Friday, July 25, 2008   13:50 GMT    
Receive the new IPS Environment Newsletter
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Africa
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Asia-Pacific
     Afghanistan
     Iran
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Caribbean
      Haiti
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Europe
      Union in Diversity
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Latin America
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Mideast &
   Mediterranean
      Iraq
      Israel/Palestine
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - North America
      Neo-Cons
      Bush at War
Agencia de Noticias Inter Press Service
Agencia de Noticias Inter Press Service
Agencia de Noticias Inter Press Service
Agencia de Noticias Inter Press Service
 - Development
      MDGs
      City Voices
      Corruption
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Civil Society
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Globalisation
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Environment
      Energy Crunch
      Climate Change
      Tierramérica
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Human Rights
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Health
      HIV/AIDS
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Indigenous Peoples
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Economy & Trade
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Labour
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Population
      Reproductive Rights
      Migration&Refugees
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Arts & Entertainment
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Education
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - ExPress Freedom
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Columns
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - In Focus
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Readers' Opinions
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
 - Email News
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
  What is RSS?
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   ENGLISH
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   ESPAÑOL
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   FRANÇAIS
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   ARABIC
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   DEUTSCH
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   ITALIANO
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   JAPANESE
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   NEDERLANDS
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   PORTUGUÊS
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   SUOMI
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   SVENSKA
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   SWAHILI
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
   TÜRKÇE
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
IPS Inter Press Service News Agency
Labour in RSS
"For the global South, and especially Africa, environmental issues are not a luxury. Arresting the world's warming and protecting and restoring our natural systems are issues of life and death for much of the world's population"
2004 Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai
(Kenya's Business Daily, Dec. 14, 2007)

IPS is intensifying its coverage of both global and local environmental challenges. We look at them from the perspective of the people for whom the ecosphere matters in a direct way: rural dwellers who have little means to protect themselves against adverse conditions; communities that need to switch to sustainable development in order to survive; poor women and children, always the most vulnerable in harsh times.

IPS has entered into cooperation with the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ) - a partnership within the Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development, COM+ - and Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), and is building new alliances in order to expand its independent coverage of the issues that will determine our future and that of our children. IPS also created the award-winning Tierramérica, a specialised information service on environment and development, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and The World Bank (WB).


Winners of the 2008 Friends of the Earth International Dreams,
Hopes and Possibilities for a Better Future photo competition

Best Reporting on Environment of 2008 Prem Bhatia Award

Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development
Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development

World Conservation Union
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP Ozone Secretariat
UNDP Energy for Sustainable Development
Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council
Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)
CITES-Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Friends of the Earth

IPS is not responsible for the content of external sites
News in RSS
CLIMATE CHANGE: WE NEED A PROACTIVE MEDIA
by Mario Lubetkin
There is no moderately well-informed person who does not believe that climate change is, if not the gravest threat facing humanity, at least one of the top two or three. It is therefore worth asking whether the performance of the media in this regard rises to the challenge, writes Mario Lubetkin, Director-General of Inter Press Service (IPS).
more >>
BIOFUELS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A CURE THAT MAKES THE DISEASE WORSE
by Vandana Shiva
False solutions to the climate crisis, like biofuels, will actually aggravate the problem while exacerbating inequality, hunger, and poverty, writes Vandana Shiva, author and international campaigner for women and the environment.
more >>
ARE WE REALLY RUNNING OUT OF OIL?
by Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero
Are we running short of oil? Far from it, writes Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero, a fellow at the Oakland Institute, a Puerto Rican author, investigative reporter, and environmental educator.
more >>
WATERS ARE RISING: CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION MUST COME FAST
by Anote Tong
You can be sure that if rising sea levels forced the evacuation of the White House in Washington DC, the attitude towards global warming would be very different, writes Anote Tong, President of Kiribati since 2003.
more >>
EU: TIGHTER EMISSIONS FOR TRANSPORT A CLEAR WIN-WIN STRATEGY
by Jos Dings
HOW TRADE RULES CAN SERVE THE ENVIRONMENT
by Pascal Lamy
BALI: FIRST STEPS ON A ROUGH ROAD
by Maurice Strong
GLOBALISATION, EQUITY, AND CLIMATE CHANGE
by Vandana Shiva
SUBSIDIES DRIVE US CORN ETHANOL BOOM DESPITE MAJOR DRAWBACKS
by Mark Sommer
BIOFUELS: NO SILVER BULLET AGAINST FOSSIL FUELS
by Vicente Paolo Yu III
AFRICA MUST BE HEARD ON CLIMATE CHANGE
by Wangari Maathai
THE ALIGNMENT OF FORCES IN THE ETHANOL WAR
by Alberto Garrido
Kyoto on the Horizon
Biodiversity - One Planet - 1.4 million species
Oil, Gas and Minerals: Mixed Blessings
Feedin the Future
Troubled Waters
The Creeping Desert
Energy Crunch
Subsidies
Sustainable Development
Agriculture
Tierramérica - Environment & Development
News in RSS
MIDEAST: Palestinian 'Che' Blindfolded and Shot
SERBIA: Most Wanted Man Was Always There
LEBANON: Syria Comes In From the Cold
MIDEAST: In Israel, Obama Looks to Votes Back Home
CULTURE-SOUTH AFRICA: Made in Khayelitsha, Sold in New York
EUROPE: Germans Love Obama – For Now
UAE: US-Iran Detente Viewed With Caution
POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Malay-Muslim Call Shakes Opposition Unity
BURMA: UN Missions Draw Derision
POLITICS-US: Latino Voters Heavily Favour Obama
More >>
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
 
