Thursday, January 24, 2013

BBC News - Massive melting of Andes glaciers

BBC News - Massive melting of Andes glaciers: "The glaciers, which provide fresh water for tens of millions in South America, are retreating at their fastest rate in the past 300 years."

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

Big Oil The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil: "Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call "The Special Period." "

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Ecuadorean tribe will 'die fighting' to defend rainforest | Environment | The Guardian

Ecuadorean tribe will 'die fighting' to defend rainforest | Environment | The Guardian: ""We are now fighting against a signed contract. We must make people realise it is invalid but there is huge concern the oil company will move quickly to clear the land. When that happened elsewhere, they used armed troops, beatings and abductions to remove those who stood in their way.""

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Severe droughts in Amazon linked to climate change, says study - CBS News

Severe droughts in Amazon linked to climate change, says study - CBS News: "The most striking data came from the summer of 2005, when 270,000 square miles of forest experienced a severe drought that caused widespread, observable damage to the canopy. The drought conditions were so severe that the rainforest was unable to fully recover before the next drought struck in 2010."

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Friday, January 18, 2013

Colonialism and the Green Economy: Villagers Defy Pressure to Forfeit Farms for Carbon-Offset

Colonialism and the Green Economy: Villagers Defy Pressure to Forfeit Farms for Carbon-Offset: " communities that have traditionally cared for the land are being faced with forced evictions or economic pressure to convert their lands to biofuel plantations. Chiapas is yet another example of the dangers of putting too much emphasis on forest carbon offsets and biofuels as a means to mitigate climate change."  "

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Indigenous tribe forces oil predators to back off

Ecuadorian tribe gets reprieve from oil intrusion | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "An indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon has won a reprieve after building up an arsenal of spears, blowpipes, machetes and guns to fend off an expected intrusion by the army and a state-run oil company.

The residents of Sani Isla expressed relief that a confrontation with Petroamazonas did not take place on Tuesday as anticipated, but said the firm is still trying to secure exploration rights in their area of pristine rainforest."

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Friday, January 4, 2013

Peru's indigenous people take battle over gas exploration to court | Global development | guardian.co.uk

Peru's indigenous people take battle over gas exploration to court | Global development | guardian.co.uk: "Peru's biggest indigenous federation, the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (Aidesep), intends to use the courts to halt the planned $70m (£43m) expansion of the country's largest natural gas reserve further into territory set aside for isolated Amazon tribes."

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