Remember my previous article about ENCE suspending the construction of their pulp mill, and leaving Uruguay? well, today Argentinean minister, Fernandez, along with and the new president of ENCE, Arregui, announced the relocation of the pulp mill to be built in Uruguay by the spanish corporation. The construction will be carried out in a location closer to the Rio de la Plata river, in Colonia
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It seems the argentinean gov is taking this as a very good sign, and as an advance in the pulp mill conflict between the two countries. They recognized that ENCE´s pulp mill won´t pollute.
One journalist asked if Botnia´s pulp mill would pollute, and even though the official answer was that they don´t know, ENCE´s president recognized that in his opinion Botnia´s pulp mill won´t pollute either, due to the technology they are using which is basically the same.
Fernandez publicly thanked ENCE´s attitude of understanding in the conflict, and express his regret for the lack of a similar attitude in Botnia. Also both mentioned the mediation of the king of spain as very important, and positive, which was something that had been agreed to in the iberoamerica summit.
It is interesting to see how Argentina's government speech has been shifting in time. They used to talk about contamination, and now they speak in terms of visual contamination (whatever that may be), and the doubt of contamination.
Meanwhile people in Gualeguaychu keep blocking the bridge from time to time, but there are in my opinion clear signs that the solution to this conflict is closer, like that fact that the ex president of the gualeguaychu assembly no longer takes part in the demonstrations. After he travelled to Finland and saw pulp mills with similar technology, returning convinced that these don't pollute....
5 comments:
I would tend to think that the lack of pollution would be a joint effort between new technologies and social awareness.
What I mean is that the technology may be available but is of little use if the users and the population is not educated to embrace a "green" approach.
I believe that this is a great opportunity, not only to generate jobs, but to put corporate social responsibility to work hand-to-hand with the government and educate the citizens on how to recycle, how to optimize natural resources, how to keep the environment clean, etc.
All the best.
It's true, the good side of this whole thing has been the increase of green awareness, in both sides of the Uruguay river.
Still I can't help to get irritated with the campaign of fear some people in Gualeguaychu started, and carry on. Someone told me that they are saying in schools they won´t be able to have kids because of the pulp mills, and stuff like that.
I have real ecological concerns about eucalyptus monoculture and know first hand that pulp mills are not a pretty (nor a fragrant) sight.
However, my real concern is in watching yet another foreign power come in to suck up natural resources and wield financial power in South America. Historically this has been one of the greatest impediments to social, political and finanacial independence of South American countries. They come in the guise of offering employment and economic perks, but we know they care nothing for the country or the people.
Generation of jobs will never offset the true cost Uruguans will pay for this installation.
Unbelievable, yet another false environmentalist slandering the very technologies that allow him or her to have a computer to post their crap!
I read really much effective material above!
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