The contents of this news coverage, including any funded by the European Union, are the sole responsibility of IPS and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

MEXICO: Putting a Price Tag on Destruction of Mangroves
By Emilio Godoy
MEXICO CITY - The destruction of the rich mangroves along the coasts of northwestern Mexico has had a heavy impact on fisheries in that area, according to a new study that attempts to put a price tag on these fragile ecosystems.
MORE >>
 

AFRICA: Link Between Crop Failure and Climate Change Often Missed
By Miriam Mannak
CAPE TOWN - Climate change has a profound effect on food security in Africa, as increasing temperatures and shifting rain patterns reduce access to food across the continent.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
BRAZIL: Livelihoods Vs. Environment - Afro-Descendants Caught in the Middle
By Mario Osava
REGISTRO, Brazil - "They won’t let us plant our crops," says Leonila Costa Pontes, referring to the laws that require an environmental permit for her to cultivate her small plot of land.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
ENERGY: Solar Thermal Power Coming to a Boil
Analysis by Jonathan G. Dorn*
WASHINGTON - After emerging in 2006 from 15 years of hibernation, the solar thermal power industry experienced a surge in 2007, with 100 megawatts of new capacity coming online worldwide.
MORE >>
 

Q&A: 'Guam Matters, Not Guamanian Rights'
Interview With Julian Aguon, Chamoru Activist
MELBOURNE - In this second of a two-part interview, IPS spoke with Julian Aguon -- whose homeland of Guam is soon to receive thousands more U.S. troops -- regarding the island’s economic problems, why Guam matters to Washington and the value of solidarity links between activists who are divided by oceans, yet united in a cause.
MORE >>
 

ENVIRONMENT-EUROPE: No Consensus on Saving the Soil
By David Cronin
BRUSSELS - Soil is one of the few major areas of environmental policy to remain largely outside the purview of European Union law. Humanity's survival might hinge on whether crops can continue to be grown in soil, yet just nine of the EU's 27 countries have deemed soil protection a pressing enough issue to have introduced legislation on the subject at national level.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
Q&A: "Humans Are Now the Primary Drivers of Our Climate"
Interview with climate expert Sir David King
BARCELONA, Spain - Humanity faces enormous challenges at the start of the 21st century, says Sir David King, Britain's former chief scientific advisor and now director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University in England.
MORE >>
 

ENVIRONMENT-SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Farmers Expect the Unexpected
By Stephanie Nieuwoudt
CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape region attracts millions of tourists who come to this part of South Africa to enjoy its famous Table Mountain and beaches, and to experience some of the world's best wines and deciduous fruits. But changes in the region's climate could be threatening these industries.
MORE >>
 

CLIMATE CHANGE: Wetlands Loss Fuelling CO2 Feedback Loop
By Stephen Leahy
Uxbridge, CANADA - Wetlands are dangerous, scientists say, in the sense that they are ticking carbon bombs best left alone. To help stave off extreme climate change, existing wetlands should be enhanced and new wetlands created so they could capture more carbon.
MORE >>
 

EGYPT: Locals Step Up Fight Against Factory
By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
CAIRO - Controversy continues to rise over the fate of a Canadian fertiliser plant currently under construction in Egypt's coastal province Damietta. Residents fear it could adversely affect the environment.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
Q&A: ''Guam Remains Functionally a US Colony''
Interview with Julian Aguon, Chamoru activist
MELBOURNE - The tiny island of Guam -- officially an unincorporated territory of the United States -- is soon to be inundated with thousands more U.S. military personnel as the world’s superpower realigns its forces. In this first of a two-part interview, indigenous Guamanian activist Julian Aguon spoke with IPS on issues surrounding the build-up.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
Q&A: Shared Water Resources - Source of Conflict or Cooperation?
Interview with Anthony Turton, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa
PRETORIA - Over the past decade, numerous media and research reports have have anticipated wars over water in Africa. As far back as 1998, the Institute for Security Studies presented a research paper stating that water is "recognized as a fundamental political weapon in the Southern African region. Water will increasingly shape the international relations and security arrangements of Southern Africa."
MORE >>
 

