Stories about Environment from November, 2012
Brazilian Guarani Community Denounces ‘Poisoned’ River
A video showing the contamination of the Ypo'i river, near the settlement of an indigenous Guarani community, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, has been circulating on...
Malaysian Residents Oppose Rare Earths Refinery
Malaysia is set to build the world's largest rare earths refinery after the High Court rejected petitions opposing the project. In response environment groups, residents, and concerned citizens have vowed to step up protests against the plant.
Hardinge Bridge Over A Dried-up River Bed
Lonely Traveler posts photos of the century old 1.8 kilometer long Hardinge bridge over the Padma river in Pabna, Bangladesh. The upper-riparian country India erected barrage on the Ganges river...
On World Toilet Day, Introducing the Crap Map Project
With both big technology players and local partners in Ghana, we’ll be hacking together our “crap map” using existing open source tools and software paired with meaningful offline facilitation around...
300 Km Long March Against Rare Earths Refinery in Malaysia
To stop the Australian rare earths mining company, Lynas Corporation from operating a rare earths refinery in Pahang, Malaysia, a group of activists started a 300 km march, dubbed “the Green Walk”, from Kuantan to the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur on November.
Trinidad & Tobago: Cropper was an Exemplar
A finer exemplar of the best that the Caribbean has to offer the world, one could hardly find. Norman Givan mourns the passing of philanthropist and Deputy Executive Director of...
Greece: New Platform Encourages Affordable Heat Options
This winter, website Kala-Nea.gr [Good News] reports on Ksyla.gr [el], a new platform that aims to reduce the cost of heating, by serving as an aggregator on different types and prices...
Police Raid Video Blogger's Home in Japan
Japan's police raided the house of a video blogger who films anti-nuclear protests, for evidence of charges against a violent protester. Every Friday, anti-nuclear activists gather in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo and various places in Japan to carry out protests. While mainstream media rarely covers these anti-nuclear protests, videos from citizen media are crucial to tell the story.
Madagascar: Journalists and Blogger Prosecuted over Rosewood Trafficking Report
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) reports that four journalists and a blogger are prosecuted for defamation and “complicity in spreading false news” [fr]. The charges against the reporters were submitted by...
Concern over Subterranean Water in the Sahel
We are told that miners do everything to waterproof the soil and ensure that waste does not contaminate subterranean water. But it must be recognized that there is always a...
Australia: Having Our Say about India, the World’s Largest Democracy
What lies ahead for India, which is not just the largest democracy but will soon have the biggest population? You can join the discussion of The World's Largest Democracy at Australia’s vibrant social media site, Our Say.
Brazil, France: Agroecology Helps Reduce Poverty
Respecting the soil is fundemental to us. It is where we get our food from and how we will provide for our children Suelia explains [fr] how the agroecology approach...
Guinea-Bissau: Chinese Loggers near Buba River
The minutes of a youth and citizenship meeting held in October 2012 in Guinea-Bissau mentions [pt] the “massive logging of pau de sangue” woodtrees (Pterocarpus violaceus Vog.) by Chinese companies in...
Hong Kong ‘Artificial Beach’ Will Destroy 200+ Coastal Habitats
Despite strong opposition from environmental groups and concerned citizens, the Hong Kong government is insisting on an artificial beach construction project that will destroy more than 200 coastline habitats.
A New Start for Barack Obama in Africa?
Following the November 6, 2012, re-election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, Africa questions his legacy after four years in charge of an America more concerned with the economic crisis than by its international relations, especially those within the African continent. The expectations of Africans were high, however many believe that a second term for Obama will allow him greater manouevrability on African issues.
Haiti: Hurricanes Hardest on the Poor
Haiti Chery laments the fact that the poor always seem to suffer the most when it comes to natural disasters.
Cuba: “Hurricane” Damage
Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter calls Fidel Castro “Cuba's longest and most damaging hurricane”, while Through the Eye of the Needle refers to Hurricane Sandy as “‘The Matador,’ —...
Water Pollution Threatens Lives in Inner Mongolia's Tengger Desert
Members of the Yellow River 10-Year Investigation team have begun reporting on the situation regarding water pollution in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia. The team pointed out that black industrial water emitted by a coal chemical processing factory in the industrial district has been contaminating the desert's underground water, destroying the local herders' homeland and endangering the lives of those in the desert.
