Stories about Environment from February, 2011
Bangladesh: Proposed International Airport Stumbles Over Environment Controversy
A recent venture by the Bangladesh government to takeover 25000 acres of wetlands (Arial Beel) 60km South of the capital city of Dhaka, for a proposed International airport and satellite city led to protests and violence in the area. Netizens too, reacted strongly to the government proposal citing the environmental impact and damage to the livelihoods.
Peru: Inambari Hydroelectric Project Generates Rejection
The Inambari hydroelectric project in the Peruvian Amazon jungle has sparked public debate and generated rejection due to its potential impact on the local ecosystem and because 80% of the energy produced will go to Brazil. Inambari would be the fifth largest central in the region, with an installed capacity of 2,200 megawatts, and its construction will require an investment of U.S. $4 billion.
Honduras: Government Says 2011 is Year of Food Security, Food Prices Say Otherwise
RNS in Honduras Cultures and Politics writes: “There's something ironic about Porfirio Lobo Sosa announcing today that 2011 is the year of food security when food prices are skyrocketing and the government is doing nothing to assure food supplies.”
Colombia: A trip to Colombia's gold mining region
“We watched miners handle mercury with their bare hands, empty chemical-laced water into open drains, and reuse empty vats of cyanide. One of the rivers in the area has been used for dumping cyanide-sodden dirt for so long that everyone calls it La Cianurada,” writes Jim Wyss in Inside South...
Guyana: Environmental Degradation
“We’re sorry Little Ones, so sorry. Please forgive we for this dying that we’s creating”: Guyana-Gyal grieves for the environment.
Colombia: Coffee Farmers Face Challenges After Heavy Rains
Locavore del Mundo reports on the challenges coffee farmers are facing in Colombia and what they are doing to overcome them.
Angola: Zaire Province Forgotten
Diário da África [pt] reproduces an article by the journalist Makuta Nkondo about the political, economic and social context of the “forgotten” Zaire province in Angola. The author claims that though Zaire – together with Cabinda – is considered one of “Angola's economic lungs” it “does not benefit from the...
Guyana: Going Solar?
Want to make money in Guyana? Guyana-Gyal has a bright idea.
Russia: Review of the Environmental Blogosphere in January 2011
Russian environmental blogosphere is a mixed bag of negative forecasts and positive initiatives, Bellona.ru reports [RUS] in its January digest. While Alexey Yablokov, famous environmentalist and blogger, forecasts [RUS] several catastrophes (including one nuclear), Russian Environmental Movement publishes funny movie clips [RUS] agitating to save the planet.
Colombia: Car-Free Day in Bogotá
On February 3, the city of Bogotá held a Car-Free Day --a day when restrictions are placed on the circulation of private vehicles. The day is designed as a strategy to raise environmental awareness and improve vehicular traffic. Twitter users from Bogotá tweeted their opinions and reports about the day.
Portugal: A journey blog to Antarctica
On the blog Permantar-2 [pt] you can follow Gonçalo Vieira's scientific journey to the Antarctic Peninsula. The Portuguese researcher – who is part of an international study about the permafrost and the consequences of climate change on it – invites all readers [pt] to send questions related to the campaign.
Belarus, Ukraine: Photographer Blogs About Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Documentary photographer Michael Forster Rothbart is guest-blogging about the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone at Chernobyl Children International.
Azerbaijan: Life through foreign eyes
With the number of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) growing each year in Azerbaijan, blogs reporting on everyday life in the country continue to appear online. AK in Azerbaijan, for example, expresses its fascination with the landscape, dynamics and opportunities of the capital, Baku, while Janet-in-Azerbaijan waxes lyrically about Baku at...
Video: Explosive Chinese Popcorn
Videos of a unique Chinese popcorn making technique are doing their rounds on the internet. While for many popcorn popping has a unique rhythm to it that trickles from a single popping kernel to a deluge of pings and pops; in China, popcorn pops with a bang.
