Environment

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 00:50 UTC

  Japan and allies thwart South Atlantic Whale sanctuary at the IWC

  

  By a vote of 38 in favour to 21 opposed, the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary (SAWS) failed to meet the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) required 3/4 majority to pass and be established.

• Friday, June 29th 2012 - 01:18 UTC

  Emergency mobile hospitals in Santiago to treat bout of respiratory diseases

  

  Faced with a critical season of respiratory diseases and an increasingly unmet demand for medical services, Chilean authorities announced two military mobile hospital centres will be installed in Santiago this week.

• Thursday, June 28th 2012 - 21:23 UTC

  Greenpeace asks IWC for historic whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic

  

  Greenpeace and a vast coalition of environmental groups are calling on the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to establish a sanctuary in the South Atlantic Ocean that would protect Southern Hemisphere whales from commercial whaling for their entire lives.

• Thursday, June 28th 2012 - 07:31 UTC

  Punta Arenas will host IAATO’s 24th annual meeting in April next year

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) announced on Wednesday that Punta Arenas, Chile would be the site of its 24th Annual Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for April 22-24, 2013.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 01:02 UTC

  Lonesome George, last giant tortoise of its subspecies dies in Galapagos

  

  Staff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador announced Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died. Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old.

• Friday, June 22nd 2012 - 23:30 UTC

  UN Rio+20 summit to redefine sustainable development for mega-cities

  

  By Lord Julian Hunt - One of the most striking changes at Rio+20, compared to the original 1992 Earth Summit, is the extensive discussion of population issues.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 16:42 UTC

  Uruguay/Argentina agree to 3-month hake ban in the shared maritime zone

  

  Argentina and Uruguay agreed a ban on hake catching in the shared maritime zone beginning next July first, confirmed on Thursday Uruguayan Aquatic Resources Department (Dinara) sources.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 09:48 UTC

  Inclusive Wealth Indicator, with human capital data, discussed at Rio+20

  

  A new index that measures a nation's wealth by taking into account factors such as natural resources, social stability and wellbeing, has painted Colombia and Venezuela in a very different light to that suggested by their GDP (gross domestic product) — the traditional measure of a country's success.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 06:29 UTC

  Ban Ki-moon at Rio+20: “the old model for economic and social development is broken”

  

  More than 100 Heads of State and government gathered on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro for the start of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which seeks to shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 06:23 UTC

  Rio+20: Development banks to invest 175bn dollars in sustainable transport

  

  The eight largest multilateral development banks (MDBs) announced on Wednesday at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, that they will invest 175 billion dollars in sustainable transportation systems over the coming decade.