ExxonMobil decides to proceed with Whiptail development offshore Guyana

The Whiptail project, which will use a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, will entail an investment of around $12.7bn. It would include up to ten drill centres…Continue readingExxonMobil decides to proceed with Whiptail development offshore Guyana

Global rainforest loss continues at rate of 10 football pitches a minute

The destruction of the world’s most pristine rainforests continued at a relentless rate in 2023, despite dramatic falls in forest loss in the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon, new figures…Continue readingGlobal rainforest loss continues at rate of 10 football pitches a minute

Colombia’s Caribbean jewel slowly sinking as sea waters rise

A skeleton lies exposed to the elements as turquoise Caribbean waters lap the shores near a shattered tomb—a grisly reminder that the Colombian city of Cartagena is slowly being…Continue readingColombia’s Caribbean jewel slowly sinking as sea waters rise

Amazon rainforest at a critical threshold: Loss of forest worsens climate change

The Amazon rainforest could approach a tipping point, which could lead to a large-scale collapse with serious implications for the global climate system. A new Nature study by an…Continue readingAmazon rainforest at a critical threshold: Loss of forest worsens climate change

What’s causing the Amazon’s ongoing record drought?

The devastating drought in the Amazon River Basin that reported in October has continued into Northern Hemisphere winter, which is the heart of the wet season in the southern…Continue readingWhat’s causing the Amazon’s ongoing record drought?

Chile mourns 122 killed in wildfire inferno, searches for missing

Chile began two days of national mourning Monday for at least 122 victims of a raging wildfire, as the search continued for the missing and survivors picked through the…Continue readingChile mourns 122 killed in wildfire inferno, searches for missing

Devastating drought in Amazon result of climate crisis

The climate crisis turned the drought that struck the Amazon rainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study has found. The drought was the worst recorded in many…Continue readingDevastating drought in Amazon result of climate crisis

Petrobras and partners begin production from Mero-2 project offshore Brazil

Petrobras and its partners have started production from the second phase of development of the Mero field (Mero-2 project) located on the Libra block in the pre-salt area of…Continue readingPetrobras and partners begin production from Mero-2 project offshore Brazil

‘Everything is dead’: How record drought is wreaking havoc on the Amazon

Hundreds of thousands of people rely on the Amazon’s rivers and streams for food, transportation and income. But the historically low water levels have forced residents to reimagine their…Continue reading‘Everything is dead’: How record drought is wreaking havoc on the Amazon

Hundreds of new oil and gas projects approved despite climate crisis

More than 400 oil and gas projects were approved globally in the last two years despite calls to abandon all new hydrocarbon development, new figures showed as the UN…Continue readingHundreds of new oil and gas projects approved despite climate crisis

‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation

October, November and December are usually a period of transition. By now, the dry season would normally have peaked, and rivers and aquifers would start to replenish. But the…Continue reading‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation

In Brazil town turning to desert, farmers fight to hang on

Standing amid a terrain of rugged red craters that looks like something from Mars, Brazilian farmer Ubiratan Lemos Abade extends his arms, pointing to two possible futures for this…Continue readingIn Brazil town turning to desert, farmers fight to hang on

Water level at Amazon port in Brazil hits lowest point in 121 years amid drought

The water level at a major river port in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest point in at least 121 years, as a historic drought upends the lives…Continue readingWater level at Amazon port in Brazil hits lowest point in 121 years amid drought

Human emissions made deadly South American heat 100 times more likely

The deadly heat in central South America over the past two months was made 100 times more likely by human emissions that disrupted the climate, scientists have shown. Temperatures…Continue readingHuman emissions made deadly South American heat 100 times more likely

Deaths of 120 Amazon dolphins linked to severe drought, high temperatures

The carcasses of 120 river dolphins have been found floating in a tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil over the last week in circumstances that experts suspect were…Continue readingDeaths of 120 Amazon dolphins linked to severe drought, high temperatures

