement is unlikely to lead to any
tangible results, and humanity will have to look for
another solution for the climate problem, says
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rae Kwon Chung.
The scientist, who spoke at the ‘Nauka 0+’ festival, leads the
Global Energy Award International committee, and acts as
an advisor to the Chairman of the UN High-level Experts
and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP), and
a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), awarded with a Nobel Peace Prize
in 2007.
"I have doubt, that the Paris climate agreement will lead to
any tangible results," he said, speaking at the ‘Nauka 0+’
scientific festival in Moscow. "This agreement was
signed on a voluntary basis. Years later... we see
that these were mere words, with little results,"
the Nobel Prize laureate said.
"The climate continues to change and I think that
we will require a different solution," he added.
The expert called not to accuse governments and
companies of exerting insufficient efforts on
reduction of CO2 emissions.
"Unless... you make a personal contribution to reducing
emissions, then there will be no market for carbon-free
products. This contribution may seem like a sacrifice,
but this it is not. It is an investment in a carbon-free
market, which will ensure the future for the people,
jobs included. ‘Begin with yourself’ is a kind of
social campaign that would allow us to work
together," he believes.
____________________________________
For the first time, a Latin
American ------ wins the
Global Energy Award
July 3rd, 12:48pm
(Prensa Latina)
For the first time, a Latin American won the international
Global Energy Award, the president of the World Energy
Association, Sergey Briliov, announced today.
''It is a victory - that we have a Latin American and
Caribbean winner, since the award was created
in 2003 they had not been presented, I hope to
increase the presence of contestants from
that region. They are welcome,''
said Briliov.
The prize fund is worth 39 million
rubles (almost 450,000 dollars).
According to the results ---- the laureates are professors
from the British University of Sheffield, China’s Zi-Qiang
Zhu, Puerto Rican chemistry professor from Cornell
University in the United States, Hector Abruña,
and from Tsinghua University in China,
Mingao Ouyang.
''I am grateful to receive this award, which means a lot
to my work team. It is necessary to solve the current
challenges,'' Abruña said.
Hector Abruña was presented with the prize in the
category of Non-Conventional Energy ----- for his
contributions in the fields of electrochemistry,
batteries, fuel cells and molecular electronics.
For his part, the governor of Volgograd, Andrei Bocharov,
pointed out that the city is now a centre of development
and commented on regional efforts to solve problems.
The award winners were selected by an international
committee, which includes scientists from
13 countries, including Bolivia.
The award ceremony will traditionally take place within
the framework of the international forum ‘Russian
Energy Week’, which will be held in Moscow
on September 26-28, 2024.
_______________________________
Cuba calls to address
desertification and
drought
June 17th, 11:11am
(Prensa Latina)
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez urged to face
desertification and drought - because of their close
relationship with the preservation of biodiversity
and ecosystems.
On the occasion of Monday’s celebration of the World
Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the
Foreign Minister denounced in X, that the
capitalist system, with its production
and consumption levels, which he
described as both irrational and
unsustainable ---- has caused
the degradation of 40% of
the Earth’s surface.
Officially declared by the United Nations General
Assembly in 1994, the date aims to promote
public awareness on issues related to
desertification, land degradation
and drought.
This year, Desertification and Drought Day
is celebrated with a call to mobilize all
generations to support sustainable
land management.
Desertification is the result of the permanent
degradation of soils, caused by a constant
deforestation of forests, salinization, lack
of water, and overexploitation of aquifers
...which is usually produced by human
economic activity.
_________________________________________
Global call for sustainable
land management
June 17th, 10:47am
(Prensa Latina)
Mobilizing all generations to support sustainable
land management is the central theme of the
Desertification and Drought Day celebrated
today, amid the global effort to combat
this scourge.
Organized through the Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development in Bonn, actors
worldwide gather under the motto “United
for the Earth: Our Legacy. Our Future.”
This year coincides... with the 30th anniversary of the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification,
the only global agreement dedicated to sustainable
land management ratified by 196 countries and
the EU.
The date... officially declared by the United Nations
General Assembly in 1994, aims to promote public
awareness of issues related to desertification,
land degradation, and drought.
The executive secretary of the Convention, Ibrahim
Thiaw, warned that by 2050, 10 billion people will
depend on this vital resource and yet, every
second an area equivalent to four football
fields is lost --- due to land degradation.
________________________________________
New eco-industrial parks
to appear in Russia
by Victoria Abramchenko
April 22nd, 9:04pm
(Lenta.ru)
By the end of 2024, Russia will have six new eco-industrial
parks. They will be built as part of the federal project
"Closed-loop Economy", according to the website
of the Russian Environmental Operator (REO).
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko
noted the uniqueness of the project. "There were
industrial parks in Russia, but there were never
any eco-industrial parks. So that it is possible
to gather residents in one place - who will be
engaged in the closed-loop economy, waste
processing, extract useful parts.... ensure
the processing of these useful fractions
and, accordingly, make new products,
new goods," she explained.
The parks will be located in the Stavropol Territory,
Leningrad, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk
and Chelyabinsk regions. Two more parks — in the
Krasnodar and Primorsky Territories - are planned
to be introduced before 2027. According to Denis
Butsaev, General Director of REO, eco-industrial
parks..... will become anchor sites for creating
production clusters for waste disposal and
the production of products from
secondary raw materials.
Earlier it was reported that REO will issue its first green
bonds, the funds from which will go to the creation of
waste management facilities.
________________________________________
Cuba denounces --- climate damage
due to NATO military expenditure
April 8th, 12:56pm
(Prensa Latina)
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on Monday
that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the largest
military emitter of Greenhouse Gases in the planet.
On his official X account, he noted that the alliance's goal
of increasing military spending to two percent of its
members' GDP is a serious threat to global efforts
to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Recently, the head of Cuban diplomacy stated on the same
social network that NATO’s military carbon footprint went
from 196 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (C02) in
2021 ------- to 226 million in 2023.
Those numbers exceed the GHG emissions of 80 percent
of the countries of the world, he pointed out.
__________________________________________________
China confirms meeting with Japan
on radioactive water discharge
April 1st, 8:22am
(Prensa Latina)
China confirmed a meeting between Chinese and
Japanese nuclear specialists... regarding the
discharge of radioactive water from the
Fukushima plant ---- into the sea.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, described the
talks as constructive, with the Japanese side explaining
the security of their plan, based on scientific evidence.
On February 28th, Japan began the fourth stage of the
discharge of some 7,800 tons of radioactive water
into the sea.
So far, China has expressed its strong concern about
this issue and, in fact, canceled the import of all
aquatic products from Japan.
Beijing repeatedly insisted on the need for an international
agreement to independently monitor the Japanese plan.
Another spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning,
recently assured that releasing this water into the
ocean “affects the health of all humanity, the
global marine environment and the
international public interest.”
“The precautionary measures taken by China and some
other countries - in response to Japan’s action - are
aimed at protecting food security” and are
“entirely legitimate, reasonable and
necessary,” she added.
Beijing believes that an independent international
monitoring agreement must involve neighbouring
countries and other stakeholders ----- to avoid
irrevocable consequences ----- arising from
the discharge of radioactive water.
___________________________________
The Arctic could run
out of ice in 2030
March 6th, 10:20am
(Prensa Latina)
The Arctic could run out of ice for the first time in 2030,
according to a new study that indicates that such an
event would occur more than 10 years earlier than
previous projections.
It is expected to occur in August or September 2030
under all scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions
to the Earth’s atmosphere.
In addition, the Arctic Ocean could experience frequent
occurrences of ice-free conditions by mid-century
(between 2035 and 2067), as was published
in the paper journal Nature Reviews
Earth & Environment.
“Our study also focuses on the frequency of ice-free
conditions, rather than just when the first ice-free
conditions are reached,” Alexandra Jahn of the
University of Colorado, Boulder, told the
Down To Earth portal.
Arctic sea ice cover, which includes the area, extent
and thickness of sea ice, has declined since the
beginning of satellite observations in 1978.
Such ice-free conditions are likely
the first in at least 80,000 years.
“The transition to an ice-free Arctic means a regime shift
from a perennial sea ice cover to a seasonal sea ice
cover, or from a white summer Arctic to a blue
Arctic,” the researchers wrote.
To quantify the ice-free projections, the scientists
analyzed sea ice on a monthly basis using
climate models.
Previously there was talk of the almost complete
disappearance of sea ice, but now scientists
have agreed to designate the Arctic as ice-
free when the ocean has less than one
million square kilometres of
frozen surface.
Experts also say the Arctic is resilient
and can return to normal.... if the
atmosphere cools.
_____________________________________
Colombia: Global Biodiversity
Summit ---- to Be Hosted
in October
February 29th (teleSUR)
On Wednesday, Colombia’s Minister of Environment
Susana Muhamad announced that the Latin
American country will host the 16th
Conference of Parties to the UN
Convention on Biological
Diversity (COP 16) from
Oct 21 to Nov 1.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the sixth
session of the United Nations Environment Assembly
(UNEA-6) underway in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
"This is an opportunity for Colombia's indigenous
communities to showcase a paradigm shift in
the way the conservation of biodiversity
should be undertaken globally,"
Muhamad said.
