Synopses & Reviews
The archipelago of the Philippines is well endowed in nonferrous mineral resources such as copper, gold, lead, silver, nickel, and zinc. In recent years, the government of the Philippines, acting under the influence of the dominant and seemingly ubiquitous neoliberal development paradigm, has liberalized its mining laws to encourage the extraction of minerals by foreign corporations in order to accelerate the development of the economy. The Philippines is also a nation highly prone to a variety of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, typhoons, and El Niño–induced droughts.
Nonferrous metals mining is an activity with a substantial potential for environmental degradation, and these various natural hazards have a high potential to adversely interact with mining’s potential for environmental degradation. Earthquakes can destabilize tailings storage facilities, typhoons can flood tailings ponds, and mine-pit dewatering can enhance the competition for groundwater resources during droughts. This study show how natural hazards can amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining and pose a substantial threat to the livelihoods of archipelago’s poor, who are dependent upon subsistence agriculture and subsistence aquaculture.
Review
“This text provides an exhaustive and engaging review of the literature surrounding issues of development in the Philippines. Holden and Jacobson leave no stone unturned as they uncover some of the most detrimental effects of modern mining practices on the surrounding natural environment and the human communities.” —Professor Kathleen Nadeau, California State University, San Bernardino
Review
“This book speaks well of mining disasters that are accelerated and amplified by natural hazards in the Philippines such as typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. I recommend this superb work to the general public and readers with a specific interest in mining, especially those with similar situations in their own countries.” —Dr Emelina Regis, Director of the Institute for Environmental Conservation and Research, Ateneo de Naga University
Review
“Empirically grounded and theoretically informed, Holden and Jacobson provide a compelling and powerful study of the hazards of neoliberalism and of environmental politics more broadly.” —Dr James Tyner, Professor of Geography, Kent State University
Synopsis
The Philippines is a nation highly prone to a variety of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, typhoons, and El Ni o-induced droughts. These various natural hazards have a high potential to adversely interact with the potential for environmental degradation inherent in mining. Earthquakes can destabilize tailings storage facilities, typhoons can flood tailings ponds, and mine-pit dewatering can enhance the competition for groundwater resources during droughts. This study shows how natural disasters can amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining and pose a substantial threat to the livelihoods of archipelago's poor, who depend upon subsistence agriculture and subsistence aquaculture.
Synopsis
The archipelago of the Philippines is well endowed with nonferrous mineral resources, and in recent years the Philippine government, acting under the influence of the dominant and seemingly ubiquitous neoliberal development paradigm, has liberalized its mining laws in order to accelerate economic development. Yet the Philippines is also a country highly prone to a variety of natural hazards that have the ability to interact adversely with mining's potential for environmental degradation. Thus there are great dangers inherent in pursuing such a development paradigm: earthquakes can destabilize tailings storage facilities, typhoons can flood tailings ponds, and mine-pit dewatering can enhance the competition for groundwater resources during droughts. This study explores how these hazards amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining, and reveals the substantial threat posed to the livelihoods of the archipelago's poor, as well as the inadequacies of the very institutions designed to protect their environment.
Synopsis
This book explores how natural hazards in the Philippines can amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining and pose a substantial threat to the livelihoods of archipelago’s poor, who depend upon subsistence agriculture and subsistence aquaculture.
About the Author
William Holden is an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Calgary, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and an inactive member of the Law Society of Alberta. Holden holds a PhD in Geography, a BA in Economics (with distinction) and a Master in Economics from the University of Calgary, as well as a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario. His research interests include: the Philippines, the efficacy of mining as a development strategy, insurgency/counterinsurgency warfare, state terrorism, liberation theology as a counter hegemonic discourse, the “New West” of North America, the federalism of environmental law and nuclear energy.
R. Daniel Jacobson is an Associate Professor of Geography, at the University of Calgary, in Canada and a Switzer Research Fellow. Jacobson holds a PhD in Geography from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland and an honours Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and Topographic Science from the University of Wales, Swansea. His research interests include: the Philippines, spatial reasoning and cognition, human behaviour in geographic space, cartography, and new representational media for mapping.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments; List of Tables and Figures; List of Acronyms; Introduction; Chapter One: Mining in the Philippines; Chapter Two: Government Efforts to Encourage Mining; Chapter Three: Environmental Effects of Mining; Chapter Four: Mining amid Natural Hazards; Chapter Five: Technocratic Responses to the Risks; Chapter Six: Risk Society in the Philippines; Chapter Seven: Mining as a Flawed Development Paradigm; Chapter Eight: Is Another World Possible?; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index