Brazil minister says oil and green ambitions are not contradictory

There is “no contradiction” between Brazil’s plans to step up oil and gas exploration, including in waters off the Amazon rainforest, and its aspiration to lead the world’s transition…Continue readingBrazil minister says oil and green ambitions are not contradictory

One of 2023’s most extreme heat waves is happening in the middle of winter

Temperatures in parts of Chile and northern Argentina have soared to 10°C–20°C above average over the last few days. Towns in the Andes mountains have reached 38°C or more,…Continue readingOne of 2023’s most extreme heat waves is happening in the middle of winter

Drought-hit Panama Canal must ‘adapt or die’ as water levels drop

The canal relies on rainwater to move ships through a series of locks that function like water elevators, raising the vessels up and over the continent between the Atlantic…Continue readingDrought-hit Panama Canal must ‘adapt or die’ as water levels drop

South America sweats under high temps—in the middle of winter

On Tuesday, the mountain town of Vicuna in central Chile hit 37 degrees Celsius (almost 99 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, the temperature exceeded 30˚C (86˚F) on Tuesday,…Continue readingSouth America sweats under high temps—in the middle of winter

Argentina hits milestone on path to gas export bonanza

Natural gas from the world’s second-largest shale gas reserve in Patagonia will reach Buenos Aires in the coming weeks through a new pipeline, marking a milestone in Argentina’s push…Continue readingArgentina hits milestone on path to gas export bonanza

More than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand

More than 800m trees have been cut down in the Amazon rainforest in just six years to feed the world’s appetite for Brazilian beef, according to a new investigation,…Continue readingMore than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand

Petrobras starts production of FPSO Almirante Barroso in Búzios field

With a daily production capacity of up to 150,000 barrels of oil and six million m3 of gas, FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) Almirante Barroso is located 180km…Continue readingPetrobras starts production of FPSO Almirante Barroso in Búzios field

ExxonMobil, Hess take FID on $12.7bn Uaru oil project offshore Guyana

“The world will need these vital oil resources to meet future energy demand and help ensure an affordable, just and secure energy transition.” The Uaru field development project, which…Continue readingExxonMobil, Hess take FID on $12.7bn Uaru oil project offshore Guyana

Petrobras announces start of P-71 production

From Petrobras’ own platform portfolio, the P-71 is an FPSO (floating unit for the production, storage, and transfer of oil and gas) type with capacity to process up to…Continue readingPetrobras announces start of P-71 production

Chevron to resume Venezuela oil production

The Venezuelan government and the opposition returned to political negotiations in Mexico — suspended for more than a year — and signed a rare humanitarian agreement that seeks to…Continue readingChevron to resume Venezuela oil production

MODEC wins contract for FPSO of ExxonMobil’s Uaru oil project

ExxonMobil’s Uaru development is targeting approximately 1.319 billion barrels of oil. MODEC has won a contract to undertake engineering and design for a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel…Continue readingMODEC wins contract for FPSO of ExxonMobil’s Uaru oil project

Brazil records worst day for Amazon fires in 15 years

The number of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon hit a nearly 15-year high this week, according to official figures that provided the latest warning on the advancing destruction…Continue readingBrazil records worst day for Amazon fires in 15 years

Battered by climate change, Latin America must brace for worse

In its State of the Climate report for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for 2021, the WMO said ecosystems, food and water, human health and welfare were all…Continue readingBattered by climate change, Latin America must brace for worse

Amazon deforestation hits six-year high in Brazil

Deforestation of the Amazon hit a new record during the first half of 2022. Satellite data showed more than 3,980 square kilometers, an area five times the size of…Continue readingAmazon deforestation hits six-year high in Brazil

The Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, is at risk of collapse

Spanning more than 179,000 km2 (69,000 square miles) in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, the Pantanal boasts one of the highest concentration of flora and fauna in South America while…Continue readingThe Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, is at risk of collapse