The Colombian minister added that COP 16 will be a
mixture of cultural and environmental biodiversity
from Latin American countries.
The launch of the logo of a fresh flower took place
during the official announcement of Colombia's
hosting of the UN biodiversity summit.
A tweet reads, "An everlasting flower, did you know that
the Inírida flower can withstand long floods and
droughts? It is the symbol of resilience!
That is why this flower is the logo of
the COP 16 in Colombia and,
therefore, of Peace
with Nature!"
David Cooper, acting executive secretary of the Secretariat
of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said that
delegates -- will share experiences, find solutions,
and inspire partnerships toward tackling global
biodiversity loss. He noted, COP 16 would
allow local indigenous communities,
to share their experiences.
According to Cooper, indigenous communities in
13 ecoregions of Colombia and neighbouring
countries will share their knowledge of rare
endemic species with the delegates.
The COP 16 -- will accelerate action and show
progress towards turning the four goals and
23 targets of the biodiversity plan into
nationally driven action.
He said, that the delegates are expected
to demonstrate the alignment of their
National Biodiversity Strategies
and Action Plans with the
Biodiversity Plan.
A tweet reads, "Great meeting with the Chinese Minister of
Ecology and outgoing president of COP15, Huang Runqiu,
during UNEA6. His support and experience will be key
to ensure the success of COP 16 Colombia in Cali
this year."
Cooper revealed that the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary
Body on Implementation, which will take place in Nairobi
from May 21-29, will provide an opportunity to review
progress 5 months before COP 16 gets underway
in Cali, Colombia.
According to Cooper, COP 16 will be the first biodiversity
summit since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework at COP 15 held in
December 2022 in Montreal, Canada.
During COP 16, governments will review the state of
the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework... develop the monitoring
framework, and advance resource mobilization
for the Global Biodiversity Framework.
In addition, the summit will finalize and operationalize
the multilateral mechanism, for the fair and equitable
sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence
information on genetic resources.
_______________________________
UN --- calls for more funding
for environmental projects
February 28th, 3:09pm
(Prensa Latina)
The planet demands that financial flows be realigned and
business practices be changed in favor of nature, it was
the demand here on Wednesday --- at the 6th United
Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6).
At the opening session of the high-level segment on
strengthening the science-policy interface for
effective implementation of environmental
commitments, UNEP Executive Director
Inger Andersen noted that humanity is
currently financing its ‘own failure’
rather than investing in a ‘better
future by supporting nature’.
Unfortunately, she added, solutions based on environmental
protection are underfunded and receive only 200 billion
dollars globally a year, less than one-third of what is
needed between now and 2030 to meet climate,
biodiversity and land degradation targets.
Given these figures, it is clear that realigning negative
financial flows to nature is the best way to halt and
reverse the loss of nature, and to achieve this we
need to change incentive policies, provide data
on long-term economic losses and change
business practices,’ she said.
The high-level debate on strengthening the science-policy
interface for effective implementation of environmental
commitments ------ is a forum to address the need for
transformational change to address the three
planetary environmental crises: climate
change, the loss of nature and
biodiversity, and pollution.
Participants in the forum will also discuss opportunities
to strengthen science-policy interfaces - as part of
UNEA decision-making.
They will also discuss best practices where scientific
knowledge and evidence have successfully helped
to address environmental challenges.
UNEA-6, which will take place until March 1 in the Kenyan
capital, marks the beginning of a new era of multi-
lateralism focused on environmental issues at
the same level of importance as other global
issues such as peace, security and health,
according to the assembly organizers.
Some 5,000 representatives of governments, civil society
and the private sector are attending the global forum,
which will consider a variety of resolutions covering
challenges such as halting desertification,
counteracting air pollution or limiting
chemical pollution.
_________________________________________
UN agency calls to reduce
heavy vehicle pollution
February 24th, 00:30am
(Prensa Latina)
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) called
to take decisive measures to cut pollution generated
by heavy vehicles, especially trucks.
Their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased by
30 percent since 2000, according to a report published
on Thursday.
In the document, the head of UNEP’s Sustainable Mobility
Unit, Rob de Jong, emphasized the need to implement
ambitious regulations --- to curb emissions that are
harmful to the environment and human health.
According to the study, heavy-duty vehicles are responsible
for over 40% of nitrogen oxide emissions on the roads, as
well as 60% of PM2.5 particulate matter and 20% of
black carbon, both of which are associated with
heart and lung problems.
The situation is aggravated in developing countries that
depend on imports of used heavy-duty vehicles, often
in precarious and polluting conditions.
The text also warned, that the increase in exports of
such used equipment from industrialized economies
to developing nations --- contributes to increased
pollution in the southern nations.
Although heavy vehicle exports represent a modest 3.6%
of the total value of world trade in automobiles, their
associated CO2 emissions have increased by over
30%, since 2000 ----- with trucks contributing
80 percent of that increase.
CO2 is the main greenhouse gas, the consequence
of which, is global warming... that accelerates
climate change.
The UNEP report, along with the Climate and Clean Air
Coalition, provides the UN’s first global overview of
the scale and regulation of used heavy vehicles.
On their contribution to global air pollution ----- traffic
accidents, fuel consumption and climate emissions,
the research ---- recommends ways to reduce the
harmful aspects ---- for people’s health and
the climate.
_________________________________
Humanity ''celebrates''
World Energy Day
February 14th, 10:10am
(Prensa Latina)
Coinciding with the date of Valentine's Day, humanity
also celebrates World Energy Day, to support
the sustainable use of energy resources
--- in every corner of the planet.
The ephemeris also promotes the use of clean energies
obtained from nature, through the sun and water,
highlighting its favorable impact on
the environment.
This celebration aims to contribute to the achievement of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), included in
the UN Agenda 2030, such as ensuring universal
access to affordable and modern energy
sources, expanding the use of
renewable energy sources,
and improving energy
efficiency.
The date was created in 1949 to raise awareness among
the world’s population about the use of alternative and
renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and
biomass, reducing the burning of fossil fuels
like oil, gas, and coal, which cause
global warming.
According to data from the United Nations Environment
Program, more than a third of the world’s population
has no access to advanced forms of energy, while
the 30 most developed countries on the planet
consume more than 60% of this energy daily
and without interruption.
It is estimated that currently 13% of the world’s population,
approximately 1.1 billion people, do not have access
to basic electricity services. Meanwhile, the use of
fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal is estimated
at 80%, while only 2% of renewable energies are
generated, which is why the aim is to reverse
a ''reality'' that harms nature and
the environment.
__________________________________
5.5 Tons of Fukushima Radioactive
Water .....Leak Into the Ocean
February 7th (teleSUR)
On Wednesday, Fukushima Central Television reported that
approximately 5.5 tons of water containing radioactive
materials have leaked from a piece of equipment at
Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
At about 8:53 a.m... workers discovered water leaking from
the outlet of a device used to purify nuclear-contaminated
water during the inspection of the equipment, the local
TV reported, citing the plant's operator Tokyo Electric
Power Company (TEPCO).
The amount of water that leaked, was approximately
5.5 tons, which may contain 22 billion becquerels of
radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium.
Most of the leaked water appeared to have seeped into the
soil, but monitoring of a nearby drainage channel did not
show any significant radiation level changes.TEPCO has
made the area where the water was leaked a no-go area.
Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami
in 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core
meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a
level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the
International Nuclear and Radiological
Event Scale.
The plant has been generating a massive amount of water
tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down
the nuclear fuel in the reactor buildings, which are
now being stored in tanks at the nuclear plant.
In August 2023, Japan started to discharge the Fukushima
wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, despite numerous and
repeated objections by governments and communities,
environmental groups, NGOs and anti-
nuclear movements.
_________________________________________
Venezuela Destroys Illegal Mining
Camps ----- in the Amazon Region
February 7th, 2pm
(teleSUR)
On Tuesday, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB)
informed that six makeshift mining camps set up by
illegal miners were destroyed in the state
of Amazonas.
Previously, on Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro launched Operation "Fog 2024" for the
protection of the Amazon region and
its ecosystems.
The facilities destroyed were used "to prey on and
contaminate the environment," said Gen. Domingo
Hernandez, the head of the FANB's Strategic
Operational Command.
Besides the mining camps, the army also destroyed eight
illegal rafts used by criminal groups along the banks of
the Cunucunuma River in Duida-Marahuaca
National Park.
A text reads, "During the Operation Fog 2024, the FANB
found eight mining ponds on the banks of the
Cunucunuma River, in the state of Amazonas,
which were used to predate and contaminate
the environment. They also found and
incinerated six logistics camps."
Venezuela will not tolerate the existence of illegal groups
in its territory "nor the indiscriminate and arbitrary
depredation of the environment," Gen.
Hernandez pointed out.
“The FANB will deploy 20 Quick Reaction Units, which
have the strength and means to dismantle and
destroy illegal mining structures,” he added.
The Operation Fog 2024 is a comprehensive intervention
that will cover all national parks and forest reserves
located in areas important for the security of the
Venezuelan State.
_____________________________________
Chilean scientists warn of
climate change effects
on wheat
January 11th, 11:56am
(Prensa Latina)
Research by Chilean scientists published here today warns
of the negative effects of global warming on the yield of
wheat crops, a cereal of which this country is one of
the largest consumers.
