Stories about Environment from October, 2011
Macedonia: Lead Smelting Factory Problem in Veles
Jovan Petrov provides an overview of the problem with the lead and zync smelting factory in Veles, after the court rejected a suit against the state from the municipality and local NGOs, demanding cleaning of pollution which will affect “10 generations to come” in this impoverished community.
Pakistan: Say No To Plastic Bags
95% people use plastic bags in Pakistan and only 15% of these bags are properly disposed off, informs Rai Muhammad Azlan Shahid, while advocating for banning them.
Nigeria: Waste, Wealth and the Burden of a City
Bella Naija's photo story titled “BN Photo Stories: Waste, Wealth and the Burden of a City”: “With an estimated population of 15 million, and growing at an annual rate of 6%, Lagos, Nigeria, is set to topple Cairo soon as Africa’s largest city…With increased, largely unchecked, informal economic activities, emerge...
Brazil: Niobium, National Mineral Wealth at Knock Off Prices?
Niobium, also known as columbium, is among the most utilized metals in the world, and Brazil has the great majority of global deposits. However, exploitation of niobium within Brazil raises questions about the profits being generated.
Brazil: Belo Monte Dam Construction Site is Occupied
Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) reports [pt] that 600 people have occupied Belo Monte Dam construction site in Altamira, brazilian state of Pará. Journalist Beth Begonha (@BethBegonha) said [pt] that Kayapó people from the village of Gurupira will join the protest shortly. This action was decided yesterday, with news that the...
Bahamas: Economics of the Environment
Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith uses a case of environmental destruction from Belize to make a point about “the economic impact of Bahamian protected areas.”
Dominica: “Authentic Architecture”
Dominica Weekly explains why it thinks the Nature Island “should also be celebrated for its beautiful architecture and historic buildings.”
Cuba: Watching Hurricane Rina
Circles Robinson, writing at Havana Times, says that “Cuban weather forecasters…envision Rina making a landing as a major hurricane (over 110 mph) sometime Thursday night or Friday.”
Jamaica: Conflict of Interest with Housing & Environment
Jamaica Woman Tongue questions whether the National Environment and Planning Agency of Jamaica (NEPA) “[has] the teeth to do [its] job properly”.
Mozambique: Uniting Small Farmers for a Better Tomorrow
Mr. Júlio dos Santos Pêssego is one of the principal leaders of the "peasant movement" in Niassa province in Mozambique. He helps organize community groups that work to defend land rights, increase food production and bring prosperity to farming families.
Cambodia: Worst Flooding in a Decade
Cambodia is experiencing the worst flooding in a decade. The government reports that almost a half a million hectares of rice paddies were destroyed by the floods, which could affect food security in the region. Here are more reports about the disaster.
Bolivia: President Says Road Will Not Go Through TIPNIS
Dario Kenner reports form La Paz: “In a press conference this morning President Evo Morales said the road project his government has been determined to build will not go through the TIPNIS national park and indigenous territory. This is a dramatic change in policy. It comes after a two month...
Brazil: Belo Monte Dam Case Comes to Court
The Brazilian justice system has provided new fuel to the protesting voices against the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant, after its construction begun in June 2011. A lawsuit filed in 2006 by the state of Pará was brought to court on October 17.
Haiti: Cholera, One Year Later
Dying in Haiti marks the one year anniversary of Haiti's cholera outbreak, saying: “Conservative numbers say that cholera has infected 500,000 Haitians and killed 6,500 of them. This is more than any place in the world.”
Thailand: Flood Maps and Disaster Monitoring Tools
In an earlier post, Global Voices featured some of the online maps which were created to monitor the floods in Thailand. The flood disaster is already the worst that ever hit the country. Here are other useful online maps, twitter reports, and disaster monitoring tools that provide information about the floods
Russia: Photoblogger Launches New Citizen Media Agency
Ilya Varlamov, popular photoblogger, officially launches [ru] Ridus.ru, news agency dedicated to the citizen media in Russia. Its ‘special projects’ section [ru] tells about new and already existing civil society movements that deal with environmental issues, traffic violations, illegal development in the historic parts of the cities, freedom of photography...
Brazil: Violence Against Indigenous Fulni-o Tapuya
Brazilian blogger Danielle Pereira, on Diário Liberdade, denounces [pt] (with photos and videos) abuses and violence committed by the police of Brasilia against members of the indigenous community Fulni-o Tapuya. The people are claiming land that historically belongs to them, but that was delivered to a private company by the...
Peru: Paul McAuley, British Priest Defending the Amazon
British Priest Paul McAuley is continuing his mission of defending the environment and indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon despite repeated attempts to expel him from the country. Juan Arellano speaks to "Brother Paul".
U.S. Virgin Islands: No News is Good News
News of St. John says that there's an upside to the island being quiet: “There are still 49 days left in H!^&*($#@ season [hurricane season] and so far St. John's doing OK. A close call, a few brush-back pitches – but nothing bad.”
Thailand: Flood Situation on Twitter
Thais use the hashtag #ThaiFlood to monitor the flood situation in Thailand while English updates are available through the hashtag #ThaiFloodEng
Bermuda: Noise Pollution
BeachLime laments that complaints about noise pollution are “doomed to go in one ear and out the other.”
