Ecology

The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an attempt by oil giant Chevron to block Ecuadorian villagers from using an Ontario court to collect billions in damages for environmental contamination. The 7-0 ruling allows the case to proceed in Canada, but it makes no finding on the merits of the long-running legal saga that has...
According to scientists and local government officials, one of the most severe impacts of the El Niño that could begin affecting Ecuador within weeks is beach erosion. “This could be very, very bad, it could be catastrophic,” said Gustavo Mora of the University of San Francisco earth sciences faculty. “In the preparation for El Niño,...
By Amanda Froelich On an expedition to the Ecuadorian rainforest, Yale University students discovered a new type of fungus which may speed up the decomposition process of discarded plastics in landfills. Few think twice about what to do with their disposable water bottle after they’ve drunk its contents, but environmentalists are aware that it is...
The Kichwa people of Sarayaku have had a long and well-documented struggle against oil, gas, and mineral extraction on their territory, located in the southern-central part of the Ecuadorian Amazon. In defense of the lands, the Sarayaku community has taken advantage of digital media’s reach to tell their story of opposition to drilling there. Co-produced...
Chevron Oil was forced to ward off a litany of accusations of environmental damage and corporate malfeasance during its annual meeting Wednesday in San Ramon. Protestors holding an array of signs greeted people arriving at company headquarters in San Ramon for the annual meeting of Chevron shareholders Wednesday. During the annual meeting, people skeptical about...
The European Union (EU) has made the first payment in a plan to protect large stretches of grasslands in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. The objective of project is to protect watersheds and environmentally sensitive land above the treeline, known as paramos. In its first payment, the EU invested $7.1 million, saying...
Ecuador has halted environmental cooperation deals with Germany worth some 43 million euros to the Latin American country after German lawmakers tried to visit an Amazon rainforest recently opened for oil production, the foreign minister said on Friday. President Rafael Correa in 2007 asked wealthy countries to donate $3.6 billion to help protect the environmentally...
By By Kim Gamel The sea lion nursed her pup under a prickly pear cactus while an iguana clumsily marched away. A tiny penguin waddled on a rock while red and orange crabs clung to the craggy surface below. Welcome to the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution and...
As strong earthquake aftershocks continue to plague Quito and the surrounding area, Quito Mayor Mauricio Rodas urged residents to avoid attending public events as well as unnecessary travel on roads prone to landslides. Quito experienced 4.7 and 4.0 aftershocks on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s quake injured 13, one critically. Among the events cancelled over the...
A magnitude-5.1 earthquake rocked Quito and the surrounding areas early Tuesday afternoon, causing tall buildings to sway and sending some people rushing into the streets. The government said three people were confirmed dead and eight injured outside Quito. A a 4.1 aftershock occurred an hour after the initial shock. The Department of Risk Management said...
After nine years of research, scientists have confirmed that a snake found in the Cajas National Park west of Cuenca is indeed a new species. The non-venomous snake, which can grow to five feet in length, is called Philodryas Amaru. The discovery in 2005 was surprising due to its high altitude habitat, scientists say. It...
Ecuador has declared an emergency in the Galapagos Islands, warning that a stricken cargo ship that ran aground last week threatens the archipelago’s fragile ecosystem. The country’s environment minister Lorena Tapia Nunez said 19,000 gallons of diesel had been removed from the Galapaface I, but other pollutants inside the vessel could spill into the water....

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The Cuenca Dispatch

Week of September 29

Cuenca’s Deluge: Rains Bring Relief and Risks After Prolonged Drought.

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Government’s Decision to Relocate CELEC Headquarters Sparks Local Backlash.

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Eight years and counting…

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How to Receive Amazon Orders in Ecuador for Just $5 with the New ‘Flat Rate’.

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