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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 BRASILIA 002184 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV 
TREASURY FOR USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB 
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: LIZ MAHEW 
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN 
INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY 
INTERIOR FOR NPS: JONATHAN PUTNAM 
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: J WEAVER 
JUSTICE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON 
USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: G FLANLEY 
NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR
SUBJECT: SOUTH AMERICA ESTH NEWS, NUMBER 102 
 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  001.2 OF 014 
 
 
¶1.  The following is the one hundred second in a series of 
newsletters, published by the Brasilia Regional Environmental Hub, 
covering environment, science and technology, and health news in 
South America.  The information below was gathered from news sources 
from across the region, and the views expressed do not necessarily 
reflect those of the Hub office or our constituent posts. 
Addressees who would like to receive a user-friendly email version 
of this newsletter should contact Larissa Stoner at 
stonerla@state.gov.  The e-mail version also contains a calendar of 
upcoming ESTH events in the region.  NOTE: THE NEWSLETTER IS NOW 
ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE BRASILIA INTRANET PAGE, BY CLICKING ON THE 
'HUB' LINK. 
 
¶2. Table of Contents 
 
Agriculture 
--(3)Paraguay: The Dark Side of the Soy Boom 
--(4)'Roundtable on Responsible Soy' Members Meet in Mato Grosso, 
Brazil 
 
Health 
--(5)Colombia: Malaria Winning the Battle in Choco 
--(6)Peru: Malaria Moves In Behind the Loggers 
--(7)New Web Portal Connects Tropical Disease Research 
 
Forests 
--(8)International Tropical Timber Council Commits US$4 Million for 
Tropical Forest Law Enforcement 
 
Wildlife 
--(9)Brazil: Scientist Claims to Find New Pig Species 
 
Science & Technology 
--(10)Chile: Pressure from Researchers May Lead to Increase in 
Budget 
 
Infrastructure Development 
--(11)Plans for Highway Linking Chile, Brazil and Landlocked 
Bolivia 
--(12)Brazil-Bolivia: Challenge Blocks Amazon Dams 
--(13)South American Gas Pipeline Will Connect Caribbean with 
Pacific Ocean 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  002.2 OF 014 
 
 
--(14)Revolt in the Andes: A Vote of Sorts against Big Mines 
 
Pollution 
--(15)Life in Peru's most polluted town 
--(16)Chile: Authorities Outraged Over New Leak at Los Pelambres 
Mine 
 
Energy 
--(17)Brazil: Greenpeace Pledges Legal Action to Block Construction 
of Nuclear Plant 
--(18)Colombia, Uruguay:  Study Names Top Would-Be Biodiesel 
Producers 
--(19)Q&A With Corporate Social Responsibility Expert on Chile's 
Proposed Aysen Dams 
--(20)Germany to Support Chilean Renewable Energy Efforts 
 
Climate Change 
--(21)The Carbon Calculus 
--(22)Brazil Considers Targets For Amazon Deforestation Reduction 
 
General 
--(23)Amazon Fire Wars Exacerbate Global Warming 
--(24)Environment-Latin America: Same Old Problems, Says UNEP 
Report 
 
 
 
----------- 
Agriculture 
----------- 
 
¶3. Paraguay: The Dark Side of the Soy Boom 
 
NOV. 08, 2007 - Paraguay has become the world's fourth largest 
exporter of soy, behind the United States, Brazil and Argentina. 
According to the Agriculture Ministry, soy is grown on 2.4 million 
hectares of land and accounts for 38 percent of the country's 
agricultural production. The Paraguayan Chamber of Cereals and 
Oilseeds Exporters (CAPECO) announced that their goal for 2008 is to 
expand soy cultivation to four million hectares and to double export 
revenues from the commodity, which in the first quarter of 2007 
amounted to 780 million dollars.  But that figure fails to reflect 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  003.2 OF 014 
 
 
the social and environmental consequences of the expansion of soy 
cultivation, according to the documentary "Soberania violada" 
(Violation of Sovereignty).   The documentary, produced by a 
Paraguayan team, portrays the drama of campesino (small farmer) 
communities that experience the spread of soy plantations as a 
threat to their survival.  According to the documentary, intensive 
soy production has caused a fall in traditional activities like 
timber extraction, cattle ranching and even production of cotton, 
which used to be the country's main agricultural export.  The area 
under cotton cultivation has dropped from 509,000 hectares in 1990 
to only 160,000 hectares in 2006. 
 
