Living in Los Cabos: Fighting For Our Lives

I just bumper-stickered my car; I think that’s only the second time so you know it’s got to be a big issue. And it is.

For some time now environmentalists in the area have been warning against a move by a Canadian company, Vista Gold, to destroy the Sierra Laguna biosphere by putting in an open pit mine of approximately 800 hectares (about 1,800 acres) just outside the neighboring town of Todos Santos. In addition to the environmental damage of simply ripping open a mountain they will be using arsenic to leach the gold, which may find its way into the water supply for all of our area. If that weren’t stupid enough, the area is already a biological preserve and the nearest town was declared a “Pueblo Magico” only a few years ago. Obviously someone used to think they were worth saving.

Pictures are worth a thousand words: you can see plenty at the website http://www.bajasurenpeligro.com/ . The YouTube film they show is in Spanish, but the meaning is clear enough. First what the area looks like today and some of the animals and plants (many endangered, I believe) who call it home; then photos of similar mines in operation elsewhere. You can sign up to be against the mine (contra la mina) on the site as well.

Now here’s the grossest stupidity of the whole disaster: in 2008 they estimated that over the 10 year span of time the mine would be in operation the value of the gold produced would be about $200 million, or about $20 million per year. Which is certainly less than the area produces with tourism, with ecotourism being our fastest growing sector!!! And might I add that the tourist income stays in Mexico; the income from the gold mine will go to Canadian investors. The number of years it would take for the environment to recover is unknown, but the old gold mining area of El Trifuno in our state is still barren over 150 years after that mine was closed. Stupid!

This morning Canaco, a sort of Chamber of Commerce, held a big meeting trying to rally opposition to the mine among the business community. According to reports our Congress is strongly opposed, it’s only a matter of if they can work quickly enough to block the mine. Our administrator, who attended the meeting, reports that there was a forceful movement by the attendees to hold a mass demonstration against the mine just in case any of our government officials are tempted to move forward with the permits. Vista Gold’s website, last I visited, reported that they had all permits in place. Who knows?