Climate change, associated with phenomena such as El
Niño, are pushing temperatures to record levels and
heat waves have increased from nine to 62 in the
last 10 seasons, and 2024 will be no exception,
the research states.
According to Dr. Anita Arenas, from the Millennium Institute
of Integrative Biology and Talca University, responsible for
the research, these episodes affect both the weight and
quality of wheat grain ------ key to world food security.
One of the main results, he said, was that in response to
the high temperatures, so-called durum wheat suffered
a weight loss of -23.9 percent, the starch content
decreased and the protein level increased.
Arenas indicated that on this last point, further analysis
will be necessary to determine whether the increase
in protein ---- is accompanied by a change in the
gluten composition.
______________________________
Panamanian Farmers Reject
the Indio River Reservoir
January 9th, 6:41pm
(teleSUR)
On Monday, the Farmers for Life Coordinator, the Donoso &
Omar Torrijos Awake Movement, and the Farmers for the
Earth Coordinator agreed to reject the Indio River
reservoir and demanded the closure of
Minera Panama.
The producer organizations rejected the different projects
presented by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which
insists.. on creating a multipurpose reservoir in the
Indio River to accumulate water and facilitate
the transit of ships through the
interoceanic route.
Panamanian farmers maintain, that water is of utmost
importance for life and that the arguments presented
by the ACP --- are neither sufficient nor convincing.
They also mentioned that the construction of the Indio
River reservoir would generate disastrous
environmental consequences.
At their meeting, the farmers presented a detailed
document containing their joint demands, which
have been substantiated with the support of
the Catholic Church and professionals
from different technical areas.
Among the demands presented are the defense of their
lands, rivers and lives from the threats caused by
large metal mining projects.
The producer organizations also demand that the
Panamanian state immediately create a social
and technical commission for the closure of
Minera Panama.
________________________________________
2023 ----- shatters climate
records in 125,000 years
January 2nd, 12:14pm
(Prensa Latina)
The 2023 year was declared as warmest on Earth in 174
years, and most probably of the last 125,000 years, an
evidence that global warming is surging and affecting
the whole planet much faster.
According to climate experts: “What we’re looking for is
a lot of corroborating evidence that it’s all pointing in
the same direction,” said Chris Smith, a climate
scientist at England’s University of Leeds.
Unrelenting heat waves roasted Phoenix and Argentina.
Wildfires raged in Canada. In Libya, floods killed
thousands of people, noted an article in
the newspaper.
Winter ice cover on the seas around Antarctica reached
record lows, while global temperatures this year not
only broke previous records.
According to June-November analysis, temperatures
reached new highs month after month & December
temperatures remained largely above normal.
Global temperatures have long risen and fallen
around a steady warm trend due to cyclical
factors such as El Niño.
__________________________________
IUCN -------- warns on
danger of extinction
of freshwater fishes
January 2nd, 10:38am
(Prensa Latina)
Climate change threatens a growing number of species,
from freshwater fishes to Atlantic salmon and green
turtles, according to IUCN's Red List of Threatened
Species released today at COP28. The IUCN Red
List now includes 157,190 species, of which
44,016 are threatened with extinction.
“Climate change is menacing the diversity of life our planet
harbours, and undermining nature’s capacity to meet
basic human needs,” said Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN
Director General.
“This IUCN Red List update highlights the strong links
between the climate and biodiversity crises, which
must be tackled jointly. Species declines, are an
example of the havoc being wreaked by climate
change, which we have the power to stop with
urgent, ambitious action to keep warming
below 1.5 degrees Celsius.”
Today’s update.. completes the first comprehensive
assessment of the world’s freshwater fish species,
revealing that 25% (3,086 out of 14,898 assessed
species) are at risk of extinction.
At least 17% of threatened freshwater fish species
are affected by climate change, including
decreasing water levels, rising sea
levels causing seawater to move
up rivers, and shifting seasons.
This compounds threats from pollution, which impacts
57% of freshwater fish species at risk of extinction,
dams and water extraction, which affect 45%,
overfishing, which threatens 25%, and
invasive species and disease, which
harm 33%.
Kathy Hughes, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish
Specialist Group said: “Freshwater fishes make up more
than half of the world’s known fish species, an
incomprehensible diversity given that fresh
water ecosystems comprise only 1% of
aquatic habitat. These diverse species
are integral to the ecosystem, and
vital to its resilience.
“This is essential to the billions of people who rely upon
freshwater ecosystems, and the millions of people who
rely on their fisheries. Ensuring freshwater ecosystems
are well managed, remain free-flowing with sufficient
water, and good water quality is essential to stop
species declines and maintain food security,
livelihoods and economies in a climate
resilient world.”
Produced by a variety of organizations including WWF, the
World’s Forgotten Fishes details the dazzling diversity of
species and how critically important they are to the
functioning of their ecosystems, other species and
people – with over 200 million relying on them for
food security and 60 million for their livelihoods.
“Freshwater fishes are in freefall with one quarter of
all species now threatened with extinction. This
devastating news - is the clearest sign of the
damage we have done to our rivers, lakes
and wetlands – ecosystems that not only
sustain freshwater fishes and a dazzling
diversity of other wildlife but also
underpin our societies
and economies.
“Out-of-sight and out-of-mind, freshwater fishes have always
been undervalued ---- even though they are critical to the
functioning of their ecosystems --- and provide food for
200 million people and livelihoods - for 60 million. The
shocking state of the World’s Forgotten Fishes must
serve as a wake up call: decision makers must
urgently scale up investment in protecting
and restoring healthy rivers, lakes and
wetlands. This will safeguard our
vanishing freshwater fishes, but
will also enhance water and
food security, reverse
nature loss and
accelerate our
climate action.
“Here at COP28, 38 countries have now joined the
Freshwater Challenge – the most ambitious fresh
water protection and restoration initiative in
history. We need all countries to follow their
lead because reversing the degradation of
freshwater ecosystems will pave the way
to a net-zero, nature-positive, and
resilient future.”
____________________________________
UNEP considers slow progress
in human-nature interaction
January 2nd, 10am
(Prensa Latina)
In spite of more global awareness about the environment
and fossil fuels, there is still little and slow progress in
human interaction with nature and the consumption
of its resources, said UNEP.
With only six years to go before the end of 2030 for
meeting the UNEP Agenda set in 2015 with 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - it is
true that global awareness over biodiversity
protection has surged, but unfortunately
efforts to transform global awareness
are lagging behind in terms of speed
and scale.
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP),
by 2023, three-quarters of the planet’s terrestrial
ecosystem and about 66% of the marine
environment had been significantly
altered by human action.
Over one-third of the world’s land area and nearly 75%
of freshwater resources are now goal-oriented to
crop or livestock production.
Combined with dizzying levels of pollution, natural habitat
degradation and biodiversity loss -- have serious impacts
on communities around the world. In 2023, from 100 to
300 million people were at increased risk of flooding
and hurricanes --- given the loss of coastal habitats.
There were examples of efforts to address these threats,
many communities improved their reconstruction actions
such as Pakistan with the launch of the largest climate
initiative in the country’s history or the United Nations
with its new ¨Early Warning for All¨ global project.
According to UNEP, clean energy made some progress and
although 91% of the world now has access to electricity
such a progress has not been fast or inclusive enough.
Nevertheless, the number of people with power
access ramped up to 675 million since 2015.
Other data pointed to global investment in clean energy
reaching near-record levels of USD$1.7 trillion, so
renewables now account for --- over 28% of
global electricity, growing by nearly 5%.
But nowadays, 2.3 billion people still depend on coal,
kerosene or solid biomass as the main cooking fuel,
so the lack of clean cooking contributes to nearly
3.7 million premature deaths annually, with
women and children being most at risk.
Plus ---- about 80% of the world’s population with
no electricity lives in rural areas, predominantly
in sub-Saharan Africa.
Current studies have shown that reaching these
clean energy targets will require the world to
triple its annual investments by 2030.
_____________________________________
Paraguay: Pasubio Not to
Buy Leather Affecting
Indigenous Lands
December 20th, 5:14pm
(teleSUR)
On Wednesday, Survival International --- celebrated the
decision of the Italian tannery Pasubio, to refrain from
purchasing leather ------whose production is linked to
the deforestation ------ of the ancestral territory of
the Ayoreo Totobiegosode Indigenous people.
In South America, the Ayoreo people is part of the last
Indigenous community voluntarily isolating itself
outside the Amazon Basin.
"We are pleased to know that Pasubio has committed to
boycotting leather from suppliers that threaten the
lives and territories of the Ayoreo people, in
Paraguay. We hope that other companies
will follow their example," Survival
International Director, Caroline
Pearce said, warning that her
organization will monitor to
ensure full compliance
with the commitment.
"We hope that this news.. contributes to speeding up the
very slow process.. of recognizing the territorial rights
of the Ayoreo, which has already lasted thirty years,"
she added.
"The Paraguayan authorities must - once and for all -
respect national and international rights, expel all
ranches from Ayoreo territory, and return the
land to this indigenous people."
