Baker River

Are Dams In Patagonia Necessary? An Analysis of Chile's Energy Future

Monday, July 13, 2009
The long awaited study by the Consejo de Defensa de la Patagonia analyzing energy alternatives to hydroelectric mega-projects in Chile's Patagonia has been officially launched.  The study - "Se Necesitan Represas En La Patagonia? Un Análisis del Futuro Energético Chileno" (Are Dams in Patagonia Necessary? An Analysis of Chile's Energy Future) - was launched on July 2, 2009 in Santiago and then on July 14th in Coyhaique. Amongst the most interesting findings in this study piloted by the Patagonia BioGems Campaign at the Natural Resources Defense Council is that ener

Can Obama’s Diplomacy Help Protect Rivers in Chile’s Patagonia?

Michelle Bachelet will complete her presidential term in March 2010
Michelle Bachelet will complete her presidential term in March 2010 For those who follow hydroelectric development issues in the Américas, it is newsworthy that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet made a trip to North America this week. On Tuesday, June 23, President Bachelet was in Washington DC, where she met briefly with United States President Barack Obama, before attending the signing of a well received memorandum of cooperation on renewable energies between the US Dept of Energy and Chile’s Ministry of Energy. While Ms. Bachelet raved about the 19 billion dollars worth of annual tra

The Home Depot and Patagonia Dams: The Excuses Grow Thin

Balloon Banner Outside of 2009 Annual Meeting of The Home Depot
Atlanta, Georgia, is the corporate headquarters of The Home Depot, the second largest retailer in the United States. Home Depot is also the company that continues to traffic in wood products manufactured by Chilean economic interests that promote the damming of pristine river ecosystems in Chile’s Patagonia. Last week the annual shareholders meeting of The Home Depot took place in Atlanta, and International Rivers was in attendance. After more than a year without a reasonable response to our communications concerning The Home Depot’s connection to the Patagonia Dam controvers

HidroAysén and The Home Depot: Myth vs. Fact

Pointing Out Matte Group (CMPC) Brand in Home Depot Actions
Pointing Out Matte Group (CMPC) Brand in Home Depot Actions The Home Depot is feeling the pressure of our campaign, so much so that they have taken to responding to Patagonia Campaign supporters that have sent them email actions and postcards. In these responses, and on their website, The Home Depot has continued to present misleading information. Here are a few examples of The Home Depot Myths, compared with The Patagonia Dam Facts. The Home Depot Myth: Their suppliers hold only a small minority stake in the companies involved in the project. The Patagonia Dam Fact: The main Chilean partn

HidroAysén: High Risk and High Cost

The Endangered Wilderness of the Pascua
The Endangered Wilderness of the Pascua The high risks and high costs of the proposal to exploit one of the worlds most treasured wild places for unnecessary energy development are coming clear. While the owners of the Patagonia Dam scheme known as HidroAysén busily attempt to convince investors, associated business partners, and the public at large that their primitive energy project is moving forth as planned, their own recent communications with the international press state that the project is being delayed by the volcanic nature of the Patagonia region. In an article published by Reut

Dam Home Depot, Save Patagonia's Rivers

The Endangered Wilderness of the Pascua
Read about International Rivers' Action at The Home Depot's Annual Shareholder Meeting: Press Release, Media Kit The Home Depot is the largest US buyer of timber products from the Matte Group, one of the companies planning to build five big dams on two pristine rivers in Patagonia, southern Chile. The dams and their associated transmission lines would ruin rivers, flood rare endangered forests and destroy livelihoods. Why The Home Depot? Every year The Home Depot purchases 50 million dollars worth of timber products from the Matte and Angelini groups – owners of wood products companies CMPC

HidroAysén Blasts Their Way Past Corporate Responsibility

Río Ibañez Day of Action participant
Río Ibañez International Day of Action Against Dams Event I am back in the Berkeley office of International Rivers after an exceptionally quick trip to Chile, including a whirlwind tour down to the Aysén Region of Patagonia. This trip was a productive and intense round of fact finding, meetings with partners, and media outreach--not to mention a chance to participate in a wonderful International Day of Action event. Amongst all the things I have brought home with me, including vivid memories of the blue vivid force of the Baker and some great conversations with local people, what I

International Relations Center: Damming Patagonia's Rivers: A Dirty Energy Business

Friday, May 23, 2008
Originally published by Americas Program, Center for International Policy The Pascua River, in Chilean Patagonia, has many qualities that have kept its stunning, rugged beauty intact and virtually unknown—so far. Only one road leads anywhere near the Pascua, and that's a rough road that takes you to the end of the river's course. To get to the head of the Pascua, because of the impassable terrain along both its sides, you have to backtrack up that lonely road and travel away from the river and into the town of Villa O'Higgins, located near Chile's border with Argentina. There you catch a r

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