Related Posts
Ecuador: Between China and a hard place pic: Aperture (Wikimedia Commons)
A provider of sanctuary to WikiLeaks founder and champion of transparency Julian Assange and...
Ecuador’s ‘environmental ransom’
A combination of individuals and corporations, along with local, regional and national governments, has raised enough cash to...
Ecuadorian Indians Killed in Environmental ProtestFighting to save the environment almost always guarantees that death will be involved somewhere; the question is: Whose?
Amazon...
Ecuador fines Chevron $8bn for polluting Amazon
An Ecuadoran court has found oil giant Chevron guilty of contaminating the South American country’s Amazon basin.
A judge...
Avatar-style protest planned at mining company meeting in London
Mining giant Vedanta Resources will be having its annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday in London, where the company...
Tip of the Day
Keep eggs out of the fridge to save energy when cooking them
Videos: Activists oppose mining projects in Ecuador, UK
indigenous 'water laws' protest in Ecuador, 2010; photo by Lou Gold (visionshare on Flickr CC)
A rainbow coalition of indigenous groups and social/political activists recently hit the streets of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, in protest of large-scale mining projects approved by the country’s president Rafael Correa.
Correa praised the Chinese mining project, claiming they will bring 50,000 jobs and billions in revenue.
Though Correa is popular in Ecuador, the project is facing opposition.
Ecuador has already suffered a massive oil spill in the Amazon region, and some 50% of the country is already covered by mining and oil extraction projects. So Ecuadorans are understandably wary of more major mining operations.
See the following video report from Al Jazeera English for more:
Far away and on a much smaller scale, Yorkshire in northern England is also in the throws of what looks to be a mining revival. This time it’s potash in the region’s North York Moors National Park.
Though most press on the recent discovery of large, high quality potash deposits in Yorkshire has been positive, one video report by Deutsche Welle addresses the potential environmental impacts of mining.
And it’s not just a question of 5,000 jobs vs. spoiling the sights of a beloved national park. There are also issues of pollution to consider.
Environmentalists fear that building the huge mine and the countless tons of waste material that will be produced will destroy part of the national park. The mayors of surrounding communities, in contrast, are celebrating. They hope that, after decades of decline, the pits could provide new impetus for reviving the local economy.
– Deutsche Welle
Check out the video report for more:
Tags: Correa, Ecuador, indigenous, mining, oil, park, potash, protest, video, Yorkshire
One comment
You can also log in to post a comment.
Other Greenfudge.org posts
Check Out the Funky Nests in Funky Places Contest!
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is once again holding their annual Funky Nests in Funky Places contest. What is this contest? Well, typically, a bird will build a nest in a tree, shrub, or other form of natural habitat; however, when it comes to urban areas, the birds have to be a bit more creative with their choice of housing. The main focus of the contest is on photos of bird nests in strange places, such as in an old shoe,...
Spreading the word about climate change and its health impacts
I deeply admire documentaries that talk about the perils of climate change and its impacts on our environment, health, personal and social lives, occupation, and almost everything that deals with our existence as humans. I was not initially impressed by the emergence of issues on global warming, but after some “coercion” from my former colleagues to watch “An Inconvenient Truth,” I finally gave in. I have not always been the here-I-am-and-listen-to-me-or-else-activist, but I have to admit that the impacts of...
Female Hormone Discovered in Walnut Trees
For a long time, there were certain things that set us apart from the plant world. One of these things would be hormones. While certain plants were discovered to have similar ones to ours, they never really found any with the exact same—until now. Scientists found the female hormone progesterone in a Walnut Tree. Progesterone is part of important female cycles and phases, including the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Until this discovery was made, scientists believed that only animals contained this...
Can Slow Food Be Fast Food?
Guest post by Kelly Barrett If you are interested to guest post on our blog, click here to create an account or click here to contact us directly. --- I have previously blogged about how agribusiness doesn't necessarily have to have a negative connotation. I looked at the practices of my school's dining service, Bon Appetit, and how they are making strides to be more local, healthy, ethical, and socially conscious. So what about fast food? Does fast food have to mean non-local, unhealthy,...
Erin Brockovich joins the Million Baby Crawl
Environmentalist cause célèbre Erin Brockovich has recently joined Seventh Generation’s campaign for proficient regulation of toxic substances incorporated in the production of household products. The Million Baby Crawl movement calls on the government to do its part and address the extensive use of dangerous chemicals in the creation of products that endangers our health, safety and environment. This advocacy aims to promote awareness of how inaction among those on the seat of power poses imminent danger to humanity and the generations...
Air travel and climate change – is it possible to fly Green?
We already know that airplanes emit a lot of CO2. But how much of an environmental impact does flying have when compared to other modes of transport? What about offsetting the carbon footprint of flying by participating in ecotourism or running planes on biodiesel? Besides CO2, airplanes emit water vapor, nitrous oxides, sulfate, and soot. Since this takes place much higher in the atmosphere than emissions that come from other sources, their effects are more harmful. Additionally, the Intergovernmental Panel on...
Greener Cities and the Drivers Who Call Them Home
Urban Forestry is a growing trend in cities looking to actively clean their air and water while making streets aesthetically pleasing for pedestrians, bike riders, and drivers as well. While I could list any number of benefits trees in urban areas have been shown to produce, there was one advantage that I didn’t expect to see: safer, more eco friendly carsdriving through cities. Now, you might be wondering how trees help to slow drivers down and create an atmosphere where greener...
Purple Heron And Others Shot Out Of Malta’s Skies – Illegally
This Purple Heron is just one of many birds shot illegally during the biannual migration over Malta Thousands of birds fill the skies between Europe and Africa during their bi-annual migration, their weary wings silhouetted against the sun, an ancient migration that signals the changing seasons. However, over Malta, they are consistently unsafe. Despite charged efforts by both BirdLife Malta and CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter), and laws that apply throughout the European Union, illegal Maltese hunters continue to use these...
Shanghai threatened by rising seas; climate change
Shanghai, China: city of the future. But could Shanghai’s future include increased flooding and dangerously high water levels? Flooding is always a hazard for low altitude coastal cities. Shanghai sits at only three meters – or ten feet – above sea level, as do other world metropolises also threatened by higher waters, such as New York, London, Miami, Tokyo, Mumbai and Amsterdam. Perhaps they should call it ‘Shang-low’. But seriously, rising sea levels are no joke. Warming temperatures due to climate...
HomeSun: Get free solar panels on your UK roof thanks to the Free Solar and SolarShare programs
I can’t wait to have solar panels installed on my roof. When I think of electricity, the continuous rising price of it and the traditional, sometimes really dirty way it’s being produced I feel guilty when I turn on the lights. But when I think of the possibility of creating my own electricity, using the sun’s power, I just know it’s the right thing to do. Electricity and gas prices are on the rise. In the UK, although prices are usually...
View all articles
frying them with their own oil..what’s new anyway that’s the usual scenario, they will offer something irresistible coz they know enough how vulnerable people are especially in finding jobs…. of course at the expense of their n atural resources…..