· February, 2012

Stories about Environment from February, 2012

Puerto Rico: March Against the Pipeline

  29 February 2012

Hundreds of people joined the "National March: Puerto Rico stands firm against the Pipeline" led by the organization Casa Pueblo. Photojournalist Ricardo Alcaraz shares some of his pictures of the protest in San Juan.

Peru: Problems with Access to Information and Forestry Transparency

  27 February 2012

The Peruvian Press Council reported on a “Public Hearing: Access to Information and Transparency Forest,” accompanied by a training workshop on related issues in the town of Nueva Cajamarca, San Martin. Journalist and blogger Juan Carlos Lujan, who was one of the trainers, recounts [es] the problems faced due to...

Italy: Historic ‘Guilty’ Verdict in the Eternit Asbestos Trial

  25 February 2012

It is a historic verdict: on February 13, 2012 in Turin, northern Italy, the two top senior executives of the multinational Eternit, a producer of asbestos, were sentenced to 16 years in prison after a criminal trial began in 2009. Here are the reactions of the associations and the families of asbestos victims in Italy and Europe.

Haiti: Students in Sheds

  23 February 2012

Haiti Grassroots Watch explores the issues surrounding the non-reconstruction of the state university in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

Mali: The River Niger in Pictures

  20 February 2012

Boukary Konaté, a member of the Global Voices community in Mali, recently toured rural schools on a traditional Malian boat as part of a digital literacy project. This boat trip was an opportunity to explore his own country and to illustrate the many aspects of the 2,600 miles-long Niger river. Here are some snapshots, taken during the journey.

Malaysia: Petition Against Sarawak Dams

  20 February 2012

An online petition urges the Malaysian government to review its plan to build twelve “highly destructive” hydroelectric dams in Sarawak that will displace tens of thousands of people and flood large tracts of tropical rainforest.

Chile: Aysen Region Social Movement Gains Strength

  18 February 2012

Last year, the Aysen Region was on the national spotlight due to the controversial dam project Hydroaysén. Today people are once again paying attention to this region in the Chilean Patagonia after locals held a series of protests calling for better quality of life and lower living costs.

Armenia: Homophobia as PR for the Yerevan Municipality

  18 February 2012

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on homophobic comments left on the Facebook page of the new Mayor of Yerevan, Taron Margaryan, in response to recent environmental protests in the city. Noting that the discriminatory remarks were made by municipal employees, including the person responsible for public relations, the blog says that...

Australia: Climate Skeptics in Denial Over Heartlandgate Controversy

  18 February 2012

Allegations of the Heartland Institute funding an Australian scientist to promote climate skepticism have brought denials from fellow skeptics in response to a barrage of criticism. Funding of and by think tanks, and their independence and objectivity, is an ongoing source of online debate in Australia

Peru: The Water March Arrives in Lima

  16 February 2012

Finally the Water March arrived in Lima. For two days, different activities developed for the defense of water throughout the country. Juan Arellano gathers some citizens' reports of these final days and the activities that ended the march.

Slovakia, Hungary: Shrouded in Smog

  14 February 2012

Blogger Ulrika Lejnarová, highlighting air pollution data from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute [sk], wonders [sk] why Slovakia, while often paying attention to the critical conditions in Hungary [en], is doing little to inform its own citizens of the domestic situation adequately, in order to avoid health complications.

Hungary: Another Environmental Catastrophe in the Making

  14 February 2012

In October 2010, a toxic spill from a red sludge reservoir in Kolontár caused the greatest environmental disaster in Hungary's recent history. Atlatszo.hu and Greenpeace are now drawing attention to another hazardous waste reservoir, in the town of Almásfüzitő, which is "leaking like a sponge" and is already causing grave environmental and health damage.