Mexico
The country reflects losses of its Gross Domestic Product resulting from the environmental impact caused by the production of goods and services between 2005 and 2009, according to statistics from INEGI. In practice, the environmental impact is a loss of 18.6 percent of GDP for consumption of fixed capital and total costs of exhaustion and environmental degradation, as is clear from the analysis of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). (Sintesis, May 23, 2011 )
At the beginning of negotiations between the federal government and representatives of the automotive industry for the development of the Standard Vehicle Efficiency, environmental organizations called for speeding up the process because it can generate savings for the country of around 448 billion pesos between 2012 and 2030. It can also be ambitious and achieve a profit of at least 18 miles per hour to help reduce fuel consumption and emit fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. (La Jornada, May 26, 2011)
Among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Mexico is one of the countries with the worst environmental conditions, in satisfaction of its inhabitants and natural resource management. (NoticiasNet, May 27, 2011 )
Costa Rica
During a recent trip to France the René Castro the Costa Rican Foreign Minister met with his French counterpart and among the issues they discussed was the need to collaborate on climate change during the lead in to the Durban climate talks. Castro expressed Costa Rica’s desire to renew efforts on issues related to adaptation for small states. They also discussed the Rio+20 Summit, noting the need for a renewed framework for global environmental governance, with the principal goal of achieving greater consistency among existing norms. (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores 5/25/2011)
Conservation groups in Costa Rica are working with local farmers to reduce conflicts between jaguars and farmers through education, photo tagging, GPS tracking and compensation programs. Since 2008, at least 18 jaguars have died in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Throughout the rest of the country the total may exceed thirty. Jaguars, which are considered “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are under pressure from habitat loss, poaching, and fragmentation of populations. One of the primary threats to the species is poaching by farmers following jaguar attacks on livestock. The increased illegal hunting of peccaries – a primary food source for jaguars – has in turn increased the incidence of jaguar attacks on farm animals. (Tico Times5/27/2011)
Chile
The government’s decision to promote a public electric line will not stop the transmission project planned by HydroAysen, according to the company’s Executive Vice-President Daniel Fernández. HydroAysen would only consider joining the public project if the conditions were favorable, including an appropriate design for the HydroAysen project, reasonable transmission rates, and consideration of compensation schemes for energy loses. HydroAysen’s position is that it would be feasible to have three parallel electric lines between Santiago and Puerto Mott if the public project moves forward in addition to the existing line and the company’s proposed line. He further indicated that HydroAysen cannot be compelled to join the public project. (Revista Electricidad 5/27/2011)
Mining and Energy Minister Lawrence Golborne met with Hernan Sandoval of the Chile Ambiente and Patricio Rodrigo of the Consejo de Defense de la Patagonia during the first session of a planned dialogue with political and social stakeholders about the construction of HydroAysen. During the meeting Golborne indicated that the conclusions of the technical groups that work with the CDP will be incorporated into the debate of the Electric Development Advisory Commission. It is expected that Golborne will also meet with Luis Mariano Rendón form Acción Ecológica one the primary critics of the HydroAysen project. (Revista Electricidad 5/27/2011)
Suppliers of non conventional renewable energy (NCRE) that are interested in participating in the bidding process to supply up to 30,000 MWh/ year for the Dona Ines de Collahuasi mining company have until June 10 to send in their information. Eligible companies include those that qualify as NCRE suppliers under Law 20.257. (Revista Electricidad 5/27/2011)