· July, 2011

Stories about Environment from July, 2011

Ukraine: Timoshenko Facing the Law

LEvko of Foreign Notes follows up on the trial against former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Timoshenko, and finds that – despite a weak case – the process is likely to end with a guilty verdict for a number of political reasons.

Zambia/Ethiopia: Only Elephants Should Wear Ivory

  30 July 2011

A Zambian woman has been arrested in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for wearing ivory bracelets, Gershom Ndhlovu reacts: “Only elephants, and no one else, should wear ivory. As such, not only the Ethiopian authorities should arrest Zambians wearing ivory bangles on their territory, Zambians should also play their part for as...

Bahamas: Taking Precautions vs. Dengue

  29 July 2011

Womanish Words is shaken by her son's diagnosis of Dengue Fever, saying: “These are serious times. We all must take proper precautions. And we need to amp up the national response to the outbreak of Dengue Fever in Nassau. This thing is no joke.”

Cuba: Call for Justice in Death of Teen

  28 July 2011

Laritza's Laws posts an update about the shooting death of a teen by a retired police officer: “Relatives and neighbors of the victim suspect the police are looking for excuses not to prosecute him, and they are demanding justice for the death of Angel Izquierdo Medina, that it not go...

South Korea: 41 Dead in Torrential Flooding and Landslides

  28 July 2011

Torrential rain has battered South Korea for several consecutive days, causing landslides, flooding and power cuts. At least 41 people have been killed and 12 people are still missing. Throughout the disaster, South Koreans have shared updated stories, photos and useful tips for those affected via Twitter.

South Korea: Tweet Photos of Downpour

  27 July 2011

Heavy downpour battered South Korea yesterday, causing flooding and property damage even in one of the wealthiest parts of Seoul. Wiki Tree consolidated photos of downpour Twitterers have sent.

Bolivia: What needs to improve in La Paz?

  25 July 2011

Luis Ramos in Citizen of La Paz [es] asks, “what do we need to change in La Paz?”. He answers his own question with a list of ten ideas, including improving transportation, planting more trees, building a convention center, more malls, a theme park, among other things.

China: Dead fishes

  25 July 2011

Heavy rainfall brought hazardous and toxic pollutants in large quantities into the river, killing thousands of fishes in Hai river. You can see the scene at the Ministry of Tofu.

Barbados: Legal Battle over Wetlands

  21 July 2011

Barbados Free Press recounts the falling out between a Canadian philanthropist and the government over the latter's alleged action of “dumping raw sewerage into the Graeme Hall wetlands and other violations of various treaties and agreements”, saying: “The truth is that Peter Allard has been a better friend to ordinary...

Singapore: Supertrees design in new project

  20 July 2011

Barry Smyth hails the Supertrees design in the Gardens by the Bay project of Singapore. Supertrees are tree-like structures with heights that range between 25 and 50 meters and they will dominate Singapore's new downtown area.

Russia: Online Effort to Discredit Environmentalists Exposed

Suren Gazaryan, Russian environmentalist, publishes [ru] the scan of the document that describes the strategy of discrediting local environmentalist organizations protesting against the development of the Tuapse oil terminal. The “plan” includes prices for the paid posts in the blogs, forums, media outlets, as well as a list of possible...

Brazil: Belo Monte March in Images

  18 July 2011

Renata Takahashi published dozens of photos of a march – #MarchaBeloMonte - that took place on July 17 in São Paulo, and in six other Brazilian cities, against the Belo Monte Dam and the New Forestry Code. The protest ended with a sit-in in one of the main avenues of...

Jamaica: Rivers & Mountains

  18 July 2011

“One of my favourite Caribbean proverbs comes from Haiti…‘Deye mon genmon’. Translated: behind the mountains there are mountains. It is such a fantastic description of the landscapes of both Jamaica and Haiti…Our hills roll on forever. Our mountains never end”: Under the Saltire Flag reflects on music, landscapes and the...