FEBRUARY 2008

Around the Region

Colombian court throws out disputed forestry law

Ruling in one of its most important environmental cases in years, Colombia’s highest court has overturned a forestry law that critics said would open vast tracts of primary forests to commercial logging.

Key environment appointment in Mexico angers green groups

Mexican environmental groups are panning President Felipe Calderón’s choice to head Mexico’s foremost environmental-enforcement office, charging that the appointee, a former governor, has little known interest in—or knowledge of—green issues.

Argentina’s new president pushing sugar-mill cleanup

After a post-inaugural summer vacation, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner used her first official appearance of 2008 to propose a cleanup of the Salí-Dulce basin, one of Argentina’s most important watersheds.

Kirchner announced the initiative last month with the governors of the five provinces that share the 22,000-square-mile (57,000-sq-km) watershed—Catamarca, Córdoba, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.

Colombia ignores pledge to Indians, plans new Sinú dam

For years, the Emberá-Katío Indians fought plans by the Colombian government to build a 350-megawatt hydroelectric dam along the Sinú River that would supply much-needed energy to the national grid, prevent winter flooding of the Sinú Valley—and permanently inundate large expanses of farm and pastureland.