Source - IPS News 
 
¶4. 'Roundtable on Responsible Soy' Members Meet in Mato Grosso, 
Brazil 
 
NOV. 12, 2007 - The Principles, Criteria, and Development Group (of 
the Roundtable on Responsible Soy Production) had its first meeting 
in Mato Grosso, Brazil, in October 2007. The group is composed of 
individuals from different countries including Argentina, Belgium, 
Brazil, China, Holland, India and USA. The two central objectives of 
the group are:  1) to develop a set of standards of responsible soy 
value chains, which outline what is meant by responsible production, 
processing and commerce of soy beans and soy bean products; and 2) 
to develop an associated verification system.  The goals of the work 
were refined during the meeting, with the participants concluding 
that while producers will necessarily play a significant role in 
implementing responsible production, the work of the group needs to 
address responsibility along the whole soy value chain, to avoid 
placing an unfeasibly large burden on the producers. 
 
Source - Roundtable on Responsible Soy 
 
------ 
Health 
------ 
 
¶5. Colombia: Malaria Winning the Battle in Choc 
 
NOV. 03, 2007 - In the context of the decades-long Colombian civil 
war, many who flee the fighting in infested areas carry malaria with 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  004.2 OF 014 
 
 
them.  According to the non-governmental Consultancy for Human 
Rights and Displacement, between 1999 and 2006, nearly 70,000 people 
were displaced in the Choco region, whose population is about 
800,000.  As of September of this year, 19,971 cases of malaria had 
been reported in Choco, and in 2006 there were 12,441, but the 2007 
increase is due to previous "under-reporting". The highest numbers 
were 31,713 in 1998, and close to 32,000 in 2002, says Palacios. 
Malaria is endemic across much of Colombian territory.  More than 25 
million people of the national population of 45 million live in 
malaria zones, according to official data.  In 2004 there were 25 
malaria deaths reported, according to the Ministry of Social 
Protection, and 123,177 cases, more than 47 percent in the 
western-Pacific region, where Choco is located.  Colombia signed on 
to the global campaign to "Roll Back Malaria" by half by 2010, but 
the country doesn't seem to be on the road to achieve that goal. 
 
Source - IPS News 
 
¶6. Peru: Malaria Moves In Behind the Loggers 
 
OCT. 31, 2007 - Malaria has returned to the many villages only 
accessible by boat in the Peruvian Amazon, inflicting on the 
inhabitants days of fever, permanent anemia and - in the worst cases 
- death.  Article continues 
 
 
 
In Peru, malaria was almost eradicated 40 years ago, but this year 
64,000 cases have been registered in the country, half of those in 
the Amazon region. It is thought there are many more unregistered 
cases deep within the massive and humid rainforest, where health 
authorities find it almost impossible to gain access.  Two 
scientific reports last year linked malaria with deforestation. 
Peruvian researchers found that frontier areas cleared of trees for 
logging, settlements, roads, farming or mining were far more likely 
to harbor malaria-carrying mosquitoes.  Deforestation is allowing 
the mosquito to move to new areas, spreading malaria to places where 
people are not aware of the disease, where villagers lack the means 
to get hold of mosquito nets and preventive medicines, and where 
health authorities have no presence. 
 
Source - The Guardian 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  005.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
¶7. New Web Portal Connects Tropical Disease Research 
 
OCT. 31, 2007 - A web portal to help people identify and use vital 
information related to infectious diseases was launched at Forum 11, 
the annual meeting of the Global Forum for Health Research. 
TropIKA.net, run by the Special Program for Research and Training in 
Tropical Diseases (TDR), will provide free information chosen by 
experts for practical use in infectious disease studies.  Ridley 
said that increased funding for tropical diseases, along with 
open-access efforts from publishers and research institutes, has led 
to large amounts of available information, but this is often 
dispersed across various sources and offers inconsistent 
conclusions.  At TropIKA.net, leading experts in the field are 
invited to analyze the scientific literature to provide clear 
information of its worth to researchers in developing countries for 
their work in tropical diseases. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
------- 
Forests 
------- 
 
