"We want to create a society of opportunities," said Chile's President Sebastián Piñera during September 22 remarks. The president noted that Chile is on track to rank second in Latin America and first among OECD countries in terms of economic growth.

Climate change, oil and geopolitics in the Arctic Circle.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico drew help from Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Meanwhile, fears about the oil spreading into the Caribbean have prompted a quiet dialogue between the United States and Cuba.

With its vast tropical forests, Latin America can greatly benefit from efforts to limit deforestation, writes COA's Nicole Spencer in Poder.

As cyclone activity increases around the world, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies work  to reduce the impact of natural disasters through advanced preparation.

After revealing a drop in deforestation rates, Brazil announced a greenhouse gas reduction target of nearly 40 percent by 2020. Brazil has partnered with France to chart a global climate change proposal for next month's UN environmental summit. Still, bold plans could give way to a scaled-back agreement in Copenhagen.

AS/COA co-hosted a panel disucssion on UN climate change conference in Copenhagen; international versus domestic commitments; and the expectations and constraints of U.S., EU, and Asian countries going into the negotiations.