In the 70s and 80s, we saw Latin America as a continent where democracy was endangered, human rights massively abused, and economies appeared in a state of terminal decline. Some countries, like Brazil, acknowledge they face problems as large emitters of greenhouse gases, particularly through deforestation and forest fires. Third, a continent unable to compete with either Asia in the manufacturing sector or Europe and the US on services, leaving it dependent on its raw materials; Fourth, a...

During the past four years, Brazil has been able to reduce the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest by 52 percent, saving some 2 million hectares (5 million acres), he said. The United States, he said, can play an important role in South American integration, supporting less developed countries with the goal of reaching regional stability. Global free-trade talks at the World Trade Organization last year were unproductive because developing countries wanted more prosperous nations to...

BOSTON -- The dry, windy weather prompted officials to post a red flag warning for brush fires. Gusts on Thursday fueled a fast-moving brush fire that burned an area long Interstate 495. After little snow this winter, dry leaves and twigs make for perfect kindling, but it s the wind that feeds the flames. Cicciu scans the horizon from a perch high above a wooded area in Sharon. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Dry Conditions Prompt Red Flag...

NextStudent Academy Successfully Raises Money for Scholarships Students of the NextStudent Academy for the Arts, a grass-roots 501(c)(3) organization supported by Phoenix-based NextStudent inc., recently hosted a fundraising dinner at the Scottsdale home of Gary and Sandra Mozenter that raised more than $29,000 to fund the music program for K-12 Valley students. NextStudent Academy Successfully Raises Money for Scholarships Students of the NextStudent Academy for the Arts, a grass-roots...

More Americans are starting to feel the same way about vacations with a charitable or humanitarian purpose, during which they can build housing or schools, collect field data or work at a refugee camp, orphanage or archaeological dig. Like the 55-year-old Wood, many of the vacation volunteers are baby boomers, who have the money to spend and the time to donate as they edge closer to retirement. Although the trend is hard to quantify, a variety of environmental, medical, nature, children's...