argentina
Newsletter
Fracking's role in Argentina's increased earthquakes
Residents of northern Patagonia are enduring increasing earthquakes caused by intensive fracking, with little action from Argentine regulators despite clear evidence linking the two.
In short:
- In Argentina's Patagonia region, frequent earthquakes have become a norm due to intense fracking activities, severely impacting local communities and structures.
- Despite clear links between fracking operations and seismic activities, regulatory bodies remain largely inactive, failing to provide necessary oversight or mitigation strategies.
- Indigenous Mapuche communities, alongside other locals, experience significant distress and damage, with little to no governmental support or recourse.
Key quote:
"I have been completely traumatized."
— Ana Guircaleo, member of the Wirkaleo Mapuche community
Why this matters:
Seismic events triggered by fracking can have far-reaching consequences beyond property damage. They can disrupt local economies, causing financial strain on residents and businesses alike.
Fracking not only consumes vast amounts of water and releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere but also has the potential to contaminate groundwater and surface water sources with harmful chemicals.
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Credit: jasonbennee/Big Stock Photo
Lithium mining poses risks to Indigenous cultures and environments in Argentina
In the arid terrains of northern Argentina, Indigenous communities face a looming threat from lithium mining that jeopardizes their water sources, culture, and traditional way of life.
Megan Janetsky, Victor R. Caivano, and Rodrigo Abd report for The Associated Press.
In short:
- Indigenous communities in the "lithium triangle" of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia risk losing their cultural heritage and essential water sources to lithium mining.
- As the global demand for lithium, crucial for green technologies, skyrockets, native people worry about the environmental and cultural costs.
- Legal and environmental battles intensify as local governments and mining companies push for lithium extraction, overshadowing Indigenous rights and ecological concerns.
Key quote:
"We will lose everything. What will we do if we don’t have water? If the mines come, we’ll lose our culture, we won’t be left with anything."
— Irene Leonor Flores de Callata, resident of Tusaquillas
Why this matters:
Companies and the Argentine government tout the economic benefits of lithium mining, including job creation and a stake in the burgeoning renewable energy market. Yet the challenge remains to ensure that the rush for "white gold" does not lead to exploitation and environmental degradation.
In push to mine for minerals, clean energy advocates ask what going green really means.
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Image by David Avila from Pixabay
The Indigenous groups fighting against the quest for 'white gold'
Berta Reventós and Natalia Favre report for the BBC about Indigenous communities in northern Argentina who are determined to protect their land from lithium mining.
In a nutshell:
Protesters in the Andean mountains of Jujuy, Argentina, are voicing concerns over the environmental and societal impacts of lithium mining, a growing industry linked to the demand for electric car batteries. The region, known as the "lithium triangle," holds the world's largest lithium reserves. Indigenous groups like those led by spokesperson Nati Machaca fear that the extraction process, which demands vast amounts of water, is depleting soil and contaminating water sources, jeopardizing their traditional way of life. Despite assertions from some that lithium mining could help combat climate change, these communities remain resolute in their efforts to halt constitutional reforms and protect their land and environment for future generations.
Key quote:
"Our land is drying up and our water is polluted," says Nati Machaca, one of the protesters manning a roadblock in the village of Purmamarca, high in the Andes mountains.
The big picture:
The lithium extraction process, which involves large amounts of water and chemical procedures, has raised worries about water pollution and air contamination. Local communities living in the vicinity of the mining operations, particularly Indigenous groups, fear that these environmental risks could lead to adverse health effects and an end to their way of life.
Read the article at the BBC.
Addressing climate change has always involved far more than simply trimming emissions or promoting renewable energy. Deep questions about justice must also be answered, wrote Douglas Fischer from the Bonn climate talks in 2017. The issue remains an essential part of the climate discussion today.
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Farmers struggle in Argentina as drought withers their crops
The ground crackles as Guillermo Cuitino walks across dry farmland that should be green and lush this time of year. He grabs a soy plant and easily disintegrates its leaves with his hands.
Newsletter
Argentina secures funding to start gas exports from ‘carbon bomb’
Argentina has secured funding for a new pipeline, that would allow the country to reach "record-breaking" oil and gas production.
Scientists: High temperatures due to climate change worsen impact of Argentina’s drought
Extreme temperatures sparked by global warming have exacerbated the impact of a historic drought on Argentina’s agricultural production, according to young scientists from several countries who participate in the academic initiative, World Weather Attribution.
www.nytimes.com
What does sustainable living look like? Maybe like Uruguay
No greater challenge faces humanity than reducing emissions without backsliding into preindustrial poverty. One tiny country is leading the way.
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