A mound of trash nearly twice the size of Texas currently floats within the Pacific Ocean. The ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’, is home to billions of plastic debris accumulated from landfill runoff, storm drains, trashed beaches, cargo spills, and manufacturing plants.

When asked to name places affected by deforestation, many struggle to get past the Amazon. However, deforestation reaches far beyond the shrinking borders of Brazil’s rainforest. Thirty percent of the planet is covered in forests, nearly four billion hectares. But of those, only 9% are protected. The other 91% are subject to deforestation and misuse.

The authorities of the city of Buenos Aires have recently decided to stop installing new containers to separate litter on the streets, arguing they are misused. Greenpeace and other environmental NGOs accuse the government of breaking the new law and not dealing with overflowing landfills.

“Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets,” declares the CIA World Factbook, yet Mauricio Macri, mayor of the city of Buenos Aires, believes that air pollution in the city needs “an urgent solution”.

Argentina is the world’s third largest honey exporter. But around the world bees are dying and disappearing for unknown causes, and this could have a knock-on effect on the local economy.

Toxic chemical residue and methane gas bubbles are a thing of momentary concern to most tourists who pass the end of the 64km Matanza-Riachuelo river, on their way to the vibrant buildings that make up Caminito, in La Boca.

Best-selling author, environmental journalist and professor Alan Weisman discusses ‘The World Without Us’, which hit Latin American bookstores last month. His work proposes an unusual thought experiment: how would the earth react if humans suddenly disappeared? If they vanished without a trace?

Last month Brazilian authorities announced that in the second half of 2007 rates of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest alarmingly doubled to record levels. The figures showed that 3,235 square kilometres of the rainforest, known as ‘the lungs of the world’ given its ability to consume greenhouse gases and produce oxygen, was cleared in the last five months of 2007. The monthly rate of destruction rose from 23rd in August, to 948 square kilometres in December.

Antonio Hodgers. Ever heard of him? Well if you haven’t, it’s time you did. This 31 year-old politician, who fled from Argentina in 1977 after his father’s disappearance, has just conquered Switzerland’s national parliament.

Around the world, the rearing of cattle generates more carbon dioxide than transportation, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO. With the consumption of meat worldwide on the rise, the planet’s capacity is being pushed to the limit.