Green Options » Bolivia

Will Chile Give Land-Locked Bolivia Ocean Access Via Tunnel? I Hope Not

Levi Novey — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:48:25 +0000

Technological innovations can solve some of the world’s biggest problems right? That’s what a firm of Chilean architects would like us to believe. They’ve come up with a creative idea for how land-locked Bolivia could regain access to the ocean. It was not too long ago, in 1883 to be exact, that Bolivia lost the little coastline it had in a war with Chile. Since it’s only be gone for a short time, now’s the perfect time to get it back!

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Dengue Fever Outbreak Far Worse Than Swine Flu

Bryan Nelson — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:16:52 +0000

While the world quivers over a potential Swine Flu pandemic, a far deadlier outbreak of dengue fever has gone comparatively under-reported in South America and Australia.

Hundreds of thousands have been infected in South America, and in Australia the outbreak is being called the worst seen in 50 years. While the swine flu scare may be an overreaction in comparison, both outbreaks do highlight a clear link between environmental degradation and the spread of disease.

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World’s Highest Ski Run Melted Away

Derek Markham — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:01:36 +0000

Bolivia’s Chacaltaya Glacier, once known as the world’s highest ski run at 17,388 feet, has completely melted away, serving as a vivid example of the effects of climate change on the glaciers around the globe.

“Chacaltaya has disappeared. It no longer exists.” - Dr. Edson Ramirez, Institute of Hydraulics and Hydrology at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres

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Will Bolivia Be Ruined, Improved, or Hated Because of Electric Cars?

Levi Novey — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:05:59 +0000

With growing speculation that electric cars and other energy efficient vehicles will soon dominate markets worldwide, Bolivia is a nation that perhaps stands to benefit (or suffer) more than any other from the energy revolution.

Most electric cars will be powered by lithium batteries, and Bolivia has more lithium than any other nation worldwide. How this development will affect Bolivia is unknown, but will squarely place the South American country at an intriguing and crucial crossroads.

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Socialism or Theft? Bolivia’s Government Redistributing Land with Abundant Natural Gas to “Enslaved” Indigenous Tribes

Levi Novey — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:23:01 +0000

The government of Bolivia announced plans on Tuesday to buy land and distribute it among landless indigenous groups in an effort to improve their lives.

One of these groups are the Guaraní people, who some claim are living in Bolivia in “a situation of servitude analogous to slavery.”

There are others who dispute that claim, including several prominent American ranchers. They claim that President Evo Morales’ government wants to confiscate their land using the bogus slavery accusation and redistribute it so that it can obtain rights to more of Bolivia’s profitable natural gas reserves.

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Fight Over Natural Gas Has Bolivia on Brink of Collapse

Levi Novey — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:58:05 +0000

Having gained confidence after handily winning a recall election with 67% of the vote last month, Bolvia’s President Evo Morales has proposed some controversial changes to Bolivia’s Constitution. He wants to redistribute wealth obtained from the sale of Bolivia’s abundant natural gas resources in a more equitable way to help the poor. He also wants to change the constitution so that he can run for a second term. These proposals have lead to violent protests in the country’s eastern provinces, that contain the bulk of Bolivia’s natural gas reserves. These regions are now threatening to break away. Tension is high and a civil war might soon emerge.

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Drilling in the Amazon

Amiel Blajchman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:34:57 +0000

According to a recent report from Save America’s Forests, some of the most ecologically sensitive parts of the Amazon are also home to large blocks of oil and gas reserves. Similar to the situation in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), global (and American) demand for oil and gas is resulting in natural resource exploration in areas that until recently, have been untouched. And, while the debate over offshore drilling and oil extraction in the ANWR seems to dominate the headlines and the political sphere, a similar discussion is not happening in this case.

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Peru’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Might Be Unstoppable

Levi Novey — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:57:22 +0000

Several days ago, I read a story about how Peru’s butterfly exports had increased 43% from January-April of this year. These are the butterflies that are pinned into glass frames for sale as gifts and souvenirs. I wondered if all of these butterflies included those that are exported illegally and those that are endangered. Questions of this kind were on my mind as just several days earlier my family had passed by a street vendor who sold animals illegally.

One of the animals was a baby monkey, caged and frightened. We live in the highlands region of Peru, so the monkey was far from its former home in the rainforest. My wife, who in the past worked as a biologist throughout Peru, told me that she thought this was an endangered monkey. As we walked home, I wished I had brought my camera. This I thought, is a story that needs to be pursued.

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