By now we are pretty much all in agreement that climate change is happening and we should all be making an effort to lead greener lives, especially as the recent summit in Copenhagen has proven that we cannot trust politicians to lead the way on this one. But sometimes it can be difficult to pick through a minefield of different information and get into the habit of more environmentally-friendly practices.

The recent UN Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark was of historic proportions, delegates from over 190 countries and tens of thousands of activists, environmentalists and journalists attended. But the 12-page accord fell short of living up to its potential. The vague language and lack of concrete commitment reflected the failure of the negotiations to create obligatory goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It seems rather incongruous that in a world of such sophisticated means of communication, we often suffer from a distinct lack of listeners. Getting a point across can prove to be the most difficult and frustrating task, and the messages we so adamantly attempt to impress habitually fall upon deaf ears. Sometimes, words are not enough.

As the worlds eyes turn to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen 7th to 18th December, what can Latin Americans expect of this meeting of officials from 192 countries to maintain greenhouse gas emissions below catastrophic levels?

On 4th August, Argentina held its first–ever Green Building Conference. The event brought together regional architects, developers, industrial designers, policy-makers, and real estate professionals to expose, discuss, and exchange knowledge about a movement that has thus-far failed to gain much traction in Argentina: green building.

Juan Casavelos, 37, was always interested in nature and conservation. While studying environmental management at university, he began working at the ministry for the environment, and in 2003 joined Greenpeace. Four years later he began his current job as co-ordinator for climate change at the Vida Silvestre Foundation, a green NGO affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund.

The idea of ‘being green’ can be slightly overwhelming. To do it well and consistently does (as I am quickly learning) mean a complete overhaul of previous habits. No more plastic bags; remembering your environmentally friendly food bag; sorting your rubbish into a surprisingly large amount of categories; taking your bike instead of catching the bus.

As the coach carrying the latest group of tourists traverses the Itaipú dam, people stand up excitedly to take in the staggering proportions of the 135,000-hectare reservoir to their left. They hurry to the other side of the vehicle to marvel at the spillway: a feat of human construction.

“It is business that has to take the majority of the blame for being the enemy of nature, for destroying native cultures, for taking from the rich and giving to the poor, and for poisoning the earth with the effluent from its factories. Yet business can produce food, cure disease, control population, employ people and generally enrich our lives. And it can do these good things and make a profit without losing its soul.”

The beaches of Bahía in Brazil are usually crowded with sunbathers from around the globe. This time last year, however, thousands of unexpected visitors started arriving. Patagonian penguins washed up on the sandy shores, most of them were young, and already dead or fighting for survival more than 4,000km from their normal habitat.