Brazil deforestation shatters April record

Satellite images show a total area of destroyed forest cover of 1,012.5 square kilometres (391 square miles) from April 1 to 29, with the last day of the month…Continue readingBrazil deforestation shatters April record

Chile announces unprecedented plan to ration water as drought enters 13th year

As a punishing, record-breaking drought enters its 13th year, Chile has announced an unprecedented plan to ration water for the capital of Santiago, a city of nearly 6 million.…Continue readingChile announces unprecedented plan to ration water as drought enters 13th year

Bird populations in Panama rainforest in severe decline

Scientists from the University of Illinois tracked species of birds in a protected forest reserve in central Panama to determine if and how populations had changed from 1977 to…Continue readingBird populations in Panama rainforest in severe decline

Amazon rainforest tipping point is looming

The Amazon is approaching a tipping point, data shows, after which the rainforest would be lost with “profound” implications for the global climate and biodiversity. Novel statistical analysis shows…Continue readingAmazon rainforest tipping point is looming

‘Like a war zone’: Deaths in Brazil floods, mudslides top 100

The area is known for its leafy streets, stately homes, imperial palace – today a museum – and the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains. Tuesday’s storms dumped 258…Continue reading‘Like a war zone’: Deaths in Brazil floods, mudslides top 100

Brazil: deforestation jumps in world’s largest savanna as scientists raise alarm

Deforestation last year rose to the highest level since 2015 in Brazil’s Cerrado, prompting scientists on Monday to raise alarm over the state of the world’s most species-rich savanna…Continue readingBrazil: deforestation jumps in world’s largest savanna as scientists raise alarm

Almost 17 million vertebrates killed in the 2020 wildfires in Brazil

Scientists estimate that 16.9 million vertebrates were killed by fires in the Pantanal wetlands, Brazil, between Jan & Nov 2020. Sampling likely excluded species incl. jaguars, pumas & tapirs,…Continue readingAlmost 17 million vertebrates killed in the 2020 wildfires in Brazil

Brazil Amazon deforestation up 22% in a year; a 15 year record

The 13,235 square kilometers (5,110 square miles) of forest lost from August 2020 to July 2021 was the largest swath since 14,286 square kilometers were cleared in 2005-06. The…Continue readingBrazil Amazon deforestation up 22% in a year; a 15 year record

In South America, the climate future has arrived.

Across the region, the price of historic dryness is being measured in lost crops, a slowdown in mining, surging transportation costs and shortages of energy in a region heavily…Continue readingIn South America, the climate future has arrived.

Extreme drought in Brazil triggers fatal sand storms

Unusually powerful sandstorms have left at least six people dead in Sao Paulo in recent weeks, local media said, as southeastern Brazil grapples with severe drought. Scenes of huge…Continue readingExtreme drought in Brazil triggers fatal sand storms

Wildfires devastate Bolivian nature reserves

The government said 200,000 hectares (495,000 acres) had burned in just two days.Continue readingWildfires devastate Bolivian nature reserves

Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits highest annual level in a decade

Area lost is 57% higher than in the previous year and is the worst since 2012. “Deforestation is still out of control,” Carlos Souza, a researcher at Imazon said.…Continue readingDeforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits highest annual level in a decade

Drought hits South America river, threatening vast ecosystem

The Paraná River, one of the main commercial waterways in South America, has reached its lowest level in nearly 80 years due to a prolonged drought in Brazil that…Continue readingDrought hits South America river, threatening vast ecosystem

‘Mega-drought’ leaves many Andes mountains without snow cover

The Andes mountain range is facing historically low snowfall this year during a decade-long drought that scientists link to global warming. “Here we are seeing a process of long-term decrease…Continue reading‘Mega-drought’ leaves many Andes mountains without snow cover

Amazon rainforest now emitting more CO₂ than it absorbs

“The positive feedback, where deforestation and climate change drive a release of carbon from the remaining forest that reinforces additional warming and more carbon loss is what scientists have feared would…Continue readingAmazon rainforest now emitting more CO₂ than it absorbs