World Watch articles from May 1997

World Watch archives from May 1997

The new censorship. (media underreporting of environmentally critical issues)(Editorial)
May 1, 1997... When an event of international importance goes conspicuously unmentioned by the media in the country where it occurred, U.S. reporters are quick to notice. They are less inclined to notice their own patterns of de facto censorship, A prominent...

When foreign investors pay for development. (environmental effects of foreign investment)
May 1, 1997... Private capital is now pouring into the developing world at a rate far greater than the flow of public aid. Can environmentally sustainable economies be built with this kind of investment? Last winter, at an informal summit of the world's...

The price of habitat: in southern Africa, increasing conflict between elephants and humans is raising painful questions about cohabitation on a crowded planet. (includes related article on synthetic ivory keyboards)
May 1, 1997... An excruciating conflict is under way in southern Africa - not a war between rival tribes, but a territorial conflict between two species: Homo sapiens, which is rapidly expanding its claims on the land, and Loxodonta africana, the African...

Shining examples: solar financing is setting up shop, and for the 2 billion people who still have no electricity, help may be on the way.
May 1, 1997... Until May 1996, the Ramji family of Andhra Pradesh, India had a problem that is all too common in the developing world - they lacked reliable electricity to light their home. Each month they used about 10 liters of kerosene for lamps that shed...

Cuba's dilemma. (self-reliance or global exchange)
May 1, 1997... The Aerocaribe flight from Cancun to Havana was a far cry from the earlier American Airlines flight from Miami to Cancun. The aged plane rattled painfully as it hit the Cuban tarmac after just 40 minutes in the air, and the several dozen people...