Previously, the Pasubio Group communicated its decision
to exclude leather suppliers linked to deforestation in
the Chaco region, where the Ayoreo Totobiegosode
Natural and Cultural Heritage (PNCAT) is located.
Currently, the Ayoreo territory is "an island of forest
surrounded by a sea of deforestation, as the land
around it has been deforested to make room for
livestock farming," explained Survival
International --- and warned that
numerous fires, have been
occurring in that forest
since the beginning
of the year.
"An undetermined number of Ayoreo Totobiegosode
Indigenous people, live without contact in their
forest, and many others - have been forced to
abandon isolation and now live in settled
communities," it added.
In February 2016, the Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights (IACHR) issued precautionary
measures -- demanding that the Paraguayan
State halt deforestation in the Chaco and
protect the Ayoreo Totobiegosode
Indigenous people, from
potential unwanted
contacts.
____________________________________
COP28 Draft Deal Raises Nuclear
Energy as a Climate Solution
December 12th, 12:20pm
(teleSUR)
In the latest draft of the Global Balance presented by the
Climate Summit Presidency (COP28), nuclear energy is
included as one of the options for the planet's
decarbonization.
Greenpeace, Ecologists in Action, and World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) denounced that the inclusion of this option
is a response to the growing presence of nuclear
"lobbyists" at climate summits ------- since the
COP26 in Glasgow, with the complicity
of major atomic powers such as the
United States or France.
The presence of pro-nuclear advocates has been "even
more noticeable in Dubai," and it appears that their
"management has been successful," said WWF's
Global Climate and Energy Director -- Manuel
Vidal-Pulgar, who believes that the COP28's
central goal should be to accelerate the
ecological transition.... with a "clear
reference to phasing out
fossil fuels."
In his opinion, nuclear energy is not a viable option for this
transition. Apart from the fact that only 32 countries have
atomic plants, nuclear energy generates hazardous
waste and poses serious security issues, as
demonstrated by past accidents.
"In COP28, there has been talk from the outset about the
need for low-emission technologies to justify the use of
technologies that are not yet proven, are expensive,
or are not ready (such as nuclear fusion), and that
is unacceptable," he lamented.
"Clearly, this is a tremendous mistake," said the Ecologists
in Action's Energy and Climate Director, Javier Andaluz,
who pointed out that the climate impact of a nuclear
power plant throughout its life cycle, is between 6
and 15 times greater than the impact related to
its operation.
"This is a clear concession ------- to the lobbying of large
companies - nuclear power is in the hands of electric
companies," according to Andaluz, who criticized
the high presence of accredited pro-nuclear
advocates in Dubai, to whom "recognition
similar to that of neutral observer
organizations" is being given.
"Nuclear power is not a solution to climate change because
it is slow, taking more than 10 years to build a plant - plus
all the licensing and preliminary studies; it is expensive
and relies on public funds, and there is no private
insurance to cover the plants due to their
hazardous nature," said the Climate
Change Director of Greenpeace
Spain, Pedro Zorrilla.
Any accident at a nuclear plant has "very serious
consequences for health and the environment,"
according to Zorrilla, who added that these
plants are not suitable to support the
deployment needed in renewables
as they cannot provide backup
for wind or solar variability -
turning on or off a nuclear
plant takes several days
or even weeks.
__________________________________
Brazil to host COP30 by 2025
December 11th, 5:21pm
(Prensa Latina)
Brazil, was formally elected on Monday as host country
of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference
(UNFCCC – COP30), scheduled to be held from
November 10 to 21, 2025.
“The decision was made --- by a consensus at the COP28
plenary session in Dubai”, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Brazil´s Foreign Ministry pointed out that, “after the
decision, the Minister of Environment and Climate
Change and head of the Brazilian delegation
Marina Silva formally announced that
COP30 will be held in the city of
Belem,” capital of the northern
Amazonian state of Para.
Silva defended, “a collective construction of an energy
matrix that the planet and humanity demand --- for
its survival.”
________________________________
Initiative to Protect Glaciers
Launched at COP28
December 4th, 1:11pm
(teleSUR)
On Sunday, an initiative to protect the world's glaciers
was launched at the China Pavilion of the COP28
climate change conference.
At the side event of COP28, or the 28th session of the
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change,
delegates and scientists... shared their
views on the risks of melting glaciers,
and ways to slow down that process.
A project named "Memory of Glaciers: Global
Exploration Initiative" was launched to step
up research and protection of glaciers, as
well as raise public awareness.
Glaciers bear witness to the history of climate change
on the planet, and melting glaciers will bring a series
of risks aside from rising sea levels, delegates said.
Potential risks will include ------- damage to high mountain
ecosystems, increased hazards of landslides and floods,
as well as losses of tourism and cultural assets.
Measures that need to be taken include limiting global
warming through reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and enhancing adaptation strategies which can help
reduce hazardous impacts.
According to the report "Ten New Reflections in Climate
Science" ----- which was prepared by Future Earth,
The Earth League and World Climate Research
Programme, humanity is about to exceed
the limit of 1.5 degrees of global
warming ----- set in the
Paris Agreement.
Therefore, it is essential to reduce as much as possible
the magnitude and time in which the world is above
1.5 degrees to reduce losses, damages, and the
risk of irreversible changes.
______________________________________
Ethiopia to host the largest wind
farm in the Horn of Africa
Dubai, December 4th, 12:43pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Aysha wind energy project, an 18,000-hectare wind
farm considered the largest in the Horn of Africa, will
be built in Ethiopia in conjunction with an Emirati
company, it was announced here.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and the United Arab
Emirates renewable energy project operator AMEA
Power signed an agreement to build the site with
an investment of $600 million, which, according
to the state ministry, represents an important
milestone in the country’s sector.
The project is expected to produce approximately 1.22
terawatt hours of electricity per year, which will
contribute significantly to Ethiopia’s power
generation capacity.
It will also create approximately 2,000 jobs during the
construction and operation phases for the benefit
of the local economy, a joint statement revealed.
The document stated that the agreement demonstrates
Addis Ababa’s unwavering commitment to renewable
energy and its dedication to attracting private
investment in the energy sector.
Ethiopian Electric Power and the Ministry of Finance, are
working together to harness the region’s abundant wind
resources and generate clean, sustainable electricity,
to meet the country’s growing demand for electricity.
___________________________________________
There is real hope out there,
COP28 President al-jaber
says
Dubai, December 4th,
(Prensa Latina)
In the first four days of COP28 we set high standards
for results; there is real hope out there, said the
president of the 28th UN Climate Change
Conference, Sultan Al Jaber.
During a press conference, Al Jaber revealed the hope
expressed by people he has spoken to, that this
meeting, will be a major turning point and not
missing the opportunity to deliver a real and
tangible paradigm shift to correct course
towards the right path of keeping 1.5
degrees Celsius within reach.
December 4, 2023
10:21
“Let’s remember why we are all here. We are all here
because we have issued a very clear call to action.
The UAE takes on this task with humility and
responsibility and fully understands the
urgency of this issue,” he stressed.
He noted that so far at COP28 they were able to bring the
United States and China together in an unprecedented
commitment to reduce methane and other non-carbon
dioxide (CO2) gases across the economy. These
gases are more than 80 times more harmful
than CO2, he warned.
Al Jaber also revealed pride - in having issued the first
declarations on health and food systems, considered
two huge priorities for the presidency’s action
agenda. Three additional statements on
hydrogen, refrigeration and gender,
will be announced in the coming
days, he confirmed.
__________________________________
COP 28: The G77+China
Summit - is Inaugurated
December 2nd, 4:47pm
(teleSUR)
This Saturday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez
inaugurated in Dubai the historic Summit of Leaders of the
Group of 77 and China, within the framework of COP28.
On his opening speech he highlighted that: "The gap
between the irrationally opulent North - and the
increasingly impoverished South - widens -
with high human costs ---- while the
resources that nature makes
available to us, are
squandered".
It is our responsibility to assert the voice of the peoples
of the South -- and to defend their legitimate interests
and aspirations, Diaz-Canel, president pro tempore
of the organization, posted on his X account.
"In inaugurating the G77-China Leaders Summit in the
context of COP28 -- President Diaz-Canel called for
reflection, concerted action on the basis of what
unites us and respect for our rich diversity, and
together act now - to advance the legitimate
demands of the South," said the Cuban
Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez.
Also, the Website Presidencia Cuba, emphasized that
this is the first time the Group has met at a COP to
agree positions for climate change negotiations.
The COP28 Summit opened in Dubai on Thursday with
the announcement of the creation of the loss and
damage fund ---- to compensate the most
vulnerable countries in the face of
the climate crisis.
The largest global meeting to address climate change
officially endorsed the resolution to operationalize
the fund, It also received financial pledges from
the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the
UK, US and Japan.
______________________________________
Pope Francis spurs: to speed up
the ecological transition ------
after COP28
Dubai, December 2nd, 1:45pm
(Prensa Latina)
On Saturday, Pope Francis requested in his speech sent to
the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28),
as he was unable to attend here for health reasons, his
political willingness...... to speed up the
ecological transition.
In the document, read in that forum by Cardinal Pietro
Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State.... which was
published on Saturday by the Holy See Press
Office, Francis stated that, in that sense,
that COP28 should be a turning point,
as it is now urgent to return to the
right track and give “a sign
of hope.”
