Mining was imposed on the Salvadoran people as a dream industry to aid development, create jobs and yield taxes to pay for schools and hospitals, write Ricardo Navarro & Sam Cossar-Gilber. But the reality was a nightmare of polluted water, stolen farmland, corporate violence, and murder. After a long campaign, El Salvador has just become the first country to ban all metal mining.
… Making history: El Salvador bans metal mining Ricardo Navarro Sam Cossar-Gilber | 11th April 2017 Comment Mining Campaigning Trade Water Politics El Salvador credit upsidedownworld-cut.jpg Mining was imposed on the Salvadoran people as …
A tangle of undercapitalised companies are coming forward to cash in on old deep coal mines in Wales, writes Guy Shrubsole - by digging them all out from above from huge open cast pits. But local communities, alarmed at the noise, pollution and destruction of landscape, increasingly see coal as an industry that's best consigned to the scrapheap.
… 2016 Activism Energy Coal Fossil Fuels Mining Corporations UK Wales Politics Climate … south Wales owes much to its history of coal mining. But, those campaigning against the … tonne of coal, when to turn a profit opencast mining really needs a price more like …
Legislation put forward by Brazil's re-elected President Dilma Rousseff would open up to 10% of protected areas to mining, writes Luke Parry. The effect would be to gut nature conservation in Brazil, already in a perilous state due to underfunding and growing pressure for the development of mines, dams, farms and plantations.
… of national parks and indigenous lands face mining threat Luke Parry | 7th November 2014 News Mining Brazil Law Politics Forests Indigenous … would open up to 10% of protected areas to mining, writes Luke Parry. The effect would be …
Campaigners are celebrating after defeating plans to build America’s largest open pit coal mine, writes Nick Engelfriend. In an epic 'David and Goliath' battle, Montana activists challenged the project, and all the politicians and businessmen that supported it, with fierce opposition, protests and demonstrations. The outcome spells hope for all in the fight against dirty energy.
… that formed in 1972 to oppose the mining. By the end of the decade only one … Now all Arch needed to break ground was a mining permit from the state, and a permit to … would still move forward, but an updated mining application Arch intended to file with …
Ecuador's 'socialist' President Correa has unleashed a wave of repression at Andean communities seeking to protect their lands, forests and nature from open pit mining, writes Carlos Zorrilla. With most of biodiversity-rich Intag region conceded to international mining companies, the mood is one of rising fear and desperation in the countdown to next month's election.
… Ecuador's 'progressive' extractivism - mining, ecocide and the silencing of dissent … Carlos Zorrilla | 6th March 2017 News Ecuador Mining Politics Forests Indigenous Peoples … their lands, forests and nature from open pit mining, writes Carlos Zorrilla. With most of …
Last October Greenland repealed a law that banned uranium mining. Now mysterious Australian mining companies are staking out the country for exploitation. But as Antony Loewenstein reports, local fears are growing, and political opposition is heating up.
… Australian uranium mining in Greenland is tearing the country in … Loewenstein | 16th May 2014 News Greenland Mining Nuclear Power Corporations Politics … Greenland repealed a law that banned uranium mining. Now mysterious Australian mining …
Left-wing, progressive politicians hold sway across Latin America, writes Benjamin Dangl. But defying their own 'green' rhetoric, they are committed to mining and other environmentally damaging development. Now they face growing resistance from small farmers and indigenous peoples.
… Peru Argentina Uruguay Brazil Ecuador Bolivia Mining Indigenous Peoples Politics Religion … own 'green' rhetoric, they are committed to mining and other environmentally damaging … forward with extractive industries - in mining, oil and gas operations - without …
Ecuador is facing an unprecedented confrontation between a 'progressive' left-leaning government and a national coalition of indigenous peoples determined to stop vast oil and mining projects taking place on their community land and villages.