See picture details
DEVELOPMENT-MAURITIUS: Water -- Waste Not, Want Not
By Nasseem Ackbarally
PORT-LOUIS - The 1.2 million-strong population of Mauritius presently enjoys plentiful piped potable water from the 2000 mm average annual rainfall that falls over the island annually. But large amounts of water are wasted, and with growing demand from new development, the island's water security may come under pressure in the near future.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
ASIA: Shoring Up Against Climate Change
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
PATTAYA, Thailand - Three years after a devastating tsunami flattened Banda Aceh, the mayor of that coastal town on Indonesia’s northern tip reckons that restoration work is far from over. He now needs to adapt to threats posed by climate change.
MORE >>
 

ENVIRONMENT-AUSTRALIA: New Plan to Undermine Japanese Whaling
By Stephen de Tarczynski
MELBOURNE - Australia is hopeful that its proposal for a new multi-national whale research program -- in which whales are not killed -- announced at the recent International Whaling Commission meeting in Chile will place considerable pressure on Japan’s controversial whaling programme.
MORE >>
 

G8: Old Targets Set in New Language
By Ramesh Jaura
TOKYO - After months of ministerial meetings that culminated in the summit of the world's seven major industrial democracies and Russia (G8) last week, the focus shifts back to United Nations negotiations on a new post-2012 climate treaty regime.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
ENVIRONMENT: Afro-Brazilian Communities Recover Juçara Palm
By Mario Osava*
ELDORADO, Brazil - The juçara, a palm tree in danger of becoming extinct due to over-exploitation of its edible heart, is beginning to recover thanks to sustainable management by the Afro-Brazilian communities of the Atlantic tropical forest, Brazil's most deforested biome.
MORE >>
 

ENVIRONMENT: Cutting CO2 Could Save Dying Corals
By Stephen Leahy
FORT LAUDERDALE, U.S. - The rapid decline of coral reefs around the world offers a potent warning that entire ecosystems can collapse due to human activities, although there is hope for reefs if immediate action is taken, coral experts agreed at the conclusion of a five-day international meeting Friday.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
Q&A: 'With the Right Methods, You Can Be Self-Sufficient'
Interview with Boubacar Amadou, volunteer manager with the UNHCR in Chad
GORE - The U.N. High Commission for Refugees says that in the five years since camps were established in Southern Chad for Central African refugees, U.N.-administered agriculture programs have reduced external food assistance to a minimum.
MORE >>
 

CLIMATE CHANGE: Small Islands' Warning Went Unheeded
By Shiraz Deen
UNITED NATIONS - When the president of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, addressed the U.N. General Assembly about 20 years ago, he warned of the possible death of his tiny Indian Ocean island if steps were not taken to curb climate change.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
LEBANON: Not All Earthquakes Are Political
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - South Lebanon is reputed for orange groves and orchards lined with lush banana trees. For many around the world, it also conjures up images of a fierce battleground, where all regional conflicts come to life. In recent months, however, the region has also become known for its intense seismic activity.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
ENVIRONMENT-EUROPE: On Your Green Bike
By Claudia Ciobanu
Sofia - A group of young people from several European countries are taking a cycling tour from Bulgaria to Turkey to show the world that travelling and a good life are possible without much energy consumption.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
BIODIVERSITY: A Third of Corals Face Extinction
By Stephen Leahy
FORT LAUDERDALE, U.S. - One third of reef-building corals already face extinction because of climate change, the first-ever global assessment has found.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
ENVIRONMENT: Indians Close Ranks Against Dams in the Amazon
By Bernarda Claure*
LA PAZ - Indigenous communities in Bolivia and Brazil have declared an emergency in response to the construction of the Madera River Hydroelectric Complex, which Brasilia is pursuing even as independent research efforts try to measure the impacts of what will be one of South America's largest energy projects.
MORE >>
 

See picture details
AGRICULTURE-CHAD: Farmers, Herders Collide In Southern Refugee Camps
By David Axe
GORE - Clarisse Larlombaye was nearly ruined when a herd of cows got into her rice field one night. The tiny 900-square-meter plot, outside the U.N.-run Gondje refugee camp in lush southern Chad is the sole source of income for Larlombaye and the two other Central African refugees she shares it with.
MORE >>
 

 

Next >>

IPS News Feeds News Feeds RSS/XML
Make IPS your homepage Make IPS News your homepage!
Free Email Newsletters Free Email Newsletters
IPS Mobile IPS Mobile
Text Only Text Only