The Pope assured that this transition must be efficient,
obligatory and easy to monitor, as well as -- it must
cover the fields of energy efficiency, renewable
sources, the removal of fossil fuels ------- and
education must be directed towards
less dependent lifestyles on
fossil fuels.
“Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death?”
Pope Francis asked those attending the event ------ which
opened in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates on November
30 and will last until December 12, with the presence
of over 150 heads of State and Government.
The Pope underscored that the ambition to produce and
possess --- has turned into an obsession, leading to a
boundless greed -- that has made the environment
the target of unbridled exploitation. Finally, the
senior Catholic authority noted --- “the
disturbed climate is a warning to us
--- to stop such a delirium of
omnipotence.”
___________________________
Lukashenko urges West:
to use money it wastes
on wars.... to better
the environment
December 1st, 1:08pm (TASS)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, has suggested
using the resources that Western countries waste on wars
to address environmental issues around the globe.
"Those speakers who were the first to take the floor, talked
about peace. They were saying -- that the planet must be
kept clean -- and the future of grandchildren taken care
of, while it is their countries that have unleashed and
are waging ------ the worst war on the planet," the
Belarusian leader told the World Climate
Summit in Dubai.
"This is many trillions of dollars. Well, let's use this money to
make and keep the planet clean. Then there will be no
need to go door to door and beg for it."
Lukashenko stressed that "wars are the
main source of filth on our continent."
"Let's put an end to this. The most important thing
is to talk less ----- and do more," Lukashenko said.
He urged the summit participants, especially the leading
countries of the world, to carry "the burden of
historical responsibility."
"First, make a proportionate contribution to solving the
issues of climate security to repair the harm caused
by a centuries-long thoughtless attitude to nature.
Second, step up support for developing countries
and economies in transition. Third, stop paying
lip service to nature conservation and start
acting in the name of preserving life on
Earth," Lukashenko said.
________________________________________
Colombia, Uruguay, and
Ecuador ------- receive
OEI awards
November 28th, 12:11pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Organization of Ibero-American States for Education,
Science, and Culture (OEI) has awarded innovation
prizes to Colombia, Uruguay, and Ecuador.
In a press release, the OEI announced on Tuesday that
among 200 candidates from 14 countries, it selected
CaféLab, Ecofusion, and Pedagogy Without Limits
as the best for “Innovation and the SDGs in
educational centres.”
CaféLab, developed by the Municipal Montessori Educational
Institution-San Francisco Headquarters in Pitalito, Huila,
Colombia, won first place. The project aims to take
advantage of the waste generated by coffee
production to promote entrepreneurship
and reduce pollution.
The second prize has gone in an equal state to two
projects: Ecofusion from Uruguay and Pedagogy
Without Limits, from Ecuador.
The jury has awarded special mentions to other
projects from Cuba, Spain, Honduras, and Peru.
The awards recognize the efforts of schools in the region
to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
of the 2030 Agenda.
This edition awarded 10,000 Euros for the first place
and 5,000 euros for each project in second place.
_____________________________________
Report --------- Climate Crisis, Energy Costs
Fuel £600 Rise in UK Household Food Bill
November 27th, 12:11pm (FNA)
British households’ food bills have been driven up by more
than £600 over the past two years by the global climate
emergency and soaring energy prices, according to
a report warning of further increases to come
in 2024.
Sounding the alarm over the impact from increasing extreme
weather patterns for food production, the Energy and
Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) thinktank said that
global heating ----- is directly contributing to the
cost of living crisis, The Guardian reports.
According to the analysis carried out by researchers from
the universities of Bournemouth, Exeter and Sheffield,
more extreme or unseasonal weather accounted for
a third of all food price inflation in the UK this year.
While energy prices have fallen back this year, it
warned that the impact from the climate
emergency, is increasing.
Tom Lancaster, land analyst at ECIU, said, “Climate change
is playing havoc with global food production, and this is
inevitably feeding through to higher prices at the tills.
Across 2022 and 2023, the climate emergency alone
added the equivalent of six weekly shops to the
average household food bill.”
The cost of the climate crisis rose from £171 in 2022 to £192
in 2023, more than offsetting the effects of falling energy
prices this year and having a greater impact than rising
energy bills, according to analysis.
Official figures show ---- inflation in food and drink prices
peaked at an annual rate of almost 20% earlier this year,
the highest level since the 1970s, amid disruption to
food supplies from weather events and soaring
energy costs for producers.
Food price inflation has fallen back in recent months, but
remains at historical highs of close to 10%. Prices are
also still near record highs after recent storms –
including Storm Babet ----- flooded swathes of
farmland, hitting UK potato and vegetable
harvests in the run-up to Christmas.
In 2022, drought hit production of basic foodstuffs such as
potatoes and onions in the UK, followed by an unusually
wet harvest in 2023, and then the hottest September
on record.
It comes after heatwaves across the Mediterranean, India
& South America this year all had a major impact on food
production and prices. Staples including sugar, rice and
tomatoes were affected by extreme weather, such as
droughts in India, while olive oil rose in price by 50%
after two years of drought and heatwaves in Spain
and other major exporters in southern Europe.
The situation could be worse next year with the El Niño
weather system leading possibly to more severe
weather and further increases in food prices.
Prof Wyn Morgan of Sheffield University, one of the report
authors, said, “Given we expect climate impacts to get
worse, it is likely that climate change will continue to
fuel a cost of living crisis for the foreseeable future.”
Anna Taylor, executive director at the Food Foundation, said
that the government needed to “think more seriously how
households can become more resilient to price volatility”
in the light of the likely impact of the climate crisis.
She called on the government to revive its plans for a
horticulture strategy, that would build production of
fruit and vegetables in the UK and reduce reliance
on crops grown in Southern Europe which is
becoming increasingly vulnerable to
drought and extreme heat as a
result of the climate crisis.
A separate report from the Food Foundation warned that
retailers and hospitality venues in Britain are failing to
create a food environment where healthy choices
are affordable, readily available and appealing.
It found healthy food ----- is already twice as expensive as
unhealthy food per calorie, while the cost of sustainable
alternatives to meat and dairy... can also be high.
Most main meals offered by many pub chains regularly
exceed... 50% of the recommended daily intake for
calories, saturated fat, salt and sugar, according
to the report. Meanwhile, just 1% of food
advertising spend goes towards fruit
and vegetables compared with 9%
on meat and dairy while 21.5% of
buy-one-get-one-free deals are
on meat and dairy compared
with just 4.5% on fruit
and vegetables.
Lancaster said that the dependence of the UK’s current
farming system on volatile oil, gas and fertiliser prices
had created a “perfect storm of extreme weather,
high gas prices and global instability” --- to food
price inflation.
He said, “The good news is that steps to make farming more
sustainable cannot only cut emissions but also make our
food production more resilient to the extremes of
flooding and drought. Government plans --- in
England - to support greener farming with
more hedgerows, improved soil health
and tree planting schemes are
therefore vital to our future
food security.”
__________________________________
Pesticides Found in US Baby Food
November 27th, 11:21am
(teleSUR)
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) published a study
showing that baby food in the United States may still
contain potentially harmful pesticides, but is less
toxic than it was about 30 years ago.
Some 38 percent of conventional, or non-organic, baby food
in the United States, is found to contain toxic pesticides,
the EWG said, adding that at least one pesticide
residue was detected in 22 of the 58
conventional baby foods.
It warned that "babies and young children are particularly
vulnerable to potential health harms from consuming food
that contains residues of agricultural pesticides."
The NGO said it tested products from three popular brands in
the United States -- Beech-Nut, Gerber, and Parent's Choice.
While the findings are alarming, the good news, according to
the EWG, is that the pesticide levels in baby foods have
been decreasing compared to a similar study
conducted in 1995.
In the 1995 study, "an eye-popping 53 percent of 72 baby
food products sampled --------- had residue of at least one
pesticide," and the pesticides discovered were, overall,
far more toxic and dangerous than the ones the
latest tests uncovered.
One toxic pesticide the EWG no longer found in baby food
was the brain-damaging bug killer chlorpyrifos, which
in very small amounts can permanently damage
the health of babies and children.
[Rhondda Records adds:
the article soft soaps on
how much pesticide is
STILL POISONING US
methinks ''someone'' is very
scared of an ''eye-popping''
reaction to this !!!]
______________________________________
Germany Not to Reallocate
COVID-19 Funds for
Climate Actions
November 15th, 6:41pm
(teleSUR)
On Wednesday, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court
annulled the national government's decision... to
reallocate 60 billion euros from a COVID-19
relief fund to be used for measures
combatting climate change.
The law under which the funds were retroactively shifted
to the Climate and Transformation Fund (CTF) at the
beginning of 2022 for the previous year's budget
"does not meet the constitutional requirements
for emergency borrowing," the court ruled.
With its so-called debt brake, Germany has an instrument
that prevents the government from taking on new debt,
except in crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The
court found that transferring the funds for another
purpose circumvents this regulation.
The "de facto unlimited" continued use of emergency-
related credit authorizations in subsequent financial
years ---------- is "inadmissible," the ruling added.
