Mining and Climate Change
The Mining Industry and The False Solutions to Climate Change
Instead of addressing the problem of climate change through measures consistent as to extract more oil or not to open more mines, protect forests and respect the rights of the peoples who inhabit them or encourage farming, are promoting false solutions such as hydropower, forestry plantations or nuclear power and carbon market. The mining industry is one of the main promoters of these false solutions.
On the one hand, mining of high energy demand so it tends to build hydroelectric plants, which emit methane as we have said that global warming increases. On the other hand, the mining industry is encouraged to extract more uranium to meet the demand for nuclear power plants, and the resulting risks and environmental impacts.
We must not forget either that the mining industry is using the Clean Development Mechanism and carbon market, through hydroelectric dams or forest plantations for carbon credits that allow you to continue polluting the atmosphere and continue to cause environmental disasters.
Under the pretext of using clean energy, depriving local populations of water use and is intended for the construction of hydroelectric projects. And to justify the occupation of hundreds of thousands of hectares of agricultural use, moors and forests for the implementation of forest plantations, arguing that these trees are carbon hubs. Misappropriation of huge areas of forest and moorland, is seen as a measure to prevent CO2 emissions from deforestation. Finally, with the production of the so-called biofuels, which are occupying millions of hectares of farmland, is being removed people food to fuel vehicles.
Such false solutions to global warming is depriving the soil, land, water and biodiversity of indigenous peoples and peasants in the world. As a way to launder his image to be part of those responsible for climate change mining companies are also promoting biofuels with known impacts on soil, communities, cultures, indigenous territories, etc.