Ed:

I'm gonna have to go with, "no."

But that might just be the realist in me speaking, and no realist has ever helped to make the world a better place.

Funny thing, we all learn

Funny thing, we all learn the basic physical facts in highschools, all over the world, then spend years in universities, getting brainwashed with "faith conquers all" .

Yes, especially logical thought.

Ed Deak

Which is better to worship,

mythical characters (magic deer), the sun (source of all life), water (essential for life), or lumps of metal?

NOT THE ONLY CANADIAN MINE FACING PROBLEMS IN MEXICO

Near Los Cabos, Mexico, a place canadians love to visit and retire, 5 canadian gold mines are planning to open mega toxic mining proyects, in the only source of water in a desert region, Unesco´s Biosfere Reserve, La Sierra de la Laguna, and close to Sea of Cortez, Aquarium of the Americas. Do this titles matter to someone? not if money and power are involved. Please check www.soscabo.org if you wish to make a story. Toronto sun commented about it on jan 17th

More information needed

This story comes sort of out of the blue, with loose ends dangling in the wind. I have tried but cannot find out, why a site declared essentially untouchable by the state as both a sacred site and a nature reserve of sorts can end up with mining rights plastered all over it, which then override any other designation of the land. Surely, some folks and/or agencies must have been sleeping on the job here? Can anyone cast light on this?

What Is a Sacred Mountain Worth?

Depends on persepective - whether you are an investor, or a local!

Just try and remove a mountain at Whistler; or any other place where the CEO's have their 'log cabin'

Cerro San Pedro

its too bad that comments like the onnes in this article are so incorrect. I worked at the project in San Luius Potosi Mexico where the Cerro San Pedro mine is loacted. The Canadian mining company did a huge modernization project for the locals in the area. This included biulding new housing with full utilities, providing jobs, healthcare and a school. The sad part is the so called protesters that were attacked werent even from the area and were being financed by a group that was trying to get pay offs from the mine operator. Canadian mining comapanies have made huge investments in Mexico and provided many needed jobs for those who otherwise would be living in extreme poverty. Mining when done irresponsibley can cause damage to the environment and shouldnt be allowed no matter what country it is taking place in!!! The mine in CSP is designed and operated with the indentical standards that we use in the US/Canada. The standards in several areas exceed US/Canadian enviromental standards as the history of the area required unique mining methods that are seldom used in the North as they arent many towns that have this type of history. Mining brings needed jobs for Mexicans need to get a better quality of life. The corrupt governments of the 3rd world countries in Latin America are far more dangerous to the people, environment, and history then the Candaian mining companies who are investing in these countries and their work force. Im writing this in support of the many fine workers at the CSP mining project in Mexico. Buena Suerte mi amigos y vaya con dios!!!!

I would just like to second

I would just like to second Dorothy's request. something just seem to make sense. It may have something to do with the Mexican justice system. Or, has there been some payoffs?

Here's Some Other Information

Here's a link to a Mining Watch article about the area in question. They report the opposite of what 9fan4evr is claiming. Have a look for yourself.

http://www.miningwatch.ca/sites/miningwatch.ca/files/Boylan_MSX_article.pdf

I've visited mine sites in Chile and Peru and can tell you first hand the conditions at some of these sites aren't fit for humans. Most of these small Canadian Mining Companies have nothing to be proud of with their operations in the South.

Thanks for the propaganda,

Thanks for the propaganda, friend. We sure need it, as we don't get enough of it here in Canada.

The problem is the same in Mexico, Canada and anywhere on Earth. Mining for the use of making products is definitely necessary, but mining for the export of the resources is the sale of the ground from under the people's feet, till it lasts.

The sale of resources is not an income, but a conversion, with nothing gained, but lost.

Where is that ore supposed to go ? To China or India? So that local manufacturing and trades can be ruined ?

As we have it here in Canada ?

What happened to the Mexican productive and farming middleclass since NAFTA ? What are they doing now in mega city slums? Their children combing garbage dumps?

Ed Deak.

Mining at Cerro San Pedro good for the community?

In response to another post about the benefits of the minging project at Cerro San Pedro bringing benefits to their community, I can only ask how someone with a good conscience can make such a statement? I have visited San Pedro out of curiosity since I own an apple orchard in Real de Catorce and wanted to see what the future may hold for my village. If completely destroying a mountain and contaminating the environs around a community is your idea of responsible, environmentally sound mining methods I would hate to see what you consider irresponsible methodologys. Can I personally hold you responsible when the water resources my orchard depends upon dry up when First Majestic pumps the aquifer dry or will you explain to me that I am mistaken and I and my neigbors have benefited from your robber baron mentality? I hope the money you made from the misery you have caused sours in your soul.

