ENVIRONMENT Record heat index of 62.3C scorches Rio de Janeiro 18-03-2024 10:58 A heat wave stifling Brazil set new records on Sunday, with Rio de Janeiro's heat index hitting 62.3 degrees Celsius, the highest in a decade.
Climate Change Indigenous Colombians fret as sacred mountain glaciers melt 28-02-2024 11:50 The inhabitants of the Sierra Nevada range in north Colombia share fears about changing climate as record heat waves melt glacial peaks and ruin crops.
Environmental Policy Trump's green-bashing and Europe's right put climate goals at risk 27-02-2024 11:58 Politicians are vowing to roll back green policies and downplaying climate change ahead of key elections on both sides of the Atlantic, casting doubt on whether countries can maintain momentum in the transition away from fossil fuels.
HEALTHCARE & SOCIETY Mosquito invasion hits Buenos Aires and its surroundings 20-02-2024 14:12 Experts warn influx of mosquitoes is expected to last several weeks and recommend protective measures; Buenos Aires Province government to provide free repellent to residents across territory.
Agriculture Natural pesticides gain ground in 'agri-tox' capital Brazil 19-02-2024 14:14 Agricultural powerhouse Brazil may be the world leader in chemical pesticide use, but there is a growing trend of farmers turning to natural products known as "biopesticides."
Environment Studying the otherworldly sounds in Antarctic waters 16-02-2024 10:48 A Colombian scientific expedition to the Southern Ocean is researching underwater hums, pitches and echoes to better understand life in the deep.
Archaeology Roads, farming threaten Ecuador 'lost city' complex 14-02-2024 06:37 The remains of a massive 2,500-year-old network of Ecuadorean cities are being threatened by road and farm encroachment just as its long-held secrets are being revealed.
Environment Polluted paradise: Chile town waits for clean-up as coal shuts off 12-02-2024 13:28 Coal-fired plants and factories bellow noxious fumes into the air in a small town, but Chile has embarked on a whirlwind energy transition
ENVIRONMENT Chile wildfire death toll rises to 131 06-02-2024 16:46 Death toll from weekend inferno that razed hilltop neighbourhoods in coastal region of Chile rises to 131.
ENVIRONMENT Environmental groups denounce ‘corporate lobby’ seeking to overturn glacier law 05-02-2024 16:30 Number of social and environmental organisations issue joint statement slamming influence of mining multinationals over provincial representatives in Congress; Legislative changes contained in President Milei’s omnibus reform bill could allow exploitation of banned glacial and per-glacial areas.
ENVIRONMENT Death toll reaches 110 as wildfires scorch central Chile 05-02-2024 11:50 Forest fires in Chile continue to rage, destroying neighborhoods and inciting a death toll that reached at least 112 as of Sunday.
CLIMATE CHANGE In Antarctica, scientists study extent of microplastics 31-01-2024 14:26 The Antarctic ice sheet has been suffering for years from rising global temperatures, and scientists are investigating the impact of microplastics on this environment.
POLITICS Scioli joins Milei government as Tourism, Environment & Sports secretary 30-01-2024 16:48 Veteran Peronist minister, who lost 2015 presidential election to Mauricio Macri, switches to Javier Milei’s team, taking up a post as government secretary ; Scioli headed Argentina’s Embassy in Brazil throughout Alberto Fernández’s Presidency.
ENVIRONMENT Environmental NGOs warn of Milei's 'Omnibus Law' threat 22-01-2024 16:28 Large number of environmental NGOs meet with lawmakers from different parties in Argentina to lobby for changes in environmental matters and fishing, preservation of native forests and periglacial areas. by Enrique Garabetyan
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT 2023 hottest recorded year as Earth nears key limit 09-01-2024 12:13 The year of 2023 was the hottest on record, with the increase in Earth's surface temperature nearly crossing the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, EU climate monitors have concluded.
