Computer Take-Back in Rio de Janeiro / A Lei Sobre E-lixo do Municipio de Rio de Janeiro
on Jun 22, 2009 in Electronic/Electrical Equipment Waste & Recycling benefícios fiscais Brasil Brazil computadores computer waste computers CPU e-lixo e-scrap e-waste fines fiscal benefits impressoras keyboards Lei Orgânica monitor multas PCUs printer RAEE reaproveitamento reciclagem recycling Rio de Janeiro take-back teclados WEEE Last week the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro (MRJ) (population 6 million) became the first major Brazilian city to adopt an e-waste law.  The law is rather short and simple.  It requires manufacturers and suppliers of computers are required to rec...

Ceará Adopts Lamp and Battery Take-Back Law
on Jun 19, 2009 in Electronic/Electrical Equipment Waste & Recycling baterias batteries Brasil Brazil Ceará Consumer Code fluorescent lamps lâmpadas fluorescentes lamps piles pilhas residuos waste Yesterday the governor of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará (CE) yesterday signed a law that would require the take-back of fluorescent lamps, batteries and piles.  The very brief and simple law requires vendors of such products in the stat...

$22 Mil. Loan to Help Guatemala’s Protected Areas / Prestamo de US$22 milliones para fortalecer las áreas protegidas de Guatemala
on Jun 19, 2009 in Conservation áreas protegidas Guatemala IDB Petén protected areas RIC SIGAP From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): Guatemala strengthens protections for sensitive areas through investments in land registration A $22 million IDB loan will finance the implementation of a physical cadastral registry for protected area...

Eye on Ads: Latin American Idol Urges Paper, Tetra-Pak Recycling
on Jun 19, 2009 in Eye on Ads Packaging Waste & Recycling ads American Idol aseptic packaging envase Latin American Idol Margarita Henriquez Vuela packaging packaging waste Panama papel paper PSAs reciclaje recycling residuos de envase Tetra-Pak waste An interesting ad from Panama, featuring Margarita Henriquez Vuela, the 2008 Latin American Idol winner (this is the Latin American version of the hit US television contest, American Idol) from Panama.  Paper packaging manufacturers and Tetra-Pak, t...

Still Possible to Challenge Projects on Environmental Grounds in Trinidad
on Jun 17, 2009 in Environmental Justice aluminum Alutrint EMA environmental clearance High Court La Brea National Energy Corporation National Gas Company Port-of-Spain Privy Council smelters spent pot lining SPL Sural Group Trinidad and Tobago Venezuela Just read an interesting article in IPS News about the latest development in community efforts in Trinidad to stop plans for two aluminum smelters on the island.  Trinidad’s High Court quashed the Environmental Management Authority’s (EM...

IDB Supports LAC Efforts to Combat A(H1N1) / BID apoya esfuerzas de ALC combatir el gripe A(H1N1) / BID apoia ALC combatir a influenza A(H1N1)
on Jun 17, 2009 in Health Issues A(H1N1) influenza América Central BID Central America disease surveillance IDB Mesoamer OMS OPS PAHO public health salud pública saúde pública vigilancia sanitaria WHO From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): IDB provides support for prevention and control of the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic in Latin America, Caribbean Japan top donor in Bank’s contribution to project aimed at strengthening disease surveill...

São Paulo’s Car Emissions Inspection Regime Unconstitutional?
on Jun 14, 2009 in Air Quality Motor Vehicles air pollution automobiles automoveis Brasil Brazil cars CONAMA Controlar DETRAN-SP inspeção veicular motor vehicles qualidade do ar Rio de Janeiro São Paulo vehicle emissions vehicles Stuck in a hotel lobby in the City of São Paulo, waiting since dawn to be allowed to check in my room, I have been catching up on my reading on Latin America environment, health and consumer affairs, in both electronic and print formats.  One of th...

The Largest Basin Clean-up Loan in Latin America
on Jun 11, 2009 in Sanitation Water Issues ACUMAR Argentina Banco Mundial Buenos Aires cleaner production industrial pollution industrial waste Matanza-Riachuelo Basin saneamiento water quality World Bank From the World Bank: World Bank: Approves Largest Sanitation Operation in Latin America for US$840 Million to Clean the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin in Argentina The Board of Directors of the World Bank today approved a loan for US$840 million in su...

São Paulo Adopts a WEEE Law
on Jun 9, 2009 in Electronic/Electrical Equipment Waste & Recycling acumuladores de energia aparelhos eletrodomésticos appliances baterias batteries Brasil Brazil componentes eletroeletrônicos computadores computers e-lixo e-scrap e-waste environment heavy metals labeling lixo tecnologico magnetized products meio ambiente metais pesados monitors periféricos peripherals pilhas produtos eletroeletrônicos produtos magnetizados RAEE reciclagem recycling residuos reuse reutilização rotulagem rótulo São Paulo substâncias tóxicas technological wastes toxic substances waste WEEE The state assembly of the state of São Paulo (SP) today passed a law on “technological trash” (lixo tecnológico) that is likely to have a significant impact on the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) product and component business...

An Online Database of Marine Protected Areas / Un base de datos online sobre las áreas marinas protegidas
on Jun 9, 2009 in Marine/Coastal Issues áreas marinas protegidas Cambridge Google Earth ICRAN IUCN marine environment marine protection areas PNUMA UNEP WCMC WDPA World Oceans Day From the UN Environment Programme (UNEP): UNEP launches new online system to view and study the world’s marine protected areas UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, UK At a time when the world’s oceans are facing unpre...