05-22-2013 
The Senate Commission V of Colombia amended and approved the draft law (Law 244/12) banning the use of animals in circuses, allowing Plenary to pass this initiative. Read More
South American climate change think-tank launched
South America has got its first think-tank aimed at providing climate change knowledge to decision-makers to help them design tools tailored to local needs. Read More
North America: More condors die of lead poisoning
Since condors eat carrion, they ingest spent lead ammunition fragments as part of their diet. Lead poisoning is also suspected in the other four deaths. At least 38 condors have been killed by lead poisoning in Arizona and Utah. Read More
The Solar Impulse crosses United States
A solar-powered aircraft able to fly day and night on a mission to become the first aircraft to fly coast-to-coast across the United States without using a single drop of fuel. Read More
‘Window Socket’: Solar-Powered Plug Sticks To Window, Powers Anything
Stick it on any window — at home, in the office, car windshield, commuter train — where there’s decent sunlight, and the device automatically starts converting sunlight into electric energy. Read More
ESPECIAL REPORT: Three Years After the BP Spill in Gulf of Mexico Coast
April 20 marks the three-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which took the lives of 11 men and resulted in the largest oil spill in American history. BP, along with Transocean and Halliburton, are still in the midst of a civil trial held in New Orleans federal court over liability for the catastrophe. Read More
Ecuador’s Indigenous People Still Waiting to Be Consulted
On Nov. 28, 2012, hundreds of indigenous representatives converged in Quito to protest the lack of consultation prior to the 11th oil auction round, in which exploration blocks containing an estimated total of 1.6 billion barrels of crude oil would be put up for bids from private companies. Read More
Brazil Clones 1st Animal in the World from Adipose Cell
A calf of a zebu breed named Brasilia de Cerrado was born on April 23 at the experimental ranch of the Brazilian Agricultural and Livestock Research Company, or Embrapa, in Planaltina near Brasilia. Read More
Conflict of interests behind Peruvian highway proposal in the Amazon
As Peru’s legislature debates the merits of building the Purús highway through the Amazon rainforest, a new report by Global Witness alleges that the project has been aggressively pushed by those with a financial stake in opening up the remote area to logging and mining. Read More
Uruguay, Future Home of the World’s Cheapest Solar Energy
Uruguay is about to offer contracts to buy power from 200 megawatts of solar farms at $90/MWh, which is barely half the cost of power in China and Germany. Read More
Opinions Deeply Divided Over Fracking in Argentina
The enthusiasm of the government and oil and gas companies over Argentina’s unconventional fuel potential has come up against fierce opposition from communities living near the country’s shale gas reserves and environmental organisations. Read More
Chile officials investigate hundreds of dead animals washing up on shores
Chilean officials are investigating the death of hundreds of penguins, pelicans and other animals that are washing up on the county’s shores. Read More
Solar energy on the verge of scale-up in Latin America
Depending on how sunny it is, the price of electricity, and the cost of finance solar can compete directly on price in many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Read More
Eat insects to mitigate deforestation and climate change
A new 200-page-report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) urges human society to utilize an often-ignored, protein-rich, and ubiquitous food source: insects. Read More
New portable water filter uses nanoparticles to remove pollutants
The development of a simple point-of-use water filtration technology by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) is said to be effective for producing drinking water at a low-cost, using nanomaterials to filter and clean the water. Read More | 7 Comments
USA backs Antarctic reserve amid calls for fishing ban
Hailing the waters of Antarctica as a living laboratory, the United States has joined Australia and New Zealand in appealing for the creation of marine sanctuaries in the most remote and pristine part of the world. Read More | 4 Comments
The Andes could be solar energy hotspots
So far, hot and sunny regions have been hailed as the best for large-scale solar energy production, but the highest mountains in the Andes in South America, is an best place, With areas have a lot of sunshine and low temperatures help improve solar panel performance. Read More | 2 Comments
