Good news on the environment from Latin America and the Caribbean

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Those of us active in protecting mother earth and her creatures know that the political is global, and that some of the most devastating effects of the neoliberal policies applied in the last 25 years have been on Latin America.

However, Argentineans, Bolivians, Brazilians, Ecuadorians, Mexicans, Peruvians and Venezuelans have gone to the streets, and significant numbers have gone to the voting booths, to show their dissatisfaction with neoliberal governments and policies. Cuba, of course, has not partaken of neoliberalism.

This bulletin will concentrate on good news on the environment from Latin America, places where, despite scarce funds, people are reclaiming their resources and making it a better place to live. In addition, it will give an occasional alert or warning where necessary for the region, especially when such reclamations come under attack. This is planned as an interactive bulletin, so if you have environmental news or questions about Latin America, send them on to: Silvio, difusion@prensa-latina.cu or Carolina Cositore, editor, carol0611@yahoo.com

Little Bits of Green

Water. From Global Exchange.
Lack of access to clean water is the single biggest killer of poor people worldwide, yet privatizing water is on the top of the agenda for transnational corporations.

Since Hugo Chávez was elected president of Venezuela in 1998, a fundamental shift has taken place. For the first time, Venezuela’s Constitution guarantees health care, education, clean water and subsidized food, especially to the poor who were marginalized under previous neoliberal governments; social programs paid for by oil revenues. Venezuela is carrying out a large-scale project to ensure clean water to all Venezuelan citizens.

Animals. From an article by IPS correspondent Dalia Acosta

The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer), and the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), two endangered species, are seeing continued growth of their populations in Cuba, thanks to crocodile farms, conservation policies and the control of exports.
Of every 100 crocodiles born in the wild, just 10 survive, while 90 percent of those born in captivity reach adulthood; so in Cuba, scientists raise American crocodiles until age five or six, then release them into their natural environment. Moreover, the Cuban crocodile once again inhabits the Isle of Youth, thanks to a government-led project. The species had disappeared from that island in 1978.

Recycling. Tierramérica reports

Argentine ecology cooperative Reciclando Sueños (Recycling Dreams) sent two shiploads of old iron to Spain last month to be remade into tools. A project in the poorest area of Buenos Aires, the collective shipped 25 tons of waste at $130 per ton.

Brazil still retains the world recycling record, with 96.2% of used aluminum cans collected by 520,000 informal street collectors. For perspective, Japan is close behind with 91.7%, while the EU and US only manage to recycle 52%.

Alert. Prensa Latina www.plenglish.com, Feb.2

The Interethnic Association on the Development of the Peruvian Jungle, which groups 47 organizations of indigenous peoples, has demanded that the Peruvian government not turn over Amazon areas to oil transnationals – a Peruvian company is seeking capital in Houston to exploit 18 oil lots, eight of them in indigenous territory.

Supported by 32 human rights and environmental institutions, Interethnic Association leader Alberto Pisango denounced that those affected are people in voluntary isolation, whose survival will be endangered if oil operations begin in that area and threatens to denounce Peru to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Featured Activist
Angela and Her Seven League Cuban Boots

“I’m nothing special, I’m very ordinary, I’m not a personage,” Angela Corvea says over and over again when speaking of her project “Acualina” that has catapulted her to awards in Cuba, the US and the International Marine Environment’s World Sub-aquatic Activities Confederation Grand Prize in the Principe of Monaco.
A passionate marine biologist who worked professionally for years with CITMA´s Institute of Oceanology (the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment) and Jacques Cousteau, Angela began Acualina (Clean up The World, Save Your Piece) when she was forced to retire early for family reasons.
This woman personifies “Think globally, act locally” for the environment, with her added prerequisite that this must begin with the very young. To this end, she has undertaken to translate complex scientific principles into simple language and “hook” children and young people into saving and safeguarding their piece of the planet.
It’s the project that is magic, she insists, trying to explain how her community education project for children and third-agers in her seaside neighborhood has grown in just a few years to TV spots, magazine articles, multimedia presentations, exhibits, affiliations with international and foreign, as well as Cuban, scientific and environmental associations, consultancies for activities with children and youth, classes, and on and on.
Angela’s mission is simple, it is to teach that our environment is not a show; we are not spectators at a theatrical production, rather each of us plays a role, consciously or not, in affecting that environment.
Her project’s aim is that we recognize our unity with the universe and do our bit to conserve our surroundings for sustainable development. By virtue of her astrological sign, she’s an Aquarius of course, her Caribbean island homeland- Cuba is most supportive of all greening efforts, particularly for the marine- and professional training, her special love is for the sea.
Her message, contained on www.acualina.org, is that any work on environmental education and all actions to save our planet will have their best result if we start in the early stages of our lives.
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