¶8. Tropical Timber Council Commits US$4 Million for Tropical Forest 
Law Enforcement 
 
NOV. 15, 2007 - The forty-third session of the International 
Tropical Timber Council (ITTC 43) took place from 5-10 November 
2007, in Yokohama, Japan.  The Council approved 15 projects and 
three pre-projects, and pledged US$ 5.6 million in project 
financing.  The Council also approved the International Tropical 
Timber Organization (ITTO) Biennial Work Program for 2008-2009, with 
a total budget of US$ 9.2 million.  Part of the funding announced at 
this session included US$ 4 million targeted at Tropical Forest Law 
Enforcement and Trade, provided by a major contribution by the 
Netherlands coupled with Japan, the US, Australia, Norway and the 
Japan Lumber Importers Association. The Council also reviewed the 
status of ITTA, 2006, which has only been ratified by the US, 
Malaysia Switzerland and Poland, but which must be ratified by ten 
consumer and twelve producer countries before it enters into force. 
 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  006.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
Source - ITTO 
 
-------- 
Wildlife 
-------- 
 
¶9. Brazil: Scientist Claims to Find New Pig Species 
 
NOV. 06, 2007 - A Dutch scientist thinks he has discovered a new 
species of wild pig nearly twice the size of other pigs in Brazil's 
Amazon region.  At four feet long and 90 pounds, the pig is the 
latest in a string of new species that Marc van Roosmalen reported 
to have found since 1996. His findings were published in the Oct. 29 
edition of the German scientific journal Bonner Zoologische 
Beitrage.  Van Roosmalen, said his discovery of the peccary _ a kind 
of wild pig he dubbed Pecari maximus _ points out the need to 
protect the region as a habitat for wild species. Van Roosmalen's 
success in discovering new species in the Amazon has earned him 
international acclaim. 
 
Source - Washington Post 
 
-------------------- 
Science & Technology 
-------------------- 
 
¶10. Chile: Pressure from Researchers May Lead to Increase in Budget 
 
NOV. 02, 2007 - A protest led by Chilean scientists pressed the 
Government of Chile to request from Parliament that the Science and 
Technology budget for 2008 be increased by 25 percent, compared to 
the budget proposed in September.  More than one-thousand 
researchers, university directors, and science students gathered in 
from of Chile's Science and Technology Commission (CONICYT) on 
October 26th to demand an increase in the science budget for the 
country.  "We are worried, [the government] invites us to build an 
economy based on knowledge, but they do not value scientific work 
appropriately," says Jorge Babul, president of the Council of 
Scientific Societies, who led the protest.  According to the press 
report, the Parliament should come to a decision over the next few 
days. 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  007.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
-------------------------- 
Infrastructure Development 
-------------------------- 
 
¶11. Plans for Highway Linking Chile, Brazil and Landlocked Bolivia 
 
NOV. 15, 2007 - The presidents of Chile, Bolivia and Brazil want to 
step up plans to build a highway from the Pacific to the Atlantic 
oceans that would boost trade, Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro 
Foxley said in Santiago.  The highway would run from the Santos port 
in Brazil, cut through Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and end at the northern 
Chilean ports of Arica and Iquique. The highway would give 
land-locked Bolivia key maritime access.  Foxley said the 
presidents: Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Bolivia's Evo Morales and 
Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, discussed the issue during a 
summit of Latin American leaders. 
 
Source - MercoPress 
 
¶12. Brazil-Bolivia: Challenge Blocks Amazon Dams 
 
OCT. 20, 2007 - Brazil's government plans to build two hydroelectric 
dams -- the Jirau and San Antonio -- on an uneven stretch of the 
Madeira River, in the western Brazilian state of Rondonia, with 
energy production potentials of 3,300 and 3,150 megawatts, 
respectively.  A recent report from the Bolivian Forum on the 
Environment and Development called for an accord between the two 
countries as "the only possible approach for making the project for 
exploitation of the Madeira River effective".  In addition, "a more 
in-depth analysis" of the possibility of trans-border alterations in 
water flow was called for during the Forum.  Bolivian demands could 
prolong the discussions about the project, whose Environmental 
Impact Assessment will be reviewed in four hearings in November. 
The Brazilian authorities have said, for now, that they are willing 
to listen to their neighbors.   The fact that Brazil shares the 
Madeira River with Bolivia complicates the energy projects, but its 
bilateral exploitation would be beneficial, according to Luiz 
Pereira, director of the non-governmental Institute for the 
Strategic Development of the Electrical Sector. "Energy integration 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  008.2 OF 014 
 
