Stories about Environment from August, 2011
Cambodia’s Sand Pirates
Residents in a Cambodian province complain against the negative impact of sand dredging in their area. Tons of sand from Cambodia are allegedly shipped to Singapore which are used to build beach resorts.
Brazil: Mozambique Cedes Land to Brazilian Agribusiness
Mozambique is ceding 6 million hectares of land to Brazilian farmers. The idea is to draw on the Brazilian experience in the Cerrado, a biosphere similar to the African savanna, where industrial cattle grazing and soy plantations have already devastated 80% of the richest grasslands in the world.
Bahamas: After Irene
“Not one life was lost in the entire country, what a miracle”: Womanish Words blogs about the aftermath of Irene.
Iran: Protests to Save Lake Urmia Reignited
Once again protesters have poured again into streets of Tabriz and Urmia in Iran's Azerbaijan region on Sunday to call on the Iranian government to save the dying Urmia Lake.
Sri Lanka: First Solar Power Plant
Nisadas reports that Sri Lanka has recently commissioned its first solar power plant which can generate 500kw of electricity.
Bahamas: Riding Out Hurricane Irene
As Hurricane Irene, the first of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, continues to move through the Bahamas, bloggers have been sharing their experiences. Netizens reported very strong winds, extensive damage to property, felled trees and downed power lines. Several roofs were blown off and there were reports of flooding in certain areas.
Somalia: Food Security Emergency Spreads Despite Aid
As the Horn of Africa deals with what the Food and Agriculture Organization is calling the “most severe food security emergency in the world today,” experts warn that conditions in famine-stricken Somalia are likely to further deteriorate. Juhie Bhatia examines the spread of the disaster.
Ukraine: Yulia Tymoshenko's Case
At OpenDemocracy.net, Valery Kalnysh explains in detail the case against Ukraine's former PM Yulia Tymoshenko.
Croatia: Top 5 Holiday Islands (+5 More)
Croatia Travel Blog links to an article about “Croatia's top five holiday islands,” which appeared in The Guardian earlier this week, and adds five more islands to this list.
Bahamas: Sticking Together Through Irene
Havana Times notes that “Hurricane Irene intensified overnight as it churns to the northeast of Cuba, threatening the Bahamas with its 110 mph maximum sustained winds”; over in the Bahamas, Womanish Words says: “Alright, we can do this thing. Lets secure our properties, take our animals inside, stay sober and...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: East Coast Earthquake
Diaspora blogger Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac describes yesterday's earthquake, which affected the east coast of the United States.
Brazil: Global Action Against Belo Monte Dam in Images
Protests against Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant dam have gone global. In this post, we compile a selection of photos and videos featuring the worldwide demonstrations, from the streets of many Brazilian cities to the rest of the world.
Honduras: A Call to Protect the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve
Oscar Alberto at MelWars condemns [es] the deforestation and illegal logging taking place in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a rainforest recently added to the UNESCO's World Heritage ‘danger list‘.
Haiti: Grim Housing Situation
Haiti Grassroots Watch investigates whether “the 634,000 people still living in Haiti’s 1,001 camps, and the undoubtedly tens of thousands of others living in unsafe and even condemned structures [will] soon move to safe housing” and discovers an upsetting answer.
Caribbean: Irene's Path
More updates about Hurricane Irene: Havana Times is relieved that its “projected path is taking it further away from Cuba”; Weblog Bahamas acknowledges that she is “a serious threat”; Pwoje Espwa is praying “that Haiti be spared more tragedy” and U.S.V.I. bloggers report on the aftermath of the storm.
Video: Women Transforming Communities
Voices of Women Worldwide brings together people from all over the world interested in promoting the voices of voiceless women, young girls and children using all the different media they have available: blog posts, audio, video and visual journalism.
Cuba: Oh, the Horrors!
Rebeca Monzo blogs about what she calls Cuba's architectural and monumental horrors.
Caribbean: Watching Irene
Bloggers are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Irene in Jamaica, Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Haiti.
Nigeria: Two Satellites Launched
Wadr.org reports [fr] that ” Nigeria announced on Thursday that it had launched two satellites to monitor natural hazards, such as drought and floods, as well as to improve agriculture and security”.
Somalia: Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan In Mogadishu
afrik.com reports [fr] on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's visit in Mogadishu: “The prime minister, his wife Emine and other [Turkish] political and business leaders, as well as artists, are in Somalia to meet the victims of the drought and famine raging in the country.”
North Korea: Speculation Looms over Kim Jong-il's Visit to Russia
Net user 100gf from Politics and Computers blog posted a brief summary on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Russia, a rare official visit for the first time in nine years. As Kim is expected to hold talks with President Dmitry Medvedev regarding energy and denuclearization issues, speculations have...
