Top stories from DAWNS Digest
Ban Ki Moon May Recommend UN Peacekeepers for CAR
The Secretary General is expected to release a long-awaited report on the Central African Republic that will likely recommend a broad UN Peacekeeping mission. “A UN peacekeeping mission, assuming it’s authorized by the Security Council, will not be a panacea for CAR, but it will be able to provide more troops, police, and civilian personnel, which are desperately needed. WhileMISCA has saved lives, there are not enough troops on the ground. Currently, MISCA has 6,000 troops, 600 police, and 35 civilians who have only been able to deploy to a limited number of areas. This is in contrast to a UN peacekeeping mission, which aims for at least 10,000 troops…While a for ce of this magnitude is still not large considering the size of CAR, it could cover a larger swath of the country…A UN Peacekeeping mission could also provide more enabling assets such as helicopters, vehicles, fuel, and communications systems, which are essential to the mandate of protecting civilian.” (Better World Campaign http://bit.ly/1hmGMh3)
It Used to Be a Coal Plant. Soon It will become Latin America’s Biggest Solar Farm!
Mexico it taking the lead. “Renewable energy has started to take off in Mexico, with construction of the biggest solar power plant in Latin America, Aura Solar I — a 30-megawatt solar farm in La Paz, Mexico — the latest signal. If Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s recent summit with North American leaders is an indication of the significance of the trio’s relationship, then his expected upcoming visit to the Aura I solar farm can be seen as a benchmark on the country’s path to a more renewable future. Mexico is poised to be Latin America’s solar hotbed according to Greentech Media, with the solar market’s installed base expected to quadruple from 60 megawatts to 240 megawatts by the end of this year. Mexico’s energy ministry has set a target for 35 percent of power generation to come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2024. (CleanTechnica http://bit.ly/1hmEWN1)
photo credit UNMISS/Isaac Billy