 
is a good solution for Brazil and South America, with the aim of 
overcoming dominant sources of energy, like Bolivian natural gas and 
the gigantic hydroelectric Itaipu dam, which Brazil shares with 
Paraguay." 
 
Source - IPS News 
 
¶13. South American Gas Pipeline Will Connect Caribbean with Pacific 
Ocean 
 
OCT. 14, 2007 - The presidents of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador 
announced Oct. 12th that new Ballenas-Maraciabo international 
pipeline will be extended across Colombia to create the first 
transoceanic pipeline on the continent.  President [Hugo] Chavez 
said that plans were ready to connect the pipeline with Central 
America and the Andean countries of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 
President Chavez also announced plans to connect the pipeline with 
Panama and from there head north into Central America, expanding the 
Union of South American Nation's (Unasur) plans to create a regional 
energy grid to supply the continents increasing energy needs. 
According to the article, there is currently a continental push for 
greater integration, which was launched by the 12 presidents of the 
South American nations in 2000. The success of the movement so far 
has been mixed, with the northern half of the continent moving 
forward on projects like the Ballenas-Maracaibo pipeline while the 
southern cone remains bogged down in conflicts like that between 
Argentina and Chile [over LNG]. 
 
Source - South Affairs Blog 
 
¶14. Revolt in the Andes: A Vote of Sorts against Big Mines 
 
SEPT. 20, 2007 - Many of the world's top mining companies have made 
big investments in Peru and are now ramping up output just when 
world prices for minerals are at record highs.  The industry is 
booming, as is the economy. But in the Andean highlands that contain 
the mineral deposits, some Peruvians are turning against the mining 
companies.  The latest battle is at Rio Blanco, a remote spot close 
to the border with Ecuador where the Andes meet the Amazon, forming 
a misty cloud forest.  On September 16th a loose coalition of 
environmentalists, Catholic priests, and foreign NGOs held an 
unofficial referendum in the three affected districts. Of the 17,971 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  009.2 OF 014 
 
 
votes cast (a 60% community turnout, according to organizers), all 
but 984 voted against the mine. Opponents say the mine would pollute 
rivers that are vital for farmers in fertile valleys downstream and 
accuse the company of ignoring local opinion. More broadly, they 
argue that mining has failed to develop the Peruvian highlands.  In 
response to the protests, mining companies are spending more on 
community development.  According to the press article, it is time 
for Peru to create an environmental agency focused on environmental 
and social conflicts caused by large mining projects, rather than 
rely on a minute representation of environmental concerns within the 
Mining Ministry. 
 
Source -The Economist 
 
--------- 
Pollution 
--------- 
 
¶15. Life in Peru's most polluted town 
 
NOV. 15, 2007 - The Blacksmith Institute, a US-based environmental 
think tank, has ranked La Oroya as one of the top 10 most polluted 
places in the world for the last two years.  La Oroya, home to more 
than 30,000 people, is a company town and many residents say nothing 
about the pollution for fear of losing their jobs.  Three years ago 
the Peruvian health ministry (MINSA) found that 99.9% of children in 
La Oroya under the age of seven had blood lead levels far above safe 
norms.   And a recent study of newborn babies by neurologist Dr Hugo 
Villa showed a quarter of those tested had dangerously high lead 
levels in their blood.  The smelter was already 75 years old when 
the Peruvian state sold it in 1997 to the US-based Doe Run 
Corporation (privately-held) on the condition that emissions would 
be cut. Doe Run says that at the time of sale, Peru had only just 
begun conforming to international environmental laws, and the plant 
was completely unregulated.  The Peruvian Labor Association and 
Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense say their 
studies indicate toxic emissions have actually increased in the last 
decade, in some cases substantially. 
 
