Argentina protects its glaciers
Environmental organizations and people in general in Argentina are celebrating the approval of a new law which restricts the extraction of minerals, oil and gas near glaciers, in order to protect these enormous freshwater reserves.
By a vote of 35 against 33 and 1 abstention, the Senate approved the bill to preserve glaciers and their surrounding areas last week. The President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner vetoed a similar but lees restrictive law in 2008, lawmakers close to her are assuring the public that this is not going to happen this time.
The new law stipulates that glaciers are “public goods” which are forbidden to be “destroyed or moved”. Severe penalties are set for those infringing this regulations. The Argentinian Institute of Snow Research, Glaciology and Environmental Science is set in charge of making a nationwide inventory of glaciers. Once the inventory is completed, the Institute’s experts will be in charge of the approval of investment projects in protected areas, and will also be capable of stopping already operating projects in glacier zones or periglacial areas.
According to environmentalists and NGOs, the newly approved bill is an improvement on the one that was vetoed. “The 2008 law only restricted mining activity in the glaciers, but this one also includes fossil fuel extraction and any industry which uses toxic substances” said Hernán Giardini of Greenpeace Argentina.
Along with Chile, Argentina holds the vastest glaciers in South America, this glaciers are extremely endangered thanks to several mining projects built in the last 20 years taking advantage of lax laws and low taxation.
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