Stories about Environment from January, 2010
Tajikistan: Power Plant as a National Idea
TajikVoice posts (and Andrey translates) stories of real people in Tajikistan, telling how they are being forced to “voluntarily donate” money to the construction of the Rogun dam and hydroelectric power plant.
Japan: Sit-In Protest against US Helipads in Okinawa
TenThousandThings from Kurashi blogs about a sit-in protest against the construction of US Helipads in Yanbaru Forest, a mountainous region full of biodiversity in the northern part of Okinawa.
Japan: Micro-gardens
Palmsundae from Tokyo Green Space blogs about the micro-gardening practice in old Tokyo neighborhood.
Uruguay: President-Elect Mujica Tackles Botnia Issue Before Taking Office
Uruguayan president-elect Mujica is trying to negotiate a deal to end the blockade of the bridge between Argentina and Uruguay, which has been blocked over a pulp mill plant that environmentalists and local residents say cause contamination.
Morocco: A Charter for the Environment
The Moroccan government launched an ambitious project on environment involving a series of regional meetings, workshops and conferences that sparked a national debate that aims at establishing a Charter for the environment. Bloggers have been commenting on the development.
Haiti: Damage in Surrounding Areas
how can they hear takes a trip to Leogane and posts photos of the damage, saying: “The truth is that people need to see that Leogane and the surrounding areas need help. We still have families buried underneath the rubble here”, while Ellen in Haiti crunches some numbers: “It says...
Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti: On the Ground
“You try to get around as much as you can, but in the end you’ll see only a tiny fraction of the whole, and perhaps understand or read accurately only a fraction of that”: Caribbean Free Radio blogs from Port-au-Prince.
India: I want my country back, says Munna
Environmental blogger Hemant Anant Jain aka Munna, writes a thought-provoking post on 26th January, the nation's 61st Republic Day, urging people to look beyond the commercial “growing market” tag and work towards restoring the rich environmental heritage of the amazing country that is India.
Hungary: The Invisible Marsh
Marietta Le reports on the story of one of Hungary's most successful citizen campaigns, whose goal is to save an endangered marsh by preventing an allegedly illegal expansion of a shopping center.
Tajikistan: The people’s dam?
Andrey translates the TajikVoice’s post, which tells about the officials of Tajikistan, who are forcing citizens to buy stocks in a dam project and donate money for its construction.
Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan mends relationships with Russia
Elina Galperin reports that Russia and Turkmenistan signed an agreement to expand bilateral “strategic” energy cooperation, including resumption of Turkmen gas supplies to Russia.
Egypt: Engulfed by Floods!
Over the past few days, several Egyptian governorates and cities have been engulfed by a severe wave of flash floods and heavy rains. Bloggers react to the calamity.
Haiti: Shelter Coming Both Too Slow and Too Fast
Talk is already turning to reconstruction in Haiti. Early reports on the damage pointed mostly to lax construction standards, but Marc Herman takes a closer look.
Trinidad & Tobago: Butter Bread
“In one of Port of Spain’s wealthiest neighbourhoods…the older, tastefully-designed homes can no longer be admired because they cannot be perceived: their garden walls are now higher than their eaves; and topped with razor wire: pass your butter bread over such a wall and it comes out the other side...
Japan: Differing viewpoints on the US base relocation issue
The southern Japanese island of Okinawa, the first colony of Japan in the 19th century and the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the WW2, has become in the past months both the symbol and the object of a diplomatic dispute between Japan and the U.S. It began...
Palestine: Floods due to dam opening
Philip Rizk, who blogs in Tabula Gaza, comments on the news that says Israeli opened a dam, causing the banks of the trickling river to flood the homes, fields and possessions of tens of families in the Gaza Strip.
Caribbean: Ready for another earthquake?
As stories and images of devastation pour out of Haiti, bloggers elsewhere in the Caribbean wonder if the earthquake-prone region is ready for the next major tremor.
Cayman Islands: Earthquake Safety
As earthquake tremors are felt in the Cayman Islands, Islas Bellas posts a few safety tips.
Japan: Blogosphere Opinions on “Climategate”
This article is a little late to the fray, but “Climategate” was also a topic of interest in Japan. Although the controversy was not as strong say compared to the U.S. or U.K., many Japanese bloggers voiced their opinions.
Georgia: Plans for the largest airport in the Caucasus
The Georgian International Media Center says that the largest airport in the South Caucasus might be built near the Black Sea port city of Poti. However, it notes, the idea is not without its controversies, and not least the fact that any development would take place near an environmental reserve...
India: Plastic Bag Ban Not Effective
Raja Basu at Potpourri informs: “despite a ban on its use in India, plastic bag is very much in use in India.”