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT Enrique Viale: Milei's proposed reforms are 'an invitation to destruction’ 07-01-2024 07:17 Environmental activist and lawyer Enrique Viale warns about the dangers for climate and preservation of the environment of Javier Milei’s proposals. by Ariel Stemphelet
COP28 CONFERENCE Nuclear power has role to play, says atomic energy head Rafael Grossi 02-12-2023 10:08 It would be a mistake to reject nuclear power because of problems at a handful of projects, says Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
ENVIRONMENT Storms kill three, displace thousands in southern South America 04-11-2023 13:16 El Niño leaves thousands displaced by floods in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil.
Science & Nature Storms swell Iguazú waterfalls to near decade-high flow 31-10-2023 20:25 Heavy rains have swollen the famed Iguazú waterfalls, with the flow reaching gushing to 24.2 million litres per second – more than 16 times the falls' normal level.
ECONOMY & SOCIETY Trash is a lifeline for ‘los cartoneros,’ Argentina’s army of recyclers 20-10-2023 10:52 Argentina’s ‘cartoneros’ emerged in 2001, when the country experienced the worst economic, social and political crisis in recent history. Today, more than 150,000 people face the daily struggle of recycling rubbish in a nation stricken by crisis.
ENVIRONMENT Climate change main culprit for hot South American winter 10-10-2023 15:05 Global warming caused by human activity was the main driver of the recent heat wave that hit South America, a new report finds.
BIRD FLU FEARS Several sea lions on Atlantic coast die from suspected bird flu 30-08-2023 12:09 Animal health authorities in Argentina report death of more than 50 sea lions from suspected bird flu on the Atlantic coast, raising fears the virus could spread more easily among humans.
Lithium demand Lithium players race for breakthrough to meet electric car demand 30-08-2023 11:50 Dozens of firms aim to prove sceptics wrong as they push ahead with new lithium extraction methods.
ENVIRONMENT South America seeks roadmap to save Amazon at 'landmark' summit 08-08-2023 13:34 Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened what he called a "landmark" summit Tuesday, urging fellow South American leaders to chart an ambitious roadmap to save the Amazon rainforest.
ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE Huge blue whale washes ashore in southern Chile 07-08-2023 11:21 Enormous blue whale washes up onto a beach in the city of Ancud, on Chiloe island, southern Chile, probably after dying at sea.
latin america Deep ocean targeted for mining is rich in unknown life 24-07-2023 18:31 The Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean, a potential site for deep-sea mining, is found to be home to thousands of unknown and complex species, raising concerns about the potential ecological impact of mining activities.
Economy Argentina's trade gap hits record as drought foreshadows recession 20-07-2023 13:58 Argentina's worst drought in history led to a record trade deficit in June, raising recession fears as the economy faces a 3% contraction in 2023.
ENVIRONMENT Race against time to find fresh water for Uruguay's capital 14-07-2023 10:11 Uruguay is frantically laying pipes and digging wells as it races to find fresh sources of precious H2O amid a record drought.
SUMMIT IN PUERTO IGUAZÚ Mercosur meet ends with disputes over EU deal, trade, Venezuela 07-07-2023 12:49 Argentina, Brazil take aim at EU's environmental trade deal terms; Uruguay and Paraguay expose rift with Brasília and Buenos Aires over Maduro regime’s treatment of opposition politician in Venezuela.
DROUGHT EMERGENCY Thirsty Uruguayans launch quest to find underground water 11-06-2023 09:11 Water shortages in Montevideo, Uruguay's most populous city, remain "very critical"; Lacking freshwater reserves for the capital and its surroundings, drilling is underway to tackle the crisis.
indigenous rights With bows and spears, Brazilian indigenous 'warriors' defend the Amazon 09-06-2023 18:20 Guardians of the Brazilian Amazon: indigenous "warriors of the forest" take a stand with bows and spears, confronting illegal activities and defending their land and resources.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL French official: EU, Mercosur will 'take time' to conclude deal 06-06-2023 11:12 French government official says European Union and Mercosur both want to "take their time" to finalise trade deal.
