Who is that masked man defending sea turtles, gray whales and other Pacific coast marine life? It’s El Hijo del Santo, hero of Mexico’s lucha libre, or freestyle, form of professional wrestling. Aside from vanquishing opponents in the ring, he has joined the fight against turtle-egg poachers, illegal fishermen and water polluters. El Hijo del Santo, son of the late, legendary Mexican wrestler El Santo, or the Saint, joined the U.S. nonprofit organization Wildcoast to kick off a campaign in Tijuana in March. He visited a local slum where sewage and garbage pours into the Tijuana River on the U.S. border, then traveled south to San Ignacio Lagoon, a breeding ground for gray whales. The campaign seeks to raise green consciousness—especially in working...
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Brazilian environmental authorities have signed off on a US$2.1 billion government effort to divert water from the country’s second-largest river basin to the arid northeast region. Much remains to be resolved about the project, though—most notably a legal challenge in Brazil’s Supreme Court and, on the other end of the spectrum, a government minister’s proposal for a major expansion of the work. The National Integration Ministry, which is heading the project, says Brazil’s Army will begin earthmoving this month. The ministry expects to award contracts in June so construction of the water-delivery system can start in July. Paving the way for such forecasts was a decision last month by Ibama, the licensing arm of the Brazilian Environment Ministry, to issue a...
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In vehicles rescued from used car lots and garages, U.S. and European biofuels advocates are caravanning from the United States to Costa Rica, burning only vegetable oils and grease to promote sustainable fuels. Stopping in Mexico City recently for rest and repairs, the group was preparing to head south towards Guatemala. “Waste grease is everywhere, and much of it can be recycled as a clean-burning fuel,” says Emily Horgan, one of the leaders of the charity biofuel car rally, called the Greaseball Challenge. “We are demonstrating that biofuels are a good alternative to fossil fuels.” The Greaseball Challenge team comprises five cars with drivers from Belgium, Britain, Norway, Sweden and the United States. A few of the cars departed Washington, D.C. on April 1...
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