Stories about Environment from August, 2011
Brazil: Construction Starts on Controversial Belo Monte Dam
Despite the protesting voices of indigenous populations and traditional settlers of Volta Grande do Xingu region, construction on Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric plant has begun. Protests against the project will take place in 10 Brazilian cities and 16 countries on August 20.
Uganda: Ugandans Take Fight to Save a Rainforest to Internet
The Mabira Forest is found in central Uganda near the capital Kampala. It’s one of the few natural rain forests that remain after years of degradation. Ugandans are fighting their government's move to sell the land off to a sugar corporation.
U.S.V.I.: Saying “No” to Plastic Bags
“Plastic bags too often find their way into the waters of the island and end up wrapped around coral reefs”, says News of St. John, which is why “members of the St. John Rotary are planning to talk with the island's largest grocery stores” about replacing them with a more...
Jamaica: Harmony with Nature
Labrish Jamaica refers to the theories of environmentalist Paul Shepard and psychiatrist Carl Jung to support “modern man’s ability to have a right relationship with the earth, even amongst the heaping evidence to the contrary.”
World: Write a blog post and win up to 3,000 Euros
Participate in YoBloCo Awards and win up to 3,000 Euros: “The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), in collaboration with FARA, Yam-Pukri, CAFAN, AYF, ANAFE, SPC/PAFPNET is organizing the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards).”
Golf course in China’s desert strains drinking water supply
Jing Gao from The Ministry of Tofu translates a local news report about the desertification problem caused by the construction of golf course in Yulin in Shaanxi province.
Brazil: Loggers Threaten Government Officials in the Amazon
Police officers and officials from the Brazilian government's agencies dedicated to the environment (Ibama) and indigenous rights (Funai) were surrounded and threatened by a group of about 60 loggers in the Amazon forest on August 12. Journalist Leonardo Sakamoto reports [pt] that the loggers wanted to prevent the seizure of...
Guyana: Chemical Yellow
“My Irish ‘auntie’ remember. She been napping that Thursday afternoon, windows open to let in blueness, sky, sea-wind. Thick chemical choke she dreams. She pelt out o’ she bed to shut windows”: Guyana-Gyal tries to figure out why all the trees, plants and vegetables look so…yellow.
Philippines: Tokay Gecko Hunting Craze
In recent months, the hunting of Tokay Geckos has become a craze in the Philippines because of reports that online traders have been buying these lizards for a large amount of money. The hunting started when it was rumored that geckos can help cure asthma and HIV/AIDS. It was recently exposed as a hoax and scam.
China: Xinjiang Ketchup
Xinjiang produces more than 70% of all China’s tomatoes and China accounts for a quarter of all global tomato output. As Josh from Xinjiang: Far West China points out next time you squeeze that little packet of ketchup onto your greasy french fry for lunch, think of Xinjiang.
India: RTI and Wildlife Activist Killed in Broad Daylight
Indian Right To Information activist and NGO worker Shehla Masood (39) was shot dead in front of her residence in Bhopal on Tuesday morning. She was also known for campaigning on wildlife conservation. Indian Twitter users react to this tragic death.
Africa: The Looting of African Fishery Resources
The first chapter of the Greenpeace project SOS Oceans is entitled: “How Africa feeds Europe “. The website introduce the project with the following statement [fr] : “After depleting the reserves of fishes in their own waters, European fish boats are now on the move to target other oceans to fish in.”
Madagascar: Sanctions Result in Economic Decline and Food Insecurity
After two and a half years of transitional government, Madagascar has experienced a slow, seemingly unstoppable decline of its fragile economy that has put a strain on the lives of millions. With an economy ranked worst in the world and a food crisis looming, Malagasy citizens debate the merits and impacts of international sanctions
Japan: How to Unplug Your Life and Save Electricity
People in Japan have been unplugging their lives as electricity-saving measures have been implemented to cope with power shortages. The effectiveness of the measures is yet to be proven but many have taken this opportunity to change their power consuming life style.
China: Dalian Anti PX Protest Photo Collection
Google user Big fish collected 215 photos on the Anti-PX chemical factory protest in Dalian on August 14, 2011.
Philippines: Uproar over Sorry State of Manila Zoo
The sorry state of Manila Zoo caused a stir among Filipino netizens after photos were posted online resulting in the rise of the keywords “Manila Zoo” as a popular trending topic on Twitter last month. A petition was initiated to stop the plan to get more animals for the zoo
China: Large NIMBY Protest Erupts in Dalian
A Sunday morning sit-in protest in downtown Dalian, Liaoning province, against a chemical factory located in the city turned into a large-scale procession through the streets. Police were out in full force, but so too were the microbloggers.
Bangladesh: Celebrating The Monsoon
The Monsoon season is a blessing or sometime woes for Bangladeshis and Shahnaz at Dhaka Dweller celebrates the monsoon season in Bangladesh with some lovely pictures.
Sri Lanka: Cutting Down Trees In The Name Of Beautification
Groundviews reports that the Weeping Willow trees at the Independence Avenue in Colombo, which were planted in the 1970s, were cut down in the name of beatification.
Chile: Waste Pickers Rummage for Legal Recognition
Environmentalist Bharati Chaturvedi flew for 40 hours from her home Delhi, India, to dig deeper into a dirty issue: trash. As politicians in Chile discuss recycling on a national level, Chaturvedi encourages that those who collect trash professionally, or “waste pickers,” be included in the solution.
Trinidad & Tobago: Remembering Professor Julian Kenny
On August 9, Trinidad and Tobago lost a patriot. Julian Kenny, retired Professor of Zoology at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, naturalist, former independent senator, author, columnist, photographer and holder of the prestigious Chaconia Medal for environmental conservation, died at the age of 81. The sad news immediately spread through social media, with former students posting fond tributes about his legacy.
