|
|
|
 Editorials | Environmental
««« Click HERE for Recent Environmental
Seals of Approval
 Andrew Curry
Once close to extinction, elephant seals are now the California coast's most curious wild attraction. From mid-December until early March, thousands of seals the size of four-wheel-drives arrive to fight and fornicate at publicly accessible beaches just an hour south of San Francisco.
Thank NAFTA for a Greener Mexico
 Froma Harrop
Before NAFTA, Mexico's environmental awareness was close to zero. Only a few artists and academics spoke out on the issue. By tying such concerns to trade, the Mexican government for the first time became accountable for environmental performance.
Amigos de Bucerias Speaker Night Finale
 Harold Sokolove
The final Amigos de Bucerias Simply Speaking of the “season” will feature representatives from the 2 sea turtle preservation programs in the Bahia de Banderas - Wednesday at 7pm.
Climate Target Is Not Radical Enough - Study
 Ed Pilkington
One of the world's leading climate scientists warns today that the EU and its international partners must urgently rethink targets for cutting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because of fears they have grossly underestimated the scale of the problem.
On the Trail of a Great White
 Jennifer Viegas
Researchers, and anyone else with Internet access, may now track near real-time movements of a juvenile great white shark that was released into the wild by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which featured the toothsome predator in an exhibit that lasted 5 1/2 months.
Montes Azules: México’s Stolen Wealth
 Alejandra Juarez
In 1978 president Echeverría signed a decree setting aside over 300,000 hectares of land within the Lacandona as a bio-reserve (Montes Azules). The inhabitants were not consulted.
 Just Monkey Business and Then Some
 Laura Gelezunas
Nestled between the Sierra Madres jungles and the sheltered waters of Banderas Bay, Las Caletas is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth where you can get up close and personal with tropical birds, marine mammals and other wildlife.
Russian-American Research Team Examines Origins of Whaling Culture
 Kerynn Fisher
Recent findings by a Russian-American research team suggest that prehistoric cultures were hunting whales at least 3,000 years ago, 1,000 years earlier than was previously known.
Nobel Scientist Warns on Climate Change
 Tom Brown
The Nobel Prize-winning scientist who rang the first alarm bells over the ozone hole issued a warming about climate change on Saturday, saying there could be "almost irreversible consequences" if the Earth warmed 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees F) above what it ought to be.
Polluted Mexico City Bans Smoking
 Anahi Rama & Mica Rosenberg
Mexico City on Thursday banned cigarette smoking in all public places, from bars to office buildings, to reduce the amount of carcinogens inhaled by residents of the smog-filled capital.
US Firms Adopt New Climate Reporting Rules
 Sarah Griffiths
A coalition of 75 states, firms and non-profit groups from across the US, Canada and Mexico yesterday launched a new carbon reporting protocol designed to standardise how they report greenhouse gas emissions.
Bill Gates Boosts Fight Against Killer Wheat Fungus
 Debora MacKenzie
The battle against the wheat disease Ug99 just got more serious. On Wednesday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would give $26.8 million over the next three years for research to breed new wheat strains that resist the fungus.
Vallarta Verde Ecology Concert
 PVNN
Stop by the Isla Rio Cuale on Sunday, April 6th for the Fiesta Ecologico, a free all-day concert organized by Vallarta Verde, a group of young and ardent ecology-minded activists who are working to foster "green" thinking among Vallartenses.
Socialists: Re-Thinking Electric Cars and Automobile Industry
 Stewart A. Alexander
In March 2006, while running as a candidate for California Lieutenant Governor, I introduced a $75 billion plan that was designed to revive the struggling U.S. automobile industry; manufacturing electric cars and hydrogen vehicles.
Environmental Rules Waived for Mexican Border Fence
 Richard Marosi & Nicole Gaouette
In an aggressive move to finish 670 miles of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border by the end of the year, the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday announced plans to waive federal and state environmental laws.
Study Finds Concerns with Biofuels
 Sean Wagner
Biofuels are widely considered one of the most promising sources of renewable energy by policy makers and environmentalists alike. However, unless principles and standards for production are developed and implemented, certain biofuels will cause severe environmental impacts and reduce biodiversity – the very opposite of what is desired.
Gore Launches Ambitious Advocacy Campaign on Climate
 Juliet Eilperin
Former vice president Al Gore will launch a three-year, $300 million campaign Wednesday aimed at mobilizing Americans to push for aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, a move that ranks as one of the most ambitious and costly public advocacy campaigns in U.S. history.
