environmentalpolitics
By Maxwell Radwin A law that would protect a massive stretch of Argentina’s seafloor is running out of time for a parliamentary vote, and conservationists are racing to raise awareness before they run into major delays. Creation of the “Blue Hole” reserve in the South Atlantic Ocean would protect thousands of square kilometers of seafloor from bottom trawling and require better working conditions on vessels fishing there. But the bill has stalled in Argentina’s National Congress for years and will expire in November. “[This legislation] is the only tool that exists today to begin protecting th...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin Indigenous communities across Brazil have suffered a wave of violence in recent weeks as the country reconsiders a controversial law that makes it harder to claim ancestral territory. The Supreme Court is studying a law that only recognizes territorial rights for Indigenous people if they occupied the land after a certain date. But critics say it delegitimizes many land claims and fuels conflicts with farmers, ranchers and private developers who see an opportunity to expand. “The right to traditionally occupied territory is an original right secured by the 1988 federal consti...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin MEXICO CITY — The representative of a prominent advocacy group for Mexico’s fishing industry was killed in July after speaking out against organized crime in Baja California, where illegal fishing is rife. Minerva Pérez Castro was shot in the town of Ensenada on July 8 just hours after making public comments about the presence of illegal fishing in the state, as well as the extortion of local fishermen and buyers. She represented Baja California in the National Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture Industries (CANAINPESCA), Mexico’s main trade group that advocates for the gene...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin After years of delays, officials in Peru said they’re moving forward with the construction of a controversial copper mine despite concerns from local communities that the project could pollute rivers and destroy agriculture. The Tía María copper mine in Valle del Tambo, in southern Peru, will begin operations before the end of this year, President Dina Boluarte said during a national address, reversing her promise to protect tourism, small-scale farming and agriculture exports in the area. “The population of Valle del Tambo already has an economic activity that works and isn’...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin Mexico has pledged to more than double its clean energy output by 2030, investing in solar and wind power while transitioning away from fossil fuels. Yet the country continues to lag behind on its renewable energy targets, producing just 12% of its power from clean sources last year, watchdogs have found. At the same time, the country continues to subsidize the struggling state-owned oil company Pemex while beefing up its oil and natural gas infrastructure with new refineries and massive, transnational pipelines. The projects worry environmentalists not only because of climat...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin Conservation has become a near-impossible task in many parts of Venezuela. Government funding has dried up, political pressure has scared away international donors, and criminal groups continue to overpower the areas where the worst deforestation is happening. As the country prepares for an election at the end of the month — one that could be rigged in the ruling party’s favor — many environmental groups are quietly wondering how they’re going to survive another six years under President Nicolás Maduro. “Environmental organizations, as well as Indigenous leaders, are finding ...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin The lead up to Venezuela’s presidential election, scheduled for this Sunday, July 28, hasn’t been about the candidates’ experience or the viability of their policies. The focus has been on whether the elections will look anything close to free and fair. Critics have expressed concern about the disqualification of opposition candidates and the absence of outside electoral observers. President Nicolás Maduro is running for a third consecutive term despite overwhelming opposition to his regime, which came to power in 2013 as the successor to Hugo Chávez. This time around, Maduro...
Mongabay
By Daniel Shailer SAHUARIPA, Mexico — Where saguaro cacti give way to palm trees, some 130 miles south of the U.S. border, a small ranching town is quietly obsessed with jaguars (Panthera onca). Jaguar murals adorn walls, and local ranchers, usually demure and mustachioed, treasure their printouts of big cats caught on camera traps. Sahuaripa is the nearest town to the Northern Jaguar Reserve, 22,600 hectares (56,000 acres) of protected, privately owned land, where trail cameras have captured more than a dozen jaguars padding through the very northernmost reach of their range at any one time. ...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin A lawsuit has temporarily stalled construction on a controversial highway project in north-central Panama, which allegedly bypassed environmental regulations and could damage several protected areas along the Caribbean coast. The highway, known as the “Caribbean Corridor,” is supposed to travel 28.4 kilometers (17.6 miles) from the towns of Quebrada Ancha to María Chiquita, with the goal of increasing tourism and local commerce on the coast of Colón province. But the highway would also pass by three protected areas and didn’t carry out adequate studies to make sure they won’t...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin Suriname has some of the largest, most intact rainforests in the world. The Amazon covers around 93% of its surface area, making it one of the only countries with a net-negative carbon footprint. But at the same time, timber and mining concessions are expanding through the forest, with multinational companies moving in on Indigenous lands. Despite its environmental track record, Suriname is still the only country in South America that hasn’t formally recognized the territorial rights of Indigenous and Maroon peoples trying to conserve the rainforest. Years of legal challenges...
Mongabay
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