“Latin Americans Pay the Price For Corporate Climate Destruction” - December 10, 2014

Information contained in a new report  that details how multi-national corporations are destroying the environment and causing serious climate damage in Latin America brings attention to an important area not being discussed at the UN COP 20 climate negotiations being held in Peru…“Multinational corporations are relentlessly expanding their operations into ever more vulnerable and remote regions of the world,” says the report, written by three public interest groups: The Democracy Centre…the Corporate Europe Observatory…, and the Transnational Institute…Accused in the report are Repsol…Glencore-Xstata; and Enel-Endesa…“In the case of Repsol…we see how the relentless pursuit of new gas and oil reserves in Peru takes direct aim at the region’s indigenous territories and forests, leaving social destruction and in its wake,” says the report. “Another Peruvian case is that of Glencore-Xstata . . . Political manipulation has allowed…[it] to expand its copper mining operations in the region. Scarce water resources, already stretched by climate change, are being contaminated with impunity.”…“In Colombia…Enel-Endesa is attempting to portray a massive hydroelectric dam as a ‘clean energy’ project via its…subsidiary Emgesa. But rather than benefitting local people, the electricity is destined for dirty industry at discount prices…