Moving Glaciers: Remaking Nature and Mineral Extraction in Chile
by Fabiana Li
The controversial Pascua-Lama mining project, straddling the border between Chile and Argentina and operated by Canada’s Barrick Gold, gained international notoriety when the company proposed to “move” three glaciers located at the mine site. The glaciers variously appeared, changed form, and disappeared as the project was developed, presented to the public, subjected to various modifications, and ultimately put on hold. The environmental impact assessment process created an inventory of the landscape that turned nature into an object of environmental management. At the same time, the element of public participation embedded in Chile’s environmental impact legislation helped to mobilize local and international activism.
