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12 general environmental problems (Diamond 2005, Collapse)
1. Deforestation and habitat destruction
2. Soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses)
3. Water management problems
12 general environmental problems (Diamond 2005, Collapse)
4. Overhunting
5. Overfishing
6. Effects of introduced species on native species
12 general environmental problems (Diamond 2005, Collapse)
7. Overpopulation
8. Increased per-capita impact of people
9. Human-caused climate change
12 general environmental problems (Diamond 2005, Collapse)
10. Buildup of toxins in the environment
11. Energy shortages
12. Full human utilization of the Earth’s photosynthetic capacity
Priority environmental problems in Peru
1. Deforestation and habitat destruction
2. Soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses)
3. Water management problems
Priority environmental problems in Peru
4. Overhunting
5. Overfishing
6. Effects of introduced species on native species
Priority environmental problems in Peru
7. Overpopulation
8. Increased per-capita impact of people
9. Human-caused climate change
Priority environmental problems in Peru
10. Buildup of toxins in the environment
11. Energy shortages
12. Full human utilization of the Earth’s photosynthetic capacity
Priority environmental problems in Peru
1.Deforestation and habitat destruction
2. Soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses)
3. Water management problems
5. Overfishing
9. Human-caused climate change
10. Buildup of toxins in the environment
• We have to understand the problem
• What are the direct causes, what are the indirect causes, what are the root causes
• To organize our thoughts we work with models
Models of how we understand the environmental problems.
Ok, so why did Pedro cut the
tree?
Because it was in my way to the gold…
UH-OH
Problem 2 created by gold mining: Build up of mercury (toxins)
Liquid mercury is added to the sand/gold mix to “pull out” the gold out of the sand, approximately 1 gram mercury per gram of gold.
Cool?
• A small miner can produce 1 to 2 grams of gold per day, i.e. gross income of 92 to 184 soles a day
• Madre de Dios produces 16 tons of gold in a year, worth $ 600 million
Not cool!
• Since it is mostly illegal or informal only $42,000 are collected in taxes (less than 0.06%)
1.Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
I am Pedro
So what about the model?
Pedro informally mines for gold
Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
Pedro informally mines for gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
Pedro informally mines for gold
Pedro migrates to Madre de Dios
People in the highlands don’t have good economic opportunities
Highlands are environmentally degraded and forgotten by central government
Developing country, small and weak government
Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
Pedro informally mines for gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
Pedro informally mines for gold
Low costs: anybody can be a gold miner everywhere except in urban areas, no control on impacts, no taxes to be paid
High gold prices: 1 gram 92 soles for the miner, can obtain 1 to 1.5 grams per day
Global economic crisis: everybody wants gold
Developing country, small and weak government
Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
Pedro informally mines for gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
Pedro informally mines for gold
No other good options in Madre de Dios, no knowledge, no plans, no capacities
Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
Pedro informally mines for gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
Wrong ideas about what to do in the Amazon region
No investment in green activities
Pedro informally mines for gold
Pedro migrates to Madre de Dios
People in the highlands don’t have good economic opportunities
Highlands are environmentally degraded and forgotten by central government
Low costs: anybody can be a gold miner everywhere except in urban areas, no control on impacts, no taxes to be paid
High gold prices: 1 gram 92 soles for the miner, can obtain 1 to 1.5 grams per day
Global economic crisis: everybody wants gold
No other good options in Madre de Dios, no knowledge, no plans, no capacities
Developing country, small and weak government
Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
Pedro informally mines for gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
Wrong ideas about what to do in the Amazon region
No investment in green activities
Pedro informally mines for gold
Pedro migrates to Madre de Dios
People in the highlands don’t have good economic opportunities
Highlands are environmentally degraded and forgotten by central government
Low costs: anybody can be a gold miner everywhere except in urban areas, no control on impacts, no taxes to be paid
High gold prices: 1 gram 92 soles for the miner, can obtain 1 to 1.5 grams per day
Global economic crisis: everybody wants gold
No other good options in Madre de Dios, no knowledge, no plans, no capacities
Developing country, small and weak government
Deforestation:Pedro cuts trees and digs deep holes to getto the gold
Pedro informally mines for gold
2. Buildup of toxins: Pedro dumps mercury into the river and into the air
Wrong ideas about what to do in the Amazon region
No investment in green activities
No go zones,
recovery of old mining
sites
Use other methods of gold
extraction
Give Pedro a job at an ecotoursim
lodge
Invest in ecotoursim
Create an “Amazon
green forever”
campaign
Increase taxes so
government can be
stronger
• Environmental problems are social problems. You must deal with the people.
• Most of WWF’s work is more with people, less with animals or the environment directly.
• What can we do as citizens?– Inform ourselves– Inform others– Change our behavior to reduce our footprint– Give a good example– Be part of a greater initiative
Think about our ecological footprint
• Walk more, drive less• Chose green appliances• Eat local food• Eat less meat• Drink filtered tapwater, not
bottled water• Use less water• Use less energy• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Since a year ago I drive to work on my bike.– I emitted 600kg less carbon dioxide– I saved 2800 soles in transport costs– I made 40 minutes of daily exercise for 200
days (no gym fees)
What else can we do?
• In the next 5 minutes, write on a sheet of paper an idea to reduce your ecological footprint and if you want, make a commitment.
• http://www.panda.org/how_you_can_help/greenliving/
michael.valqui@gmail.com
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