Scrapbook Assignment

Scrapbook Assignment

By: Dynafrom Wang BOHM1 Mr. Pownall October 27, 2008

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Contents Title................................................................................................. ........................1 Table of Contents................................................................................................ .....2 Minera Xavier to Destroy Cerro San Pedro..............................................................3 Stop Pension Funds from Destroying Patagonia......................................................4

Minera San Xavier to Destroy Cerro San Pedro Mexican Heritage Village Summary 2

http://www.miningwatch.ca/updir/Boylan_MSX_article.pdf Minera San Xaiver (MSX) a subsidiary of Canadian mining company Metallica Resources (TSX: MR) are in preparation for large scale blasting from their new mine site in Cerro San Pedro, Mexico. The mine is progressing activities lacking legal clearance, access rights to land, and environmental permits. Despite claims by Minera that the blasting will not harm the community of CSP, it has caused structural damage to local churches, and schools which are centuries old. MSX also claims they are doing this in the best interest of the community, environment, and economy in mind; to increase the quality of life of the resident of CSP. Despite these claims there is physical evidence against MSX’s claims. As well it has been found that the gold will be extracted using toxic cyanide, in a leaching pad. Residents are asked to sell their property to MSX or relocate to New Cerro San Pedro located one KM from the leaching pad, which is downhill from the pad, causing damage to the health of residents and the environment. When conducting a recent poll from the residents of a neighboring town which did not know of the situation, to which they informed, 97% of 20,000 participants opposed the mine. What is at stake: –

414 year old town which is one signature from being a world heritage site will be destroyed. – Require 3 million liters of water a day where 18% of the residents don’t have water – 1000 people are offered no compensation – Only 50 people are employed at the mine and at lowest paying positions which are most vulnerable to the cyanide – Reputation of Canadian government and people as exploiters. 1. If you were the manager of Minera, how would you defend your stance on the mining operation?

2. What is the current situation between the CSP and Minera? Has the government played a role yet?

3. How will this affect you as a Canadian when companies are exploiting developing countries?

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Canadian Pension Funds Destroying Patagonia http://www.canadians.org/action/2008/04-Feb-08.html

Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management Inc which includes major Canadian pension fund managers is hoping to achieve Chilean government approval to industrialize Patagonia. Brookfield investors include a British Columbia crown-owned corporation that invests money on behalf of every nurse, teacher, government social workers, and all municipal and provincial service workers. Brookfield are planning to in the words of critics, are involved in the destruction of the planet’s greatest environmental treasures. Hundreds of transmission towers will be built alongside a superhighway that will open up Patagonia to industry for the first time. Two companies Endesa and Colbun are pushing to build hydro-electric dams on the rivers at Patagonia; this would destroy ecosystems, and flood thousands of acres of wildlife habitat. As well Brookfield will clear-cut 1,400 mile swath through 5 national parks and two wilderness reserves to make way for the new transmission lines. NRDC and Chilean partners are calling for a review of alternatives to not destroy Patagonia.

1. Who are the NRDC and what do they do?

2. How can Canadians whose pension money is in the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation help voice their matters of concern?

3. If you were the manager for Brookfield, what alternatives would you choose that is both desirable to stakeholders, and also to Patagonia?

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