Earth Hour '08: Will It Matter?
 Bryan Walsh
It only lasts an hour Saturday evening in cities around the world, but Carter Roberts thinks that by switching off the lights, and raising global awareness, Earth Hour can start to address the crisis that is global warming.
Can You Rescue a Rainforest? The Answer May be Yes
 Joan Curtiss
Half a century after most of Costa Rica's rainforests were cut down, researchers from the Boyce Thompson Institute took on a project that many thought was impossible - restoring a tropical rainforest ecosystem.
 Nh Hoteles Invites Children and Youth to Participate in the 2008 Drawing Contest
 PVNN
As a responsible member of the Puerto Vallarta community and tourism industry, Hotel Nh Krystal Vallarta is inviting children and teens to participate in their 2008 Environmental Awareness Drawing Contest, which continues through April 18th.
Massive Chunk of Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapses
 Seth Borenstein
A chunk of Antarctic ice bigger than the city of Montreal has suddenly collapsed, putting an even greater portion of glacial ice at risk, scientists said Tuesday.
Why Are Thousands of Bats Dying in New York?
 Michael Hill
Bats in New York and Vermont are mysteriously dying off by the thousands, often with a white ring of fungus around their noses, and scientists in hazmat suits are crawling into dank caves to find out why.
U.S. Jaguars Threatened by Mexico Border Fence
 Tim Gaynor
In this election year, Washington hopes to complete 670 miles of pedestrian fencing and vehicle barriers in a bid to seal off some of the most heavily crossed areas of the nearly 2,000-mile border, despite opposition from some landowners and environmentalists.
Mexican Biodiversity - 6 Species in Peril
 Allan Wall
Home to over 200,000 species, Mexico's collection of flora and fauna makes it the world's 11th most biologically diverse country. But, as everywhere, there are conservation problems in Mexico that put various species in peril of extinction.
The Monarch Butterfly's Mysterious Migration
 Agence France-Presse
Each autumn, millions of Monarch butterflies embark on a treacherous journey across North America to the same forest in central Mexico - a migration that baffles scientists as much as it enthralls nature lovers.
Study Warns: Arctic Ocean – From Thick Ice To Endless Pool
 Dee Chisamera
The effects of global warming have already begun to manifest, scientists warned at a NASA conference. Following satellite observations, they reported two simultaneous situations, one on short term and the other one on long term.
Climate Change Deepening World Water Crisis
 Thalif Deen
When U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last January, his primary focus was not on the impending global economic recession but on the world's growing water crisis.
Semarnat: Mexico's Most Polluted Beaches
 PVNN
According to Juan Rafael Elviara Quesada, the head of Semarnat, Mexico's Environmental and Natural Resources Agency, the most polluted beaches in the country are in Zihuatanejo, Guerro, Campeche, and Mismaloya in Jalisco.
AOS Gives Research Grant to Vallarta Botanical Gardens
 Fred Mather
The American Orchid Society, an organization recognized as an authority on orchids and is known worldwide, has given the Vallarta Botanical Gardens a seed money grant to plan a meeting for orchid conservation in the Cabo Corrientes region of Mexico.
Reciclamos! Is Community Recycling a Sustainable Livelihood in Coastal Mexico?
 Mneesha Gellman & Josh Dankoff
Luz and Marta spend their days sorting through the old beer bottles and plastic milk jugs of Mexican residents and tourists alike, but they aren’t doing it on top of a garbage dump, as happens in many other Mexican cities and in developing countries around the world.
Tiny Mexican Porpoise Near Extinct from Fish Nets
 Tomas Sarmiento
The vaquita, a tiny stubby-nosed porpoise found only in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, is on the brink of extinction as more die each year in fishing nets than are being born, biologists say.
Vallarta Verde Fiesta Ecologico
 Barbara Sands
Stop by Cuiza on Isla Rio Cuale, on Sunday, April 6th between 11 am and 8 pm for a Fiesta Ecologico to be held by Vallarta Verde, a group of ecology-minded activists who have launched a new initiative to foster "green" thinking among Vallartenses.
Six Species Under Threat in Mexico
 Charlie Devereux
Home to up to 10 percent of all known species, Mexico is recognized as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The twin threats of climate change and human encroachment on natural environments are, however, threatening the existence of the country's rich wildlife.
Ethanol Craze Raises Concerns
 Murray Whyte
For all the hype, the future of corn-based ethanol is less than assured. Research is pouring into deriving ethanol from less intensive, non-food crops like prairie grass, and even crop waste.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us
