Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas
Americas Quarterly - Winter 2015 - Flooding in Manaus

Latin America and UN Climate Talks: Not in Harmony

When it comes to climate change, Latin American citizens and their leaders get the big picture. According to surveys, the region’s citizens are very worried about global warming, and its leaders frequently cite climate change as a major national security threat at United Nations conferences. However, the consensus appears to largely end there. National positions … Read more

 

Monday Memo: Venezuela Protests – Haiti Elections – Caribbean Energy – AT&T – Brazil Olympics

This week’s likely top stories: Venezuelan opposition leaders halt protests in Caracas; Haiti swears in its nine-member Provisional Electoral Council; the U.S. hosts the first-ever Caribbean Energy Security Summit; AT&T acquires Nextel Mexico; Rio’s environment secretary announces that Guanabara Bay will not be clean in time for the 2016 Olympic Games. Opposition Curbs Protests in … Read more

 

I’m No Scientist, But It’s Sure Hot in Rio

In last night’s State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke about climate change (among many other things) and challengd climate change skeptics who “try to dodge the evidence by saying they’re not scientists.” “Well, I’m not a scientist, either,” Obama said. “But you know what? I know a lot of really good … Read more

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Policy Updates

A snapshot of policy trends and successes in the region.

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Dispatches: Amazonas, Brazil

Glenn Cheney on the life-and-death struggle of Indigenous Tenharim to preserve their land and their resources. (slideshow available)

 

Geothermal Energy Potential Unleashed at COP20

Debates about renewable energy rarely focus on geothermal energy, despite its impressive potential. However, this may be changing: on December 8, the Geothermal Development Facility (GDF) was launched during the UN climate change talks in Lima, Peru, mobilizing $1 billion towards geothermal development across Latin America. Geothermal reservoirs are located on tectonic plate boundaries or … Read more

 

Peru Shares Proposal for Reducing Emissions

Peruvian Minister of the Environment Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who is presiding over this year’s United Nations summit on climate change in Lima, said on Tuesday that building a national carbon inventory will be his country’s first step for reducing emissions and formulating an “intended nationally determined contribution” (INDC), which countries will submit March 2015. INDCs, developed at … Read more

 

UN Climate Change Delegates Under Pressure to Reach Consensus

On assuming the presidency of the 20th Conference of Parties (COP20)  annual climate change conference in Lima on Monday, Peruvian Minister of the Environment Manuel Pulgar-Vidal reminded delegates from 194 countries that they should seize the opportunity to reach a global consensus to reduce emissions ahead of next year’s Paris agreement. “Never has it been … Read more

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Climate Change: COP 20 in Peru

As host of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in December, Peru has assumed a challenging burden. Ministers and high representatives of 195 countries and international organizations, along with roughly 15,000 visitors, will gather in Lima to mark the 20th annual session of the Conference of the Parties (known as COP 20)—the governing body … Read more

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Policy Updates

A snapshot of policy trends and successes in the region.

 

Colombia Submits Action Plan to EITI Secretariat

The extraction of natural resources, such as oil, gas, metals and minerals, is supposed to boost the economy and improve the quality of life of the residents of resource rich countries. However, in too many cases, resource extraction has led to social inequality, environmental degradation and corruption. In places like Colombia, it aggravates conflict. The … Read more

Marina Silva and the Uncertain Legacy of Chico Mendes

This article is part of “Connecting the Americas,” a collaborative project of Americas Quarterly and Zócalo Public Square. XAPURI, BRAZIL Entry into the Casa Chico Mendes Museum is free, but it’ll cost you $20,000 to visit the environmental activist’s assassin. He lives down the street—if you’re interested. I was. I recently visited Brazil’s dusty Wild … Read more

 

Monday Memo: Canadian Executive Jailed – Missing Mexican students – Venezuelan Bolivar – Murder Suspects in Peru – Colombian Hackers

This week’s likely top stories: Canadian businessman Cy Tokmakjian is sentenced to 15 years in Cuba; Mexico searches for 58 missing students; Venezuela’s bolivar hits a new low; Peru arrests two suspects in the murder of Indigenous activists; Colombian peace negotiator Humberto de la Calle says his e-mail was hacked. Canadian executive jailed in Cuba: … Read more

 

Mesoamerica’s Infrastructure Projects and Reducing Climate Change

This week, New York City hosted the Climate Summit 2014, an event aimed at shaping the world’s future developmental policies. Just one month earlier in Nicaragua, delegates from the Mesoamerican region met to analyze the social, environmental and economic impacts of severe droughts this year.   Proyecto Mesoamérica (Mesoamerican Project), launched in 2008 by heads … Read more

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AQ Slideshow: The People’s Climate March in New York City

Photos courtesy of David Mark Erickson and Daniel Edelman. Homepage photo by David Mark Erickson. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of New York City on Sunday to demand that world leaders take concrete steps to address climate change and its consequences. Just two days before government, business, and civil society leaders met … Read more

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