Source - BBC 
 
¶16. Chile: Authorities Outraged Over New Leak at Los Pelambres Mine 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  010.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
NOV. 01, 2007 - Chilean authorities expressed outrage when informed 
of a toxic leak at a tailings dam in Region IV's Los Pelambres Mine. 
That leak, which lasted five hours before mine officials notified 
authorities, was disclosed to the press four days later.  Los 
Pelambres Mine is 60 percent owned by Chile's powerful Luksic family 
and administered by Antofagasta Minerals, the mining arm of the 
family's economic empire. This is the second time since August that 
the plant has been responsible for a toxic spill. Radio Universidad 
de Chile reported that toxic residue flowed from the facility at a 
rate of 128 liters per second, resulting in a spill of more than 
300,000 liters in the surrounding area. Officials believe that the 
waste traveled some two kilometers before entering the nearby 
Cuncumen River and its tributaries. A faulty pump, they say, was the 
source of the accident. 
 
Source - Santiago Times 
 
------ 
Energy 
------ 
 
¶17. Brazil: Greenpeace Pledges Legal Action to Block Construction of 
Nuclear Plant 
 
NOV. 06, 2007 - Greenpeace announced it is seeking court injunctions 
to block the construction of a third nuclear power plant in Brazil. 
The environmental group said it is seeking a restraining order from 
a federal court in Angra dos Reis, a coastal resort south of Rio de 
Janeiro and the site of Brazil's only two nuclear power plants. 
Nuclear plants Angra 1 and Angra 2 have an installed capacity of 
about 2,000 megawatts.  Angra 3 would raise capacity to 3,300 
megawatts at a cost of about US$3.6 billion, according to the Mines 
and Energy Ministry. The government said this year it could build an 
additional four to eight nuclear power plants after Angra 3. 
Greenpeace is claiming in its suits that the construction of Angra 3 
is "illegal and unconstitutional". It argues the plant lacks the 
express authorization of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the 
approval of Congress. 
 
Source - The Associated Press 
 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  011.2 OF 014 
 
 
¶18. Colombia, Uruguay:  Study Names Top Would-Be Biodiesel 
Producers 
 
OCT. 25, 2007 - Colombia, Ghana, Malaysia, Thailand and Uruguay are 
the top five developing countries likely to attract biodiesel 
investment because of their strong agricultural industries, relative 
stability and low debt, says a US study.  The analysis, 'A Global 
Comparison of National Biodiesel Production Potentials', was 
published October 24 in Environmental Science and Technology.  The 
analysis ranks 226 countries according to their potential to make 
large volumes of biodiesel at low cost.  The main objective was to 
identify developing countries already exporting large amounts of 
vegetable oil for profit - from palm or soybean crops for example- 
but who may not have considered the option of refining it into 
biodiesel.  According to the study, these countries could improve 
their trade balance - the difference between a county's imports and 
exports - by exporting biodiesel or using the fuel to satisfy their 
own energy needs. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
¶19. Q&A With Corporate Social Responsibility Expert on Chile's 
Proposed Aysen Dams 
 
OCT. 25, 2007 - Alternatives must be sought to building the five big 
hydroelectric dams planned by the HidroAysen company in Chile's 
Patagonia region, says Fernando Avila, executive director of the 
Association of Companies and Professionals for the Environment, 
AEPA, in an interview with Tierramerica.  The attorney is convinced 
that companies can make economic profits while maintaining operating 
practices that are compatible with environmental protection. Today 
what is needed is a "center for environmental technologies -- 
public-private -- which has the technical authority to resolve 
conflicts," he says.  For the complete Q&A please refer to the link 
below. 
 
Source - Tierramerica 
 
¶20. Germany to Support Chilean Renewable Energy Efforts 
 
OCT. 22, 2007 - The German government has pledged up to US$126 
million to fund Chilean research into renewable energy and energy 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  012.2 OF 014 
 
 
efficiency. A spokesperson for Chile's National Commission of Energy 
told SciDev.Net that the German government will donate US$11.5 
million and lend up to US$114.5 million for this renewable energy 
effort.  International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) - an 
initiative led by Germany - aims to promote the use of renewable 
energy sources such as solar energy, wind power, regenerative 
biomass, wave and tidal power worldwide.  It will also support 
national energy planning, research centers and technology transfer 
throughout the world, especially from industrialized nations to 
developing countries.  A bill on renewable energies - waiting to be 
approved by the Chilean parliament - aims to increase renewable 
energy production from its current level of 2.4 per cent to 8 per 
cent of total energy production in Chile by 2020. 
 
