Economy

Herbicides Come to Southwest Border Fight

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In an effort to fight illegal immigration, the United States Border Patrol plans to spray a chemical herbicide on tall plants near the Texas-Mexico border. The Carrizo cane is an invasive plant that grows up to 30 feet high and provides a cover for illegal border crossers, thieves and smugglers, according to the Houston Chronicle. Helicopters will spray the plants “until all plant life in the area is poisoned.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Border Patrol say the herbicide imazapyr is safe for animals, but critics say the chemical’s safety is questionable and could threaten the water supply of towns near the river. Government agents asked Nuevo Laredo’s water utility to turn off their water pumps before the spraying, reports El Paso’s Newspaper Tree.

Economy

U.S. Business Sees Green in Cuba Thaw

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Even as President Obama’s decision to make it easier to travel to Cuba from the United States gains support among Latin American leaders, businesses of all sorts are lining up to make the most of the new policy. The Obama administration lifted restrictions in March on family travel to Cuba, allowing Americans with family in Cuba to visit once a year, stay as long as they want and spend up to $179 a day, according to news media reports. Under President Bush, family visits to Cuba had been permitted only once every three years. Meanwhile, Cuba’s Latin American and Caribbean neighbors are opening doors and advocating for their communist neighbor. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on the United States to rethink its policy toward Cuba, the Associated Press reports.

Economy

Immigrants Sending Less Money Home

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Fewer hard-earned dollars are going to families in developing nations these days, as their immigrant relatives working abroad feel the pinch from the deepening recession. An Inter-American Development Bank study released in March showed remittances to Latin America from the United States at just over $69 billion in 2008 — nearly the same as in 2007. Yet the latest figures show as much as a 13 percent drop for some countries in January 2009, compared to the same period last year. Overall, 70 percent of Hispanic immigrants in the United States sent less money home last year, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. The Wall Street Journal reports that Bangladesh, too, had a ten percent drop in remittances between January and February.

Democracy & Civics

Access Denied to Cable Viewers?

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Catching school board meetings or locally produced talk shows on cable access systems will be more difficult for channel surfers due to changes in laws in several states. Public, educational and government stations, also know as PEGs, are fixtures on basic cable packages, made available as a public service requirement of the Communications Act of 1934. PEG stations televise town hall meetings, school plays and run quirky, locally produced talk shows with “Wayne’s World”-style theatrics. Yet California and Illinois are among 20 states that enacted laws allowing cable companies to end their support for PEG studio facilities, equipment and staff, and giving control of programming to state agencies rather than local communities. When California’s Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act took effect Jan.

World

A Bridge over Troubled (and Scarce) Water

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“Bridging Divides for Water” is the motto of the Fifth World Water Forum, currently taking place in Istanbul, and the biggest divide of all seems to be between those who see water as business and those for whom it is a human right. This conflict was highlighted by protesters who clashed with Turkish police, activists demanding an end to water privatization, and advocacy groups that staged their own sidebar conferences. These include the Istanbul Water Tribunal and the Alternative Water Forum, Al Jazeera reports. According to the United Nations, more than half of the planet’s six billion people don’t have adequate access to water, with climate change and population growth cited as two leading reasons why demand is outstripping water supplies. Then there is the issue of war and water.

Environment

Geo-Engineering: High Hopes, Climate Questions

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Some British scientists say “geo-engineering” is needed to counter the effects of global warming and maintain world temperatures at acceptable levels, according to a report in The Sunday Times. One proposed measure calls for massive planting of fast-growing trees, such as willows, to absorb more carbon dioxide. Another proposal would seed clouds with ocean water to form salt crystals, which would reflect more sunlight back toward the sun and away from the Earth. However, some critics say not enough is known about climate to manipulate it safely. Others argue that artificial solutions focus attention away from the real problem — the need to develop more environmentally friendly economies.

Economy

Wind Energy: Becalmed by Recession

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At a time when green energy is being touted as a potential booster for a slow global economy, a wind energy company in North Dakota has laid off nearly a quarter of its staff. The Telegraph reports that DMI Industries, one of the largest producers of wind-turbine towers, is suffering from a huge drop in demand just one year after seeing impressive growth. The company expanded its factories last year, when the U.S. wind industry doubled its activity, but was forced to lay off workers when banks and other lenders were hit by the slowdown. DMI’s president told the newspaper: “So many positive things have been said about renewable energy, but when the banks have problems, it has an impact on us too.” Some analysts say the investment slowed has undermined renewable energy’s potential to combat climate change.

Economy

Diplomas for Green-Collar Jobs

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College graduates are returning to school, to study up in the potentially lucrative environment and renewable energy sectors. The United States plans to invest billions in “green collar” jobs, encouraging some people to leave their professions for a fresh start in what they hope is a more promising field, reports The Toronto Star. “Historically, sustainability has gone down in priority during tough economic times, but it’s different this time,” Doug Webber of the Canada Green Building Council told the newspaper. A report published last year by the United Nations, estimated that 20 million jobs could be created with the investment in renewable energy by 2030. In response, colleges and universities adding new “green” degree programs.
–Brittany Owens/Newsdesk.org
Source:
“Colleges responding to need for ‘green collar’ workers”
Toronto Star, February 9, 2009

Democracy & Civics

Argentina: New Law Targets Violence Against Women

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A new law in Argentina broadens the definition of violence against women to include acts of aggression that go beyond the scope of the family setting. The legislation looks outside of the home by targeting sexual, psychological and even workplace degradation, reports Inter Press Service. Now, any act directed against a woman that causes “a loss of self-esteem” or tries to control a woman’s actions by “threats, harassment, bullying, manipulation, isolation” and more is illegal. Although the legislation looks good on the books, experts fear implementing it could be tough. Women’s advocates say the political will to overcome “machista” traditions, as well as adequate budgets for the institutions charged with enforcing the law, may be lacking.

Democracy & Civics

New Orleans May Lose Federal Housing Aid

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New Orleans has been sitting on nearly $34 million in federal housing aid it received since 1993, and needs to spend money soon if it wants to keep it The Times-Picayune reports. New Orleans officials have been directing the money to programs such as affordable housing, but have yet to actually spend any. A May 31 deadline has been set up for the city to spend $10 million in federal Housing and Urban Development money that has been unused for the past five years. Anthony Faciane, from the New Orleans Office of Recovery, said that he is confident that the deadline will be met, and implied that slow recovery from Hurricane Katrina was the problem. City council member Cynthia Willard-Lewis told the newspaper: “I agree it was a problem for six months to a year, but now we’re into four years since the storm.”