· January, 2012

Stories about Environment from January, 2012

Malaysia: Temiar Blockade and Indigenous Rights

  29 January 2012

Eight indigenous peoples were arrested in Malaysia for attempting to set up a blockade and prevent loggers from entering their village. The villagers are against the agricultural project of the government which would require the cutting down of forest trees in their ancestral land. Human rights lawyers, activists and netizens react .

Brazil: ‘Vale’ is Elected the World's Worst Corporation

  28 January 2012

Researcher Telma Monteiro wrote on her blog [pt] about the election of the Brazilian mining company Vale as the world's worst corporation of 2011, with over 25,000 votes on the Public Eye Awards. She attributes the victory to Vale's involvement with the construction of Belo Monte Dam, in the Brazilian...

Djibouti: 2012 Djibouti Whale Shark Expedition

  26 January 2012

Seychelles Whale Sharks blogs about the the 2012 Djibouti whale shark expedition: “…Gareth has passed on the important statistics for the last week which yielded a further 369 encounters which makes the total of 1077 over the three weeks of expedition…Also, Gareth managed to deploy two satellite tags, one on...

Jordan: Let it Snow

  26 January 2012

The long awaited white visitor has arrived to Jordan, after a couple of dry cold fronts it came and quickly melted. It didn't even accumulate but it brought in lots of joy and happiness to people eager for it. Jordanian netizens report on the country's first snowfall this winter.

El Salvador: New Attack Against Anti Mining Activists

  25 January 2012

Voices from El Salvador reports on a new attack against anti mining activists in Cabañas. This time, Father Neftalí Ruiz was attacked by “several young men [who] tied him up in his home and proceeded to search his home, computer files, and cellphones for information and supposed weapons.” Grit and...

Russia: Moscow Population Cuts

  17 January 2012

Kyle Keeton of Windows to Russia reports that the Moscow government is planning to reduce the number of people residing in over-crowded central Moscow, hoping for people moving to suburbs and surrounding cities.

Nepal: More Powercuts

  17 January 2012

Pradeep Kumar Singh informs that the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has increased the load shedding (power cut) hours from existing 69 hours a week to 88 hours indicating severe energy shortage in the country.

Bulgaria: Protests Against Shale Gas Exploration

  17 January 2012

On Jan. 14, some 15,000 protesters came out in the streets of at least 12 Bulgarian cities, as well as in London, Paris and Copenhagen, to call for a moratorium on shale gas tests through hydraulic fracturing and to demand a new law that would ban this potentially dangerous practice....

Uruguay: How to turn waste into a wallet

  16 January 2012

After running into a Uruguayan artisan who turns waste products into beautiful and useful objects, Lucía Terra shows how to turn an empty coffee bag into a wallet by upcycling. “And 10 minutes later had my own upcycled, colorful, waterproof wallet with triple compartments for coins, small bills, and large bills. On...

Belarus: Before and After Chernobyl

  13 January 2012

English Russia posts pictures taken before and after the 1986 Chernobyl accident from a village in the nuclear contaminated part of Belarus to show how little has changed as people live on as usual despite the radiation hazard.

Madagascar, Ethiopia: Arable Lands on Sale

  12 January 2012

The association “Collectif  TANY” for the Protection of Land in Madagascar has published an exhaustive list of the instances of Land Grab by foreign entities in Madagascar [fr]. They warn the public opinion that sales or leasing of arable lands at discount prices are still taking place in Madagascar (2...