Source - SciDev 
 
-------------- 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
¶21. The Carbon Calculus 
 
NOV. 08, 2007 - A change is in the works that could go a long way 
toward making alternative energy less alternative, and more 
attractive to consumers and businesses.  [This] change would come 
from Washington, if Congress does what it has talked about and puts 
a price tag on greenhouse-gas emissions. Suddenly the carbon content 
of fuel, or how much carbon dioxide is produced per unit of energy, 
would be as important as what the fuel costs. In fact, it might 
largely define what the fuel costs.  That could shake up the 
economics of energy, handicapping some fuels and favoring others. 
Those that produce hefty emissions, like coal and oil, would likely 
look much worse. And some - sunlight, wind, uranium, even corn 
stalks and trash as well as natural gas - would probably look much 
better. "Carbon-negative" fuels that take carbon dioxide out of the 
atmosphere as they are made, might even become feasible. On November 
08, a Senate subcommittee approved a bill to establish a 
cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide, and the Democratic 
leadership is eager to have the Senate pass it by year's end. 
Prospects in the House are less certain. 
 
Source - The New York Times (please contact Larissa Stoner for 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  013.2 OF 014 
 
 
complete article) 
 
¶22. Brazil Considers Targets For Amazon Deforestation Reduction 
 
OCT. 26, 2007 - Environment Minister Marina Silva stated that the 
Government of Brazil is beginning to examine the adoption of targets 
for reducing the deforestation of the Amazon, but that mandatory 
goals would only be acceptable if the country received foreign 
assistance to meet them. "We want to change the development model, 
but for that we need help, because reducing deforestation helps the 
entire planet," the minister reportedly said. 
 
Source - Public Affairs US Embassy Brasilia 
 
------- 
General 
------- 
 
¶23. Brazil: Amazon Fire Wars Exacerbate Climate Change 
 
NOV. 05, 2007 7 In Brazil, it's the end of the burning season, when 
people use fire to clear land for farms and ranches. But people also 
use fire as a weapon in range wars to push others off their land. 
Scientists say this fire cycle is not just destroying parts of the 
Amazon's southern forests, but altering the climate as well.  It's 
common in the frontier here for squatters or land grabbers to set 
fire to land to force owners off, especially when land title is in 
dispute. If they can show the owners aren't developing that land in 
the first place, it's theirs.  John Carter [from NGO Alianca da 
Terra, a USAID/Brazil grantee] is in the middle of one of these 
range wars. He's an American who has adopted Brazil as his home. His 
ranch covers 22,000 acres. He says more than 90 percent of it has 
just burned. And fires are still consuming what's left. 
 
Source - NPR 
 
¶24. Environment-Latin America: Same Old Problems, Says UNEP Report 
 
OCT. 25, 2007 - Urban poverty and chaotic urban growth, loss of 
biodiversity, degradation of marine ecosystems, water and air 
pollution are just a few of the serious environmental problems that 
continue to plague Latin America and the Caribbean, the U.N. 
 
BRASILIA 00002184  014.2 OF 014 
 
 
Environment Program says in a new global report.  "There are many 
pending tasks in South America," Chilean chemical engineer Hector 
Jorquera told IPS. "We have problems of pollution in cities and of 
scarcity of water resources, threatened and endangered species, 
over-exploitation of marine resources, and increasing risk of 
diseases (especially skin cancer) caused by the thinning of the 
ozone layer, which is having an extremely strong effect at the 
southern tip of the continent."  The UNEP report, drawn up by 390 
experts and reviewed by another 1,000 around the world, is the 
fourth "Global Environment Outlook: Environment for Development" 
(GEO-4) survey.  It describes the global changes seen since 1987 and 
assesses the current state of the atmosphere, land, water and 
biodiversity, while identifying priorities for action. 
 
Source - IPS News 
 
CHICOLA