… 'national mobilization' against oil and mining David Dene | 24th May 2014 News Mining Ecuador Oil Indigenous Peoples … peoples determined to stop vast oil and mining projects taking place on their …
As governments in economic difficulties increasingly turn to environmentally damaging extraction industries for quick cash, citizens of those countries are responding with increasingly louder cries of protest. Lorna Howarth reports...........
… 2013 News Protest Politics Economics Mining goldmine.jpg Entrance to a gold mine … Rosia Montana, Romania. Protestors believe mining for gold should remain firmly in the … tar sands of Alberta – another Canadian mining corporation, Gabriel Resources Ltd., is …
The UK Government is planning a coal-free energy future by 2025, writes Deniz Kemal. But it has failed to take the first step to make it happen: give clear guidance to local planners to block new coal mines on climate change grounds - like one application going to public inquiry this summer for a huge opencast mine on the Northumberland coast.
… March 2017 Comment Energy Coal UK Politics Mining druridge-bay-cut.jpg The UK Government … is not given permission to go ahead. Banks Mining's backward logic Banks Mining group, the project's owner, argues that …
Rupert Wolfe Murray writes to Prince Charles about his grave concerns for the Rosia Montana region of Transylvania, under threat from Cyanide mining.......
… Open Letter to Prince Charles about Cyanide mining in Romania Rupert Wolfe Murray | 12th September 2013 Comment Mining Romania Politics Protest … of Transylvania, under threat from Cyanide mining....... Dear Prince Charles, Your …
Last week's decision by the Romanian government to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for Rosia Montana, a historic Carpathian mountain village under threat of gold mining, is a massive victory for campaigners after a hard 15-year struggle, writes Alexandru Predoiu - one that has united farmers, city-dwellers and new-age protestors against cultural and ecological destruction.
… united to save a mountain village from mining apocalypse Alexandru Predoiu WNV | 11th January 2017 Activism Mining Romania Corporations Politics Protest … mountain village under threat of gold mining, is a massive victory for campaigners …
Australian environmentalists' declare new Prime Minister, Tony Abbotts' green agenda as ‘anti-environmental', designed only to profit the mining industry at the cost of climate change solutions, reports Maxine Newlands......
… designed only to profit the mining industry at the cost of climate change … Abbott wants to repeal both the carbon and mining taxes, abolish key green government … Mr Abbott's plans to rip up the carbon price, mining tax, the Clean Energy Finance …
A deal to give up 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah to the tar sands industry in return for 1.5 million acres of industry is a sacrifice too far, writes Alexander Reid Ross, as it disclaims the wider costs of massive water use and contamination in the headwaters of the Colorado River, already seriously stressed by drought.
… ecosystem has been leased to active tar sands mining, the people who live downstream from … being destroyed by the extensive bitumen mining. Much of the vital freshwater ecosystem … the tar sands region of Utah, before the main mining has even commenced. "The wilderness …
Wales should lead the UK in bringing an end to the entire coal industry from opencast mining to highly polluting power stations, writes Gareth Clubb. A new report by Friends of the Earth Cymru shows the Aberthaw plant alone imposes social and environmental costs of nearly £1 billion per year on the country and global climate.
… 29th February 2016 Comment Fossil Fuels Coal Mining Pollution Wales UK Climate Change … end to the entire coal industry from opencast mining to highly polluting power stations, … the long term. The same is true of opencast mining, I suspect, as well, given the supply …
Left wing governments across the Americas are faced with a dilemma, writes Daniel Macmillen - high social spending programs financed by income from destructive mining and hydrocarbon extraction - or a slower but sustainable development path that puts ecology, equity and justice first. Their answer - a constant pushing back of the resource frontier.
… Cile Venezuela Bolivia Oil Gas Fossil Fuels Mining Society Politics Development … programs financed by income from destructive mining and hydrocarbon extraction - or a … leave resources in the ground, reject mining projects, resist the short-termist …
Peru is in hot competition with Brazil to be the main focus of Amazonian deforestation, writes Clément Doleac. A neoliberal government desperate to hand over the country's forests, oil, gas, minerals and indigenous lands for corporate exploitation is unafraid to break national laws, turn a blind eye to air and water pollution, and respond to any challenges with overwhelming violence.
