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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 28th 2023 - 11:34 UTC

Environment

  • Tuesday, March 14th 2023 - 09:38 UTC

    Amazon fires grip 90% of the area in first two months of 2023

    According to a report issued Monday by the Fire Monitor, an initiative of the Annual Mapping Project of Land Use and Land Cover in Brazil (MapBiomas) in partnership with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), the Amazon biome concentrated 90% of its areas with fires, representing 487,000 hectares. In the first two months of 2022, the area totaled 654,000 hectares. In the country's six biomes - Amazonia, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pampa, and Pantanal - there were fires over 536,000 hectares.

  • Friday, March 10th 2023 - 10:45 UTC

    Argentine soldier dies while training amid heat wave

    “It is with deep regret that we report the death of first-year cadet Lautaro Pilloud, during a service activity in the CMN,” the Argentine Army said

    An Argentine Army cadet died Monday during a training session in the middle of a heat wave, it was reported this week. A 21-year-old young man in the first year of his military career died during “physical training” practices at the National Military College (Officer's Academy - CMN).

  • Tuesday, March 7th 2023 - 10:18 UTC

    Rice an exception in drought-hit Uruguay

    The 2022-23 rice harvest will be similar to the previous one, Mattos explained

    Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou and Agriculture Minister Fernando Mattos spoke to reporters after attending the ceremony Monday marking the launch of the 2023 rice harvest, which will be one of the few items with something to celebrate in a country hit by drought.

  • Tuesday, March 7th 2023 - 09:23 UTC

    Lula gets call from King Charles III

    Lula and Charles had met in 2009 when the then-Prince of Wales visited the Planalto Palace

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva Monday held a telephone conversation with King Charles III to discuss environmental issues and bilateral ties, Agencia Brasil reported. The call took place around 3:30 pm Brazilian time and was included in the agenda released by the Planalto Palace.

  • Monday, March 6th 2023 - 07:24 UTC

    Oceans Conference in Panama results in 341 commitments

    Panama's Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney gave the closing speech after the two-day conference (Pic AFP)

    Attendees at the Oceans Conference in Panama agreed on 341 commitments to protect the world's seas from an environmental viewpoint. The new steps to look after the marine ecosystem, and combat pollution, illegal fishing, and other threats will include disbursements of around US$ 19.7 billion.

  • Friday, March 3rd 2023 - 09:11 UTC

    Record high temperatures recorded in Buenos Aires and other Argentine localities

    Thursday's temperatures fit the requirement and therefore heat waves were to be declared in various areas

    The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) Thursday equaled its all-time high temperatures dating back to March 7, 1952, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), thus making the capital one of the hottest places nationwide with 37.9 °C. Despite falling to 35.4 °C at 4 pm, the wind chill hit 43°C, the SMN said.

  • Thursday, March 2nd 2023 - 08:39 UTC

    Brazil bans cosmetics testing on animals

    Experiments with animals are already not allowed in the European Union

    The Brazilian Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva has banned the use of animals in cosmetics and perfume research. The measure also applies to products with proven safety and efficacy, Agencia Brasil reported Wednesday.

  • Thursday, March 2nd 2023 - 08:09 UTC

    Power cut hits nearly 40% of Argentine households

    Shortages of electricity and a strong heat wave stir memories of 1988/89 when inflation kept then-President Alfonsín from completing his term

    About 40% of Argentine households were reported to have been left powerless Wednesday afternoon amid unprecedented heat following “several failures in the interconnected system” stemming from a fire that “disturbed a 500 kw high voltage line that connects Campana with General Rodríguez” in the province of Buenos Aires, according to local media.

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2023 - 08:35 UTC

    Brazil reinstates task force to tackle climate change

    Kerry said Biden was interested in contributing to the Amazon Fund

    Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva was joined by US Presidential Envoy John Kerry when she announced on Tuesday that the government of Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva was creating a working group to tackle the effects of climate change by focusing on the fight against deforestation in the Amazon and the defense of indigenous peoples, Agencia Brasil reported.

  • Tuesday, February 28th 2023 - 08:38 UTC

    Antarctic ice reported to be at an all-time low

    It is not just barely a record low. Climate change is believed to have finally reached Antarctica, which, unlike the Arctic, had been relatively safe due to different geographical conditions

    Antarctic sea ice was reported last Feb. 13 to consist of just 737,000 square miles (1.91 million square kilometers). These figures meant a significant drop from the 741,000 square miles (1.92 million square kilometers) recorded on Feb. 25 last year by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).