Vale, the world’s largest iron ore miner moves over a million tons of earth every day in Carajas, Brazil. They are the biggest investor in the Amazon region and have a dismal track record with the area. Expanding their company within the area requires the destruction of the fragile Amazon ecosystem. They are now trying to help the ecosystem as much as possible by recycling water used for minerals, and replanting the seeds of natural rainforest trees to redevelop the land where they have mined. Vale can only protect the areas that they “own,” however some see these acts as a way to influence other companies to do the same or greater good to lessen the damage and protect this precious area.
Link Between Mining & Deforestation (in a good way)!
- March 23, 2008 – 9:16 pm
- Posted in Uncategorized
One Comment
It would be great if indeed the owners of Vale suddenly had a change of heart and decided to restore the rainforest. However, I am skeptical. In the past, Vale has deforested huge areas, using the trees to produce charcoal fuel for their smelters. The acrid fumes from these smelters have affected hundreds of people nearby. How do we know that Vale isn’t just planting these trees to provide more fuel for their smelters?
http://www.minesandcommunities.org/Action/press1918.htm