Since the 60 billion euros will now be withdrawn from
Germany's climate fund, financed projects will have
to be covered by other budget resources.
"The Federal Government will pay close attention to this
ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court," Chancellor
Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. However, the 2024
budget meetings scheduled for Thursday -- are to
take place as planned.
The CTF has a total budget of 211.8 billion euros for the
next four years. The German government wanted to
invest 57.6 billion euros from the fund into green
projects in areas such as transport, buildings
and the switch to renewable energies
in 2024.
Germany is aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2045,
five years ahead of the European Union (EU) target. As
part of this process, Germany wants to achieve an 80
percent share of renewable energies in its electricity
supply by 2030, up from about 53 percent currently.
"This ruling is a bitter setback for climate protection," said
Martin Kaiser, managing director of Greenpeace Germany,
adding that all budgetary leeway must now be used on
the path to climate neutrality, "because we are
already in the midst of the climate crisis."
___________________________
Namibia ------ Launches First Seed
Bank for Biodiversity Protection
November 14th (teleSUR)
On Tuesday, the Environment Investment Fund (EIF), a
Namibian environmental fund, said the country has
launched its first Community Seed Bank in
Kavango West, one of the country's 14
regions ------ to safeguard local seed
varieties to promote biodiversity
and ensure food security.
EIF spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata stated that the main
objective of the seed bank is to protect natural resources
by preventing overexploitation of different seed varieties.
"This proactive intervention not only prevents depletion of
resources, but also ensures seed conservation for the
benefit of future generations. Community seed banks
play a crucial role in collecting, storing and
safeguarding local seeds," he said.
"In times of crop damage or destruction, these banks act as
an emergency seed supply, allowing farmers to access
seed for the next planting season," he added.
According to official reports, beyond preserving seeds, the
project emphasizes a broader goal of protecting natural
resources, promoting environmental sustainability, and
ensuring that Namibia's future generations have
access to diverse and resilient
agricultural resources.
Furthermore, Ndamanomhata highlighted that this initiative
goes beyond financial support, representing a shared
commitment to environmental sustainability and the
preservation of the country's natural heritage.
The EIF was officially launched in 2012 and is currently
funded by a government allocation with the mandate
to tap into local conservation fees and
environmental levies.
These funds will be used to invest in the protection of the
environment, its biological diversity and ecological life-
support functions; and the promotion of sustainable
natural resources use - for economic development
by supporting green & environmental enterprises.
Namibia intends to expand the establishment of such
infrastructure, with plans for upcoming projects in
other regions within the next five years.
While Namibia introduced its inaugural community seed
bank in 2023, neighboring countries such as Zambia,
South Africa, and Zimbabwe have already largely
embraced this practice, with Zimbabwe now
boasting 26 community seed banks.
______________________________________
Bolivian President begins
Green Lungs program
November 11th, 9:53am
(Prensa Latina)
Bolivian President Luis Arce has launched, today, in
the municipality of El Alto, the Pulmones Verdes
(Green Lungs) project by planting the first
tree of a forest of native species to
counter climate change.
The initiative was presented ---- by the Vice Minister of
Coordination and Government Management - Gustavo
Torrico, who initially proposed to start with a certain
amount of trees to generate a small forest in El Alto,
Gabriela Arauco, Director of Public Management in
that government agency, explained.
In an interview granted to Prensa Latina, Arauco said that
the support of other ministries made it possible to
advance towards, a larger and more
ambitious project.
'It will be the first forest with five hectares, five thousand
seedlings, and it will not only be the planting stage, but
the commitment of caring for them, so that these trees
reach the necessary size and give the expected result:
to improve the microclimate, the ecosystem and
increase water levels and forestation in that
environment’, she said.
The director explained to this news agency that the most
important thing is that Pulmones Verdes will provide the
community with access to cleaner air.
Pulmones Verdes promotes an effort to mitigate global
warming, the greenhouse effect, the reduction of
permafrost, the loss of water and the climatic
crisis, and for this the State and the society
of Bolivia receive the support of the youth
of El Alto, as well as public and private
business people.
______________________________________
Deforestation in Brazilian
Amazon drops to 22.3%
November 9th, 4:47pm
(Prensa Latina)
Deforestation rate in Brazil´s Amazon scaled down 22.3%
from August 2022 to July 2023 -- the lowest figure in a
12-month term since 2019, according to official data.
The National Institute for Space Research -- revealed that
about 9,001 square kilometres of the Amazonian forest
was deforested at that stage.
Such statistics were supported by the Real-Time
Deforestation Detection System (DETER) which
produces daily signals of alteration in forest
cover for areas larger than three hectares
(0.03 square kilometres).
Indications occur for totally deforested areas as well as
for those in the process of wild degradation (logging,
mining, burning and others).
DETER is not the official deforestation data, but
an alert on where the problem is occurring.
The devastation in the Amazon increased under the
government of former President Jair Bolsonaro
(2019-2022).
___________________________________________
Luzhsky breeding centre.....
sent 500,000 pine saplings
to the new region
November 8th, 6:54pm
(Komsomolskaya Pravda)
500 thousand pine seedlings were brought to the Donetsk
People's Republic from the Luzhsky Forest selection and
Seed production Centre.
The Leningrad Region, helps the Donetsk People's
Republic restore forests lost during the fighting.
500 thousand pine seedlings were delivered to
the new region of Russia from the Luzhsky
Forest selection and seed Centre.
Seedlings of coniferous trees
were grown in the nursery
for two years. Now their
new home will be
the DPR.
The region participates in the restoration of Donetsk
forests on behalf of Governor Alexander Drozdenko.
The project is supervised by the Committee for
Natural Resources of the Leningrad Region.
"When in April of this year, together with the head of the
DPR, Denis Pushilin, we planted spruce and pine trees
from the Leningrad region at the foot of Saur-Mogila,
I promised that the supply of seedlings would be
regular," said Governor Alexander Drozdenko.
''This is part of our assistance to the Donbass... it's
systematic in nature. Today, the Leningrad Region
continues to work at facilities in Yenakiyevo,
Mariupol, and Makeyevka. We already
perceive the residents of these
localities.... as our own.''
''There is already a "Leningrad Quarter" in Mariupol,
and there will eventually be a "Leningrad Forest"
in the Donbas.''
Alexey Shebalkin, Chairman of the Forestry and Hunting
Committee of the Donetsk People's Republic, said that
the "green" cargo... has successfully arrived at its
destination. This... is the second campaign to
send seedlings from the Leningrad region
in 2023.
Earlier, in April, 70 thousand seedlings of scots pine and
30 thousand seedlings of European spruce were
brought to the Donetsk People's Republic.
According to Governor Alexander Drozdenko, the young
coniferous trees planted on Donetsk's land will help
restore the forests damaged during the fighting.
"Leningrad kids" - in a decade - will turn into 250
hectares of forest.... traces of the war in the
Donetsk People's Republic.
''The April batch of 100 thousand pine and spruce saplings
has already taken root in a new place, including at Saur-
Mogila. Seedlings with a closed root system, were
shipped from the Luzhsky breeding Centre - so
that they could move on the road and adapt
more easily to a new place," the head of
the region noted.
Before taking the seedlings to the DPR, the planting
material... is carefully checked. The best seedlings
with high survival rates are selected for shipment.
________________________________________________
China’s initiative - wins
UN’s most prestigious
environmental prize
October 30th, 2:02pm
(Prensa Latina)
China's Blue Circle initiative has won the United Nations
Environment Program's 2023 Champions of the Earth
award for its innovative marine plastic treatment
technology, Xinhua reported on Monday.
The Blue Circle initiative won the award in the
Entrepreneurial Vision category --- for its
contributions to monitoring the entire
lifecycle... of plastic pollution in
the oceans - comprehensively,
encompassing collection ---
as well as regeneration,
re-manufacturing,
and re-sale.
Over 6,000 individuals and 200 enterprises from East
China’s Zhejiang Province are involved in the project.
To date, it has successfully gathered about 10,700
tons of marine debris.
According to Xinhua, these data, make Blue
Circle China’s great marine plastic waste
collection program.
A study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the United
Kingdom.... estimated that -- oceans could carry more
plastic than fish - by 2050, leading to more pollution.
The organization, founded in 2010 to accelerate the
transition to a circular economy, pointed out that
such materials take about 1,000 years to
degrade -- which has very negative
impacts on the oceans and
the environment.
[R.R. adds: Well done, China -
we're all gonna die!]
_________________________
Ozone hole over Antarctica grows
-- to one of the largest on record
October 4th, 4:36pm
(Prensa Latina)
The annual ozone hole that forms over Antarctica
has ballooned to near-record size, scientists say.
Measurements from satellite imaging taken on Sept. 16
--- showed that the ozone depletion area had reached
26 million square kilometres — roughly three times
the size of Brazil, according to Copernicus, the
European Union’s Earth observation program.
Every year, an ozone hole forms over the Antarctic due to
the presence of ozone-depleting substances in the
stratosphere and the specific conditions of
the region, according to Copernicus.
The size of the ozone fluctuates from August to October,
typically reaching maximum depletion between mid-
September and mid-October.
