Wednesday, September 04, 2013

But there's consent

Apparently we require the "wisdom" of Richard Cohen, America's Concern Troll, to determine whether things get too rapey.

So this one is a conundrum, can a country be physically abused if the government consents? Probably not.
A project that would use cyanide to mine gold and silver has prompted thousands of Romanians to protest. The planned mine, near the small town of Rosia Montana would be Europe's largest open-pit mine. Its four pits are estimated to total more than 8 kilometres in diameter and would be visible from space. The government last week approved a draft law that would allow the project to move forward if passed by parliament. The $7.5-billion project is controlled by a Canadian company, with Romania's government holding a 25 per cent stake...
"Four pits" means the destruction of four mountains by the way. The area is also full of historical ruins from the Roman Imperial period -- oh and people, lots of people who will get jobs of some modest quality in exchange for working or living near an environmental ruin offset by the copious application of cyanide.

Sounds like a real thought-out plan.

How are the Koch Brothers not involved?

[Cross-posted at Firedoglake]

4 comments:

StonyPillow said...

But wait — there’s more:

But much of those masses of disturbed rock, exposed to the rain and air for the first time, are also the source of mining’s multibillion-dollar environmental time bomb. Sulfides in that rock will react with oxygen, making sulfuric acid.

That acid pollutes and it also frees heavy metals like cadmium, lead and mercury, which are harmful to people and fish even at low concentrations. The chain reaction can go on for centuries.


The only real news here is that the natives aren’t brown. This goes on all the time in South America, except the pimp doesn’t get 25%, just a well-placed bribe or two.

Hey, aren’t you supposed to have an apocalypse first to build a post-apocalyptic wasteland where Caucasians live? I didn’t know you could get there just with greed and stupidity.

Anonymous said...

Note from Canada--- since our moron Conservative govt changed the rules, just about anybody from anywhere can set up a mining company and call it "Canadian"...

Unfortunately, several of these so-called "Canadian" companies are down in South and Central America busy performing environmental and human rights atrocities.

Critics of the govt tried to suggest that mining companies,outside Canada should abide by the same rules and regs as companies inside Canada, but this suggestion was naturally ignored by the Conservatives because it was too sensible and compassionate...

PS hey is anybody from RH gonna be attending the TIFF this year?

pansypoo said...

out of sight. crapitalism wins.

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