The mysterious collapse of the ancient Mayan civilization has been attributed to a variety of factors, but in recent years the theory of prolonged, extreme drought has been gaining ground among the scientific community. 

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon delivered the opening address at COP20 in Lima stressing that it is not too late to act, while Bolivia’s President Evo Morales criticized leaders of the industrial world and capitalist corporations for their role in impeding progress to protect the environment.  Greenpeace was condemned for its act of vandalism and

It was an ordeal that lasted more than nine years, but finally Costa Rica can claim victory over the Texas oil company that was seeking more than $13 million dollars in compensation for alleged investment losses. 

At the COP20 Conference in Lima Ecuador will insist on the need for developed countries to commit to significant reductions in emissions. Ecuador is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change. 

On November 20, 2014 the HKND Company presented the results of several feasibility studies, as well as a report on the progress of the yet-to-be completed environmental impact study for the construction of the Grand Canal. 

The Peruvian government is investigating the deaths of some 500 sea lions found on its coast, while a Peruvian inventor says he can purify Lima’s air. 

In 2014 Venezuela had recorded over 150,000 cases of Dengue, Malaria and Chikungunya. 

Producers hope a new non-Arabica variety will be more resistant to “rust.” 

A prominent environmental group asked the Superior Arbitration Court to issue an injunction against State-owned Electric Utility (CDEEE).  

The work on Argentina’s hydroelectric dam named for President Néstor Kirchner will begin in November under a cloud of contention.  Several groups fear its affects on the Perito Moreno glacier.   In Chile a similarly controversial mega-dam project was cancelled.