This year, the ozone hole got off to an early start and has
grown “rapidly” since mid-August -- “making it one of the
biggest ozone holes on record,” Copernicus Atmosphere
Monitoring Service senior scientist, Antje Inness, said
in a statement. The size of the ozone hole is largely
determined... by the strength of a strong wind
band that flows around the Antarctic area -
a result of the rotation of the Earth and
the oppositional temperature
differences between polar
and moderate latitudes.
Ozone levels usually return to normal by mid-December,
after temperatures high up in the stratosphere rise in
the southern hemisphere, slowing ozone depletion
and weakening the polar vortex, according
to Copernicus.
There is some speculation that the unusual behaviour
of the ozone layer in 2023, is a result of the Tongan
underwater volcano eruption in January 2022.
The immense amount of water vapour that was injected
into the atmosphere likely just started reaching the
south polar region after the end of the 2022
ozone hole, Antje said.
The water vapour could have led to a heightened
formation of polar stratospheric clouds ---
allowing chlorofluorocarbons to react
and accelerate ozone depletion.
The impact of the widespread use of damaging
chlorofluorocarbons in products such as
refrigerators and aerosol tins in the
1970s and 1980s -------- led to the
depletion of the ozone high in
the atmosphere, allowing for
the ozone layer above
Antarctica - to open
up, according to
Copernicus.
_____________________________
The scientist declared
deterioration of all
global ecological
characteristics
September 30th, 1:47pm
(RT.ru)
All global indicators in the field of ecology, except for the
problem of ozone holes, are getting worse, said Viktor
Danilov-Danilyan, a Russian scientist and scientific
director of the Institute of Water Problems of the
Russian Academy of Sciences.
"Absolutely all global environmental characteristics
are deteriorating, except ----- and this is the only
exception ----- that characterizes the state of
the ozone layer," RIA Novosti quotes
Danilov-Danilyan as saying, at
the Altai Economic Forum
"Thread of Nature".
He noted that the situation with the ozone layer is
improving, after the adoption of the Montreal
Protocol --- and the implementation of
its obligations.
The scientist added that the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is
growing in the world, the area of
forests is decreasing, and the
chemical poisoning of soils
...continues.
Earlier, US President, Joe Biden, said that
global warming.... remains the only real
threat to humanity.
_____________________________________
Japanese scientists find ---
microplastics are present
in clouds
September 27th, 9:03pm
(Prensa Latina)
Researchers in Japan have confirmed - microplastics
are present in clouds, where they are likely affecting
the climate in ways that aren't yet fully understood.
In a study published in Environmental Chemistry Letters,
scientists climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama in order
to collect water from the mists that shroud their peaks,
then applied advanced imaging techniques to the
samples to determine their physical and
chemical properties.
The team identified nine different types of polymers and
one type of rubber in the airborne microplastics —
ranging in size from 7.1 to 94.6 micrometres.
What’s more, “hydrophilic” or water-loving polymers were
abundant, suggesting the particles play a significant
role in rapid cloud formation and thus,
climate systems.
“If the issue of ‘plastic air pollution’ is not addressed
proactively, climate change and ecological risks
may become a reality, causing irreversible
and serious environmental damage in
the future,” lead author, Hiroshi
Okochi of Waseda University
warned in a statement
on Wednesday.
Microplastics — defined as plastic particles under 5
millimeters - come from industrial effluent, textiles,
synthetic car tires, personal care products, and
much more.
These tiny fragments have been discovered inside fish
in the deepest recesses of the ocean peppering Arctic
sea ice and blanketing the snows on the Pyrenees
mountains between France and Spain.
But the mechanisms of their transport have remained
unclear, with research on airborne microplastic
transport, in particular, limited.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on
airborne microplastics in cloud water,” the authors
wrote in their paper.
Emerging evidence has linked microplastics to a range of
impacts on heart and lung health, as well as cancers, in
addition to widespread environmental harm.
____________________________________________
South Korea to increase
radiation meters in
the ocean
September 18th, 11:38am
(Prensa Latina)
South Korea will strengthen emergency radiation tests to
ease public concern over the discharge into the ocean
of contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima
nuclear power plant, it was announced.
South Korean Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho
Seung-hwan told a news conference that more
coastal measurement points will be added
for this purpose.
''We chose the points where the released waters are expected
to arrive first, given the ocean currents. We will add more
locations to the list, especially in the East Sea, to
ensure safety further,'' he said.
Cho explained that in addition to the 75 spots in territorial
waters, radiation tests are conducted in 33 more distant
areas, and the ministry plans to increase the number
to nearly 250 by next year.
South Korea began conducting emergency radiation tests in
July on samples from 75 coastal points in the east, west
and south of the country, as well as in the waters off
the southern island of Jeju.
The monitoring began about a month before Tokyo began
discharging treated radioactive water into the sea.
In 2011, Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant was
severely damaged by a strong earthquake and a
subsequent tsunami.
_________________________________
Angola plans to eliminate
refrigerant gases by 2030
September 17th, 9:17am
(Prensa Latina)
Angola plans to eliminate, by 2030, the use of refrigerant
gases belonging to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs),
according to sources from the Ministry
of Environment.
Since 2012 the country began to apply the schedule for the
gradual elimination of these gases, which are harmful
to the ozone layer --- and cause global warming,
in compliance with the Montreal Protocol,
Ivone Pascoal ---- the person in charge
of the issue in the aforementioned
ministry ---- explained to the
Angolan Press Agency.
It is expected that the application of the measure of
not importing these gases and their exclusion from
consumption... will be completed by 2025, leaving
a margin until 2030 for their total disappearance.
Reaching this point, required intense awareness-raising work
on good refrigeration practices, the introduction of new
techniques, and the implementation of rules on the
export, re-export and import of ozone-depleting
substances and equipment, among
other actions.
However, the challenge remains, as the country sets out to
reduce the consumption of substances that contribute to
global warming until 2050, in compliance with the Kigali
Amendment --- an agreement that provides for a
phased reduction in the consumption of
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
until that year.
____________________________________________________________
Zakharova: ammunition with
uranium ...makes Ukraine
uninhabitable land
August 24th, 10:21pm
(RT.ru)
Supplies of depleted uranium ammunition, from the West,
have already led to radiation contamination of Ukrainian
territory...... which is turning into uninhabitable land.
This is stated in an article by the official representative
of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova,
published on Komsomolskaya Pravda's website.
"The threat that Russia has repeatedly warned the
Ukrainian population about, is also confirmed on
Ukrainian territory," the diplomat said.
According to her, radiation contamination of
the soil, is already taking place in Ukraine.
Zakharova also said that the Ukrainians
should demand the export of depleted
uranium shells.
_____________________________________
Japan’s residents - intend to file
lawsuit: over discharge of nuke
water from Fukushima NPP
August 23rd, 3:56pm (TASS)
Residents from the Fukushima, Miyagi and Ibaraki
prefectures, which are located on the Pacific
Coast of Japan, intend to file a lawsuit
against the state, on September 8,
demanding that the treated water
from the Fukushima 1 Nuclear
Power Plant (NPP) not be
discharged, Kyodo news
agency reported
on Wednesday.
The lawsuit will include the Tokyo Electric
Power (TEPCO) company, which operates
the nuclear power plant.
According to the plaintiffs, the discharged water would mean
the spread of destructive substances and would inflict harm
on the region's residents. Local fishermen are among those
who intend to launch the legal action, Kyodo added.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said earlier that the
discharge of water that was used to cool the reactors at
the plant would begin on August 24, barring any
obstacles in terms of the weather or
sea conditions.
According to the Kyodo news agency, in the 2023 fiscal
year (ending on March 31, 2024) as many as 31.2
metric tons of wastewater will be released into
the ocean. The overall concentration of
tritium in it would be about
5 trillion becquerels.
In March 2011, a tsunami caused damage to power supply
and cooling systems at the Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power
Plant, which caused a nuclear fuel meltdown in three
reactors, accompanied by explosions and the
emission of radiation into the atmosphere.
Vast territories were contaminated,
forcing the evacuation of tens of
thousands of people.
The reactors used water for cooling, and storing this water
has become problematic due to its large volume — over
1.25 million tons.
In April, 2021, the Japanese government authorized the
discharge of a large amount of this water, which is
said to be mostly cleared of radioactive
substances, but still contains tritium,
a radioactive hydrogen isotope.
TEPCO underscored --- that the tritium content in the water
is being brought to one fortieth of the minimum allowable
standard set by the International Commission on
Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the
government of Japan, and one
seventh of the level allowed
by the World Health
Organization for
drinking water.
Despite this, Tokyo’s plans have drawn sharp criticism from a
number of countries, mainly Russia and China. Japan plans
to discharge the water in stages over a 30-year period.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) intends
to monitor the process on a continuous basis. In the
past few years, IAEA specialists have carried out
several inspections at the nuclear facility.
_____________________________________________
Environmentalists celebrate
Referendum victory
in Ecuador
August 21st, 3:39pm
(Prensa Latina)
Different environmental and social sectors in Ecuador
are celebrating today the "yes" vote in this Sunday's
referendum and they consider this result ------ as an
historic milestone in the South American nation.