… of Peru are primary products due to excessive mining and deforestation leading to many … toward deforestation, excessive logging and mining, at the hands of large or small … the financial arm of the World Bank. [29] Mining - both legal and illegal - destroying …
It's not that Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's ousted President, was wonderful for the environment, writes Ed Atkins. It's that Michel Temer's new regime is certain to be far worse. Plans are afoot to weaken environmental assessments for large projects like mines, roads and dams. And the new Minister of Agriculture is a notorious campaigner for hugely increased deforestation.
… Lula, deforestation returned , large-scale mining and agriculture was expanded, and more … can be chopped down for crops, cattle and mining, with the products sold abroad. As of … areas in the Amazon were of interest to mining companies. These lands - protected by …
Prime Minister Modi's government has frozen the bank accounts of Greenpeace India, writes Praful Bidwai - provoking widespread protest from the environment and civil rights community. It's all part of a wider campaign against 'anti-national' movements that challenge India's development policies based on the aggressive exploitation of coal, minerals, big hydro and nuclear power.
… activists who protest against industrial, mining and irrigation and power generation … projects, and in particular, on the mining and burning of coal - no matter how … itself put into question quite a few of the mining, power, and other projects currently …
Liberal environmentalism represents a dangerous delusion, writes Scott Parkin - that 'playing nice' with Earth-destroying corporations and politicians can yield results worth having. Radical change on climate will only result from bold, confrontational direct actions against the fossil fuel industries and their apologists.
… the struggle against mountaintop removal coal mining. They live it the same way that the Tar …
Between 2011 and 2016 the UK's export finance agency UKEF provided £109m to underwrite exports of equipment to coal mines in Russia, writes Lawrence Carter - despite the agency's commitment not to support 'investment in dirty fossil-fuel energy production'. And that's just a fraction of the £6.9 billion UKEF has lavished on the corrupt, polluting sector since 2000, while it was meant to be backing the clean energy technologies of the future.
… will accelerate further post-Brexit - undermining efforts to tackle climate change. Green … UKEF provided £109m to underwrite exports of mining equipment to coal mines in Russia - … - £98m - has supported deals between US-owned mining equipment firm Joy Global (UK) Ltd and …
Australia's nuclear industry has a shameful history of 'radioactive racism' that dates from the British bomb tests in the 1950s, writes Jim Green. The same attitudes persist today with plans to dump over half a million tonnes of high and intermediate level nuclear waste on Aboriginal land, and open new uranium mines. But now Aboriginal peoples and traditional land owners are fighting back!
… Maralinga but also through exploration and mining at Olympic Dam. C) They epitomized and … overriding the Aboriginal Heritage Act, undermining the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, and … including all plans to expand uranium mining, and implement nuclear reactors and …
The remarkable Leuser ecosystem in Aceh, Sumatra, has faced massive destruction over recent years with rice farms, palm oil, roads and mines, writes Bill Laurance. But that's all set to end with a moratorium on forest clearance that's supported at the highest levels of government, both state and national. This is definitely news to celebrate! But we must also maintain our vigilance.
… the region's forests for oil palm, rice and mining expansion while opening it up with a … to a moratorium on new land clearing and mining . This is huge news, and it's clear … ensure that illegal land-clearing, poaching, mining and other activities don't continue …
They tried to influence government - but that's not working any more, writes John Vidal. So Friends of the Earth's new boss is taking a more radical approach rooted in community activism. And as he prepares for a storm of protest over fracking and cuts to wind and solar, he's ready to take on George Osborne in an 'ideological war' for the future of Britain.
… strategy to its limits. For if resisting coal mining gets Bennett singing in Welsh, …