"Breaking the Laws of the Land"

The natives view the land with reverence and respect. The land is treated like a scared temple with the people taking only what is needed. The mountain is not a mere symbol but central to who the people are. The mountain shares it's powers with the people. Thanks is given through prayers, singing songs of gratitude and offering.

This isn't like a church burning where another one can be built in it's place. If the mining company moves in and pollutes the mountain the spirits will leave and the people will lose their power. And the animals and plants will also leave and the waters will be polluted. The special relationship the Natives have with the mountain will be destroyed and the spirits gone.

"Families First"

Clark, the BC premier is all for opening up the mine and putting families first. Just not First Nation's families.

http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/News_Releases/UBCICNews02111101.html

mining company investments

"mining companies have made huge investments in Mexico."

Investors make investments and rarely do the principals in a mining company invest their own money and if they do it is a very small portion of the investment.

I wonder whether union pension funds, the BC Investment Management Corp and the Canadian Pension Plan managers are invested in these destructive projects?

An average mine's life expectancy is 10 years. Investing in schools and medical centres in Mexico sounds nice but at the end of the mine's life these so called investments are not sustained and left to wither just like all of the thousands of other mining ghost towns in Canada.

Canadian mining, under reporting and greenwash.

Canadian mining practices only came to my attention when I saw Mulroney and Bush Sr. walking out of Barrick Gold offices, arm in arm & grinning ear to ear, being involved in, amongst other things, support for providing weapons to the corrupt, Indonesian Suharto govt., at the height of the Briex fiasco, before East Timor was on the mainstream media radar.

A few years later some of us heard of Talisman's involvement in the eradication of central Sudanese villages in those oil fields. Funny how after they left, the massacres stopped, the civil war between north and south ended, the south gained independence and control of oil revenue is now divided between them, in spite of Chinese interests taking over Talisman's. Likely oversimplified, but...

In the meantime, those who paid attention, took note of the growing, poor and oppressive or environmentally destructive Canadian mining practices in the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, Spain and along the Danube river (not the most recent red spill, I think).

Furthermore, Canadian mining interests in east Congo, mining for Coltan + are questionable and somewhat resemble former involvements in Sudan.

Its not just the specifics in this article, but other sites in Mexico and throughout Latin America, be it Esquel in Argentina the Intag valley in Ecuador, Goldcorp,s Marlin mine or Skye Resources/Inco in Guatemala, Aura minerals in Honduras, and an ongoing extensive list, that is problematic. Their practices, though sometimes technically legal, or even if not, are well covered up and under-reported.

David Suzuki's Nature of Things raised similar issues in The Real Avatar, how Peru's national parks and sacred or protected areas are now targets of oil and gold development and how the indigenous people are trying to push back for survival.

Our own First Nations know this story all too well throughout their 500 year contact history. Fish Lake in B.C. is very much the exception not yet fully completed, while Fort Chip, Alberta and Sarnia, Ontario are much more the common situation.

Many global corporate entities callously invade nearly every corner of the globe, essentially using or subverting locals and cash strapped governments to their purposes and profits, but Canadian mining companies surely lead the pack.

So what is the Harpo govt. response (the Libs would likely do only slightly better)?

An appointed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) counsellor can take complaints but has no power to investigate without the corporation in question giving it the OK. Victims have no voice. "Harper's "Canadian Advantage." What a sour joke. No wonder our Gov. Gen. was booed and told to go home on a trip to Mexico city.

Harper's admonishments to the more socialist governments of Latin America surely look hypocritical. Perhaps he needs to look in his own back yard, notably the Tar Sands.

SACRED!

Boy, I sure am getting tired of the tissue-thin tactic of calling some thing or place "sacred". It is an assertion of a claim of ownership or control without any rational basis. It comes from and is steeped in primitive superstition (aka nonsense) and is designed to emotionally manipulate the listener.

Enough already! Argue for reasons of protecting clean water? Sure, I'm with you, but other reasons coming out of pre-scientific ignorance, and you lose me altogether.

Sacred

I think, CF2, the implication of the word sacred is that the place, for whatever reasons including its clean water or other natural aspects, has over a long period of time become very much treasured by a people who have inhabited it. Would that count for you as a reason to give pause in mining it?