Murder in the Amazon Lula leads tributes on anniversary of Amazon double murder 06-06-2023 11:03 Loved ones and admirers stage commemorations for British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who were murdered a year ago while documenting environmental crimes in the Amazon rainforest.
Celeste Saulo interview Incoming UN climate agency chief forecasts wind of change 03-06-2023 08:34 Celeste Saulo, the head of Argentina's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional since 2014 and the new incoming head of the UN's weather and climate agency, insists it's not too late to change how the climate crisis story ends.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL France: EU-Mercosur trade deal still long way from being signed 02-06-2023 13:34 Free-trade agreement is not close to being signed, French diplomatic source says.
ENVIRONMENT Celeste Saulo elected first female chief of World Meteorological Organization 01-06-2023 08:42 Celeste Saulo, who has headed Argentina's weather agency since 2014, elected as the first female leader of UN climate agency.
ENVIRONMENT Argentine in running to be UN weather agency's next chief 31-05-2023 10:13 The World Meteorological Organization, which plays a critical global role in tracking climate change, chooses a new leader this week to turbocharge that work over the next four years. UBA professor and the WMO's first vice-president Celeste Saulo is among the frontunners.
ENVIRONMENT Brazil's Amazonian city of Belém to host COP30 in 2025 28-05-2023 10:21 The city of Belém on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon has been chosen to host the COP30 round of global climate talks in 2025.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL European lawmakers urge environmental protections from Brazil 18-05-2023 20:45 European Union lawmakers tell Brazil to show it is serious about protecting the environment and Amazon rainforest iflong-stalled EU trade deal with Mercosur is to be finalised.
ENVIRONMENT Study: Half world's largest lakes and reservoirs drying up 18-05-2023 17:16 More than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are dwindling and placing humanity's future water security at risk, warns new study.
Minerals and metals EU nears critical-materials agreements with Argentina and Chile 17-05-2023 16:55 EU working on deals with Argentina and Chile that will widen access to critical minerals and metals such as lithium needed for electric-vehicle batteries.
ENVIRONMENT Patagonia's underwater defence against climate change 16-05-2023 14:27 Kelp forests are crucial for battling climate change by capturing carbon, but more than half of the world's kelp forests have been decimated by human activity and climate change.
ENVIRONMENT World's 'oldest' tree able to reveal planet's secrets 24-04-2023 10:40 In a forest in southern Chile, protected from fires and logging that decimated the species, a giant alerce tree has survived for thousands of years. Scientists see in its trunk a valuable record of how life adapts to the changes on the planet.
ENVIRONMENT United Nations reports 'off the charts' melting of glaciers 21-04-2023 09:45 United Nations says world's glaciers melted at dramatic speed last year and saving them is effectively a lost cause.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL EU explores options to tackle Latin America’s green deal worries 20-04-2023 17:34 Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay have expressed concerns about the impact of the European Green Deal.
Oil corruption Venezuela's oil minister resigns over graft probe 21-03-2023 12:24 Venezuela's oil minister Tareck El Aissami resigned on Monday after prosecutors opened a corruption investigation into officials at the state oil company PDVSA.
Rosangela 'Janja' da Silva Brazil's first lady turns heads, champions causes with fashion 16-03-2023 10:20 Whether sporting her party's colours on her wedding dress, breaking taboos, or rocking eco-friendly clothing, Brazil's new first lady is turning heads and making statements with her fashion choices.
SCORCHING SUMMER Forests in Corrientes Province burn amid heatwave, drought 14-03-2023 21:27 Raging fires have devoured some 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of forests in Corrientes Province in just days, officials reported Tuesday.
TRADE & DIPLOMACY Spain: EU closer than ever to unlock Mercosur trade deal 10-03-2023 10:39 Spain is confident that the European Union can finally unlock a free-trade agreement with a group of South American countries, including Brazil and Argentina, and push forward a process that has dragged on for decades.
BLOOMBERG - OPINION Why climate change is the greatest threat to human progress 07-03-2023 15:00 The Human Development Index is flashing red for the first time in three decades and adding to the urgency of reducing greenhouse gases.