Fifty Chilean activists protested against Barrick Gold’s infamous planned Pascua Lama mine on May 8. Protesters carried giant bags of ice to symbolize the glaciers that are being destroyed by the project, dressed in black bags to commemorate the 15 people who have died as a result of the mine, and spray-painted the company’s office [...]

Brazil’s plans to ramp up its electricity consumption with a series of new hyrdoelectric dams in the Amazon basin are proceeding, as a historic gathering of indigenous people meets in opposition.
The government estimates that the planned dams will provide the majority of Brazil’s electric capacity over the next several decades — primarily for mining, metal [...]

The influential Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) has formally declared its opposition to the government of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. Central to the declaration is CONAIE’s opposition to large-scale mining and to the South American Regional Infrastructure Integration Initiative (IIRSA). The confederation emphasized that it is not part of the right-wing opposition.
CONAIE accused [...]

The Idaho Legislature has approved $400,000 for a study into the possibility of rebuilding the Teton Dam. The original Teton Dam, the last big dam built in the West, collapsed in 1976 when it was only 3/4 full. The ensuing flood killed 11 humans and 18,000 nonhuman animals.
The stated reason for wanting to build a [...]

Hi, folks. We’re going to try out a new posting schedule: posting on Tuesday afternoons, rather than Sunday nights (or occasionally Monday) as we have been. So new Lowdown posts should be online by Tuesday nights. We will still be posting once per week.
If this new posting schedule does not work out and we decide [...]

Help create a Loxahatchee Free State and fight energy infrastructure in south Florida!
“This Summer, you’re invited to join Everglades Earth First! in launching a sustained campaign of direct action to defend the ecologically rich South Florida Everglades. Since 2006, Everglades Earth First! (EEF!) has been involved in challenging a massive gas-fired power plant proposed by [...]

There is now a ride board for folks to coordinate rides and supplies to Southern Indiana to help stop I-69. This ride will also be used to coordinate supplies coming to Indiana.  You do not have to register or login to use this message board, but if you post something without registering, please remember to [...]

Upside Down World has a good article on Ecuador’s near-total mining freeze that we recommend anyone interested in South American mining issues should read. The gist of it is that on April 15, Ecuador’s Constitutional Assembly passed a law canceling 88 percent of mining concessions in the country, including all large metal mines.
The Assembly has [...]

On Thursday May 8, a coalition of indigenous, environmental and community groups in the Panamanian province of Chiriquí blocked both lanes of the Panamerican Highway in protest of open-pit mining and dams. Of particular concern to locals are plans for dams along the Garcés, Gariché, Chiriquí Viejo and Escarria rivers, but the protesters were overtly [...]

International Rivers Network has launched a campaign to pressure Home Depot over its involvement with a wood products company spearheading plans for new dams in Chilean Patagonia:
“Why Home Depot? Home Depot is the largest US customer of CMPC, the wood products company owned by the Matte Group conglomerate leading the controversial dam plans for [...]