An Array of Utopian Flowers
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Pauline Oliveros and her Beautiful Canopies of Sound
Posted on April 15, 2019 | No Comments -
Los Angeles Steps Up Transition Toward 100% Renewable Energy
Posted on February 21, 2019 | No Comments -
12 Reasons to Try Elliott Abrams in the International Criminal Court
Posted on February 15, 2019 | No Comments -
Ecological Amnesia: Life Without Wild Things
Posted on February 9, 2019 | No Comments -
Coup Redux in Venezuela: ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’
Posted on February 3, 2019 | 1 Comment
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WilderUtopia in 102 Languages
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mining Archive
The Lucrative and Violent Curse of Coltan Mining in Congo
Posted on March 3, 2018 | 1 CommentOne of Africa's most rare-minerals-rich countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has endured Belgian colonization, slavery, and continuing atrocities, where militant groups control the extraction of "conflict resources." The tech industry turns these extracted raw materials into components of mobile phones and computers. Yet the cost is deadly.
Old Town Auburn, Portrait of a Gold Rush Town
Posted on May 29, 2016 | 2 CommentsOn a recent visit with the Outdoor Writers Association of California to the Sierra Nevada town of Auburn, the dark and light of the gold rush history sparkles its brick-faced brilliance in a stroll through Old Town.
Peyote Guardians: The Huichol Struggle of Life and Spirit
Posted on August 18, 2014 | 2 CommentsTwo recent documentary films chronicle the struggle of the Huichol or Wixárika People to protect their culture and spiritual connection with the ancestors, through the journey to Wirikuta, where peyote grows, now threatened by mining and development interests.
Thirty-Four Colombian Tribes Face Extinction
Posted on June 1, 2014 | 4 CommentsThe Nukak People of Colombia have been forced from their homes by illegal armed groups, in the latest attack against the country’s most recently-contacted tribe. Mining, palm oil, cattle ranching and coca threaten the majority of the country's 102 indigenous communities.
Peru: lllegal Gold Mining versus Biodiversity and Ecotourism
Posted on April 9, 2014 | 2 CommentsA gold rush that accelerated with the onset of the 2008 global recession compounds the woes of the Amazon basin, laying waste to Peruvian rain forest and spilling tons of toxic mercury into the air and water.
Western Shoshone: Our Land, Our Life
Posted on November 15, 2013 | 1 CommentIn traditional indigenous societies, land means life. Following is a documentary on the struggle of two Western Shoshone elders against mining threats to their ancestral lands from the United States in Crescent City, Nevada.
Argentina: The Second Conquest of Patagonia’s Indigenous
Posted on September 29, 2013 | No CommentsDocumentary film on indigenous communities in Chubut province in Patagonia, Argentina, their struggle over land rights and the threats from mining its mineral wealth, cutting its trees and development by other multinational interests.
China’s Urbanizing Utopia: Ghost Cities and Propaganda Theme Parks
Posted on December 19, 2012 | 3 CommentsChina has been building ghost towns for years, and like a never-ending vaudeville show, the bizarre overbuilding never stops. Here are four of recent eyebrow-raising developments.
Stories of a Maya Rebirth: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth
Posted on September 8, 2012 | No CommentsThe documentary "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" presents an alternative worldview to industrial capitalism consuming the earth, following six young Maya into their daily and ceremonial life, revealing their determination to resist the destruction of their culture and environment.
Maya K’iche’ Reject Resource Exploitation in Guatemala
Posted on November 2, 2010 | 2 CommentsOn a historic day, residents from the municipality of Santa Cruz del Quiché - one of Guatemala’s most important hubs and the birthplace of the Maya K’iche’ people – unanimously rejected the exploitation of natural goods and resources, in particular through mining and hydroelectric activities.
Correa’s Ecuador: Police Insurrection Fails as Coup But Challenges Remain
Posted on October 16, 2010 | 1 CommentThe police insurrection turned failed coup d’état against Ecuador's President Rafael Correa illustrates the many shades of gray between national sovereignty, ethnic and regional autonomy, multinational corporate development interests, and international political movements.