For Ivone Ramos, member of the Accion Ecologica movement,
with the consultations that seek to leave the Yasuni National
Park oil underground and stop mining activity in the Andean
Choco, direct democracy has been achieved -she said- it is
an historic event, a great hope, she stressed.
For his part, Inti Arcos, member of the Commonwealth
of the Andean Choco, recalled that all mining in the
Andean Chocó --- is illegal.
Even large mining projects are illegal because
they violate the rights of people and nature.
The popular consultation clearly states that
we do not want any type of mining, he said.
During a press conference held on Monday, Freddy
Larreategui, lawyer for the Quito without Mining
Collective, said they will remain vigilant and
will wait for the official results... to put
pressure, so that they are respected.
All concessions granted or to be granted must
be eliminated --- immediately, he demanded.
The jurist denounced that there are currently 12
concessions granted - and eight in process - in
the Andean Choco; but none of them will be
able to be exploited or developed.
We will present all judicial and
constitutional actions.
We will go wherever we have to go to ensure
that the results and Quito people’s will are
respected, he warned.
_________________________________________
Venezuela Controls
Illegal Mining in
Orinoco
August 16th (teleSUR)
On Wednesday, commander of the Bolivarian National Armed
Forces (FANB) Gen. Domingo Hernandez announced that
over 500 soldiers are traveling to the Alto Orinoco
region to continue the operation against
illegal mining.
The FANB soldiers... will go to the western edge of
the Yapacana National Park "to fight for territorial
integrity and national sovereignty, and against
criminal groups that rape the environment,"
he said, adding that "environmental
protection is everyone's task, it is
a duty and a constitutional right".
The Bolivarian soldiers... continue to evacuate illegal
miners from the Yapacana National Park, dismantle
illegal facilities, and destroy environmentally
damaging equipment.
Eight months ago, the FANB began Operation Autana,
which allowed the eviction of thousands of illegal
miners from a protected natural area located on
the border with Colombia and Brazil. Those
who left there voluntarily were relocated
to other states.
So far, the FANB has detected 40 mining camps and
evacuated over 8,000 people who voluntarily
withdrew from the area --- as reported by
TeleSur correspondent Madelein Garcia.
Illegal mining has caused irreversible damage to Amazon
ecosystems due to the use of mercury to extract gold
and other minerals. Another form of illegal mining
consists of using artisan rafts that inject
mercury ------ to suck minerals from
the riverbed.
In an operation to fly over the Atabapo River, on the border
between Colombia and Venezuela, FANB troops detected
11 of these boats in less than a nautical mile. After being
detected, these vessels ----- fled to Colombian territory,
where irregular armed groups offer them protection.
___________________________________
Environmental commitments
from the Amazon Summit
stand out in Brazil
August 12th, 11:15am
(Prensa Latina)
The various environmental commitments that emanated
from the IV Amazon Summit, which held sessions for
two days in Belém, capital of the northern state of
Pará, stood out in Brazil in the week ending today.
The countries participating in the meeting, released a joint
communiqué with final considerations in which they also
request advantages for sustainable forest products in
the markets of developed nations.
“We reinforce our understanding - that preferential access
for forest products in the markets of developed countries
will be an important lever for the economic development
of developing countries,” the text indicates.
It reiterates commitments aimed at preserving forests,
reducing the causes of deforestation and forest
degradation, as well as conserving and
valuing biodiversity.
The signatories also expressed their concern about the
non-compliance of developed countries with respect to
the 100 billion dollars a year --- pledged for climate
finance in developing countries.
In this regard, the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva, host of the forum, defended the feasibility of
international financing for sustainable projects in
the biome.
“We cannot accept a green neocolonialism that, under
the pretext of protecting the environment, imposes
trade barriers and discriminatory measures and
does not consider our regulatory frameworks
and domestic policies,” Lula said at the end
of the meeting.
For the head of state, “what we need is to make a leap
in quality and long-term financing without conditions,
for green infrastructure & industrialization projects.”
He announced that in the Brazilian presidency of the G20
(a group made up of the finance ministers and heads of
central banks of the 19 largest economies in the world
plus the EU), to begin on December 1, “we will place
sustainable development and the reduction of
inequalities ----- at the centre of the
international agenda”.
He warned they only have seven years to achieve the Goals
of the 2030 Agenda and it is “time for our countries to come
together. It is time to wake up to the urgency of the problem
of climate change.”
He remarked that the adopted joint declaration will be “the
first step towards a common position already at COP28
this year (in the UAE), with a view to COP30.”
The summit in Belém involved, in addition to the countries of
the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (Brazil, Bolivia,
Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela),
others that have large tracts of preserved tropical forests,
such as the cases of Indonesia, the Congo and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
___________________________________
We Cannot Accept --- a
Green Neocolonialism:
Brazilian President
August 9th (teleSUR)
During the Amazon Summit on Wednesday, Brazilian
President, Lula da Silva, stated --- that developing
nations cannot accept "green neocolonialism."
"It's not Brazil, Colombia, or Venezuela that need the money.
It's nature itself. It requires rich nations to pay their share
to rectify the damage caused over 200 years of industrial
development," Lula remarked as he concluded the
meeting in the city of Belem.
He emphasized that Amazonian countries, along with the
Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
and Indonesia --- will convey a clear message to
wealthier nations during the United Nations
Climate Change Conference (COP28)
scheduled for November in Dubai.
"We will tell them that if they wish to preserve what they
demand from our forests -- it's necessary to contribute
funds not only for safeguarding the treetops but also
for supporting the people beneath those trees who
want to work and study," he expressed.
Lula urged developing nations -- not to "accept a green
neocolonialism that, under the guise of environmental
protection, imposes trade barriers and discriminatory
measures, disregarding domestic policies and laws."
These statements... indirectly refer to the environmental
demands that Europeans attempt to impose in the Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) - between the European Union
(EU) and MERCOSUR, an integration bloc comprising
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
As a result of the EU protectionist measures, negotiations
for this free trade agreement have - once again - come to
a standstill.
Lula recalled that the colonial era bequeathed to countries
with tropical rainforests "a predatory economic model"
built upon the irrational exploitation of natural
resources and the systematic exclusion of
Indigenous peoples.
A tweet reads "75 percent of the uranium exported from Niger
to France was used in French nuclear power plants. In its
northern region alone, Brazil potentially has around
300,000 tons of uranium. The Bolivian president
warned --- that the U.S. and the EU seek to
control the Amazon."
"The effects of colonialism continue to be felt in our nations
to this day," Lula emphasized during the meeting of the
Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), an
organization that includes Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia,
Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
"One cannot discuss tropical forests and climate change
without addressing the historical responsibility of
developed countries --- which have been the
biggest squanderers of natural resources,
and the largest contributors to planetary
pollution over the centuries," Lula said.
"The top 10 percent of the world's population holds over
75 percent of the wealth --- and emits nearly half of all
carbon released into the atmosphere," the Brazilian
president recalled.
teleSUR English
@telesurenglish
#Brazil |
Rodrigues Alves Forest - Zoobotanical Garden of the Amazon,
the meeting place of the Peoples of the Earth that will march
today towards the Amazon Summit. At the end of the march,
they will deliver their demands to the political leaders of the
Pan-Amazon nations.
_________________________________________
Strengthening Sovereignty
to Protect the Amazon:
VP Rodriguez
August 8th (teleSUR)
On Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called
upon the nations that comprise the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty Organization (ACTO) to establish a collaborative
action plan --- to safeguard the Amazon forests and
their natural resources.
"Through hard work, effort, and a concrete action plan
ready for implementation, let's unite in reforestation,
sanitation, and restoration of the Amazon.... for the
well-being of our Indigenous peoples," he tweeted,
displaying optimism ---- and asserting that the
Amazon countries are "heading towards
a new humanity."
Due to an ear infection, the Bolivarian leader could not
personally attend the 4th ACTO Presidential Summit
in the city of Belem, in the state of Para. However,
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez
attended this high-level meeting.
She presented a specific action plan for the preservation
of life and the rights of nature, with the main points
as follows:
Establish an ACTO task force as a
coordinating body among the
region's countries.
Develop a comprehensive reforestation plan
to map critical areas in the Amazon basin
and promote sustainable practices as
sovereign and ecological economic
alternatives.
Establish a seed bank and research
centre to preserve regional
biodiversity.
Eliminate illegal mining activities.
Launch an Amazonian satellite
into orbit for region monitoring.
Define an ecological and sovereign sustainable
development plan that respects the rights
of nature.
Strengthen the ACTO institutional capacity.
Rodriguez also emphasized that the Amazon
countries... are obliged to reinforce their
sovereignty --- if they wish to preserve
"the environmental soul of the planet."
"There is no other path. We must be frank... There are
grave threats we cannot evade: the voracity of
transnational pharmaceutical and food
empires, the outsourcing of state
functions, and the aspirations
of NATO --- that target the
commercialization of
the Amazon basin,"
she stated.
"What is at stake here is a profound debate between
an international economic order and a sustainable
development model that ensures a true balance
among land, oceans, and the atmosphere,"
Rodriguez added, recalling that the
Venezuelan message is
"unity, unity, unity."
"The organization must serve the political, economic,
and territorial sovereignty of the countries that
form the OTCA," she advocated.
__________________________________
Water temperature in world's