Tierramérica

Issue of February, 09, 2004



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	Report

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The ocean's waves transformed into electricit
Credit: Mauricio Ramos

Report
Brazil's Clean Energy Effort Rides Ocean Waves
By Mario Osava
Surfers are not the only ones who will be enjoying the massive power of the Atlantic Ocean's waves on the Brazilian coast. For the first time in the Americas, ocean waves are to be used to generate electricity -- enough for 200 families in Ceará state.

Accents
Advance of Oil Companies Alarms Indians
By Lidia Hunter
Foreign companies are restarting oil exploration in Nicaragua, a process that was interrupted in 1979. Indigenous communities along the Caribbean coast are worried about the potential for environmental damage.

Fabricio Van Den Broeck

Analysis
Can We Afford to Wait for Hydrogen Energy?
By Ignacio Avalos
This clean energy source is at the center of a new utopia, but it will take decades before hydrogen is consolidated as a true energy alternative.

Connect Yourself
Weapons of Mass Destruction
By
The discovery on Feb. 2 of the toxin ricin in the mailroom at the offices of the U.S. Senate majority leader has reawakened fears about the scope of bioterrorism.

Quino by Quino

Q & A
'All children are obligated to be ecologists'
By Francesca Colombo
Quino, creator of Mafalda, one of the most famous cartoon characters in the world, spoke with Tierramérica during a recent visit to Milan.

Eco-Briefs

NICARAGUA: Better Forestry Practices
The World Wildlife Fund is promoting voluntary certification programs in Nicaragua for lumber processors and furniture factories committed to sustainable development of forests.

VENEZUELA: Stolen Flamingoes
Hundreds of pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) chicks -- perhaps as many as 1,500 -- have been stolen during the past few weeks from Los Olivitos Marsh wildlife refuge, near the Caribbean and Maracaibo Lake, in northwest Venezuela. The authorities were tipped off by anonymous reports.

HONDURAS: Ban on Building Near Dams
The Honduran Environmental Prosecutor and the Secretariat of Natural Resources are to issue a new regulation on Feb. 13 that bans construction near the dams and reservoirs that supply water to the capital.

CUBA: Wind Blows, Fields Watered
Cuba has introduced wind energy into its farm irrigation systems. This renewable energy source has long been used to pump water for most of the country's cattle and dairy farms.

CHILE: New Environmental Chief
Paulina Saball, a social worker with a background in urban development, was named by Chile's President Ricardo Lagos to head the National Environmental Commission (CONAMA) after the contentious resignation of her predecessor, Gianni López.

BRAZIL: Alert Against Bird Flu
The Brazilian government is preparing preventive measures against avian flu, a disease that has spread among birds in a dozen Asian countries, and is considered unlikely to reach this South American country.

Lessons From a Unique Decade - José Graziano da Silva *
Rio+20 and Beyond: Together for a Sustainable Future - José Graziano da Silva *
Why Inclusive Green Growth Can Sustain Recent Gains in Latin America - Hasan Tuluy*
The Global Food Crisis and the Latin American Paradox - Pamela Cox