In an unprecedented judgment for Canada's First Nations and environmental protection, a government panel has resoundingly rejected a plan to dump mine wastes into a lake.
New York's Attorney General has subpoenaed five companies - including Peabody Energy, the world's biggest coal strip miner - to divulge their greenhouse gas liabilities to shareholders. Another utility has been dealt a record penalty for its contributions to generating acid rain.
Yet, at the same time, increased coal consumption has been given a boost by the United Nations. And a commission has failed to resolve burning conflicts over Bangladesh's own coal policy.
China is now the world's biggest producer of steel, but it's a role the government doesn't relish, citing pollution and unsustainable economic development as reasons for cutting back. Meanwhile the regime is providing a massive boost to mining in Africa, particularly DR Congo.
There's doubt in Kyrgyzstan about benefits which will accrue from a reorganisation of the government's share in central Asia's biggest gold mine. Nor are some South American organisations completely convinced by the recent UN vote on the Declaration of Indigenous Peoples' rights.
What does seem undeniable, however, is that a top Newmont employee is living in cloud cuckoo land.
Mines and communities
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment