Movements discuss alternatives for power generation and criticize mining industry

The dilemma of energy production is not technological, but political. Essential is knowing for what, to whom and under whose control power is produced. This finding pervaded the plenary convergence on energy and mining industry of the People’s Summit on Sunday June 17. The panel brought together social movements, especially those of America and Africa, to discuss the problems of the energy model and the mining industry and make the exercise of proposing an alternative that does not harm the environment, neither affect communities and workers.

Participants identified the problem in the role of the transnational corporations that are encroaching on the territory disrespecting the sovereignty of people, especially in the southern hemisphere, in order to accumulate profit. The speeches of the session brought many regional examples of how this occurs. In Mozambique extracting coal; in Guatemala more than 100 hydroelectric projects although rejected by the people during a referendum continue to be imposed; indigenous areas of Roraima and Rondônia in Brazil suffer from the construction of large dams.

Proposing to identify the structural problems, Gustavo Castro of the Movimiento de los Afectados por las Presas y em Defensa de los Ríos (Mapder), Mexico, explained that the crisis of the capitalist system leads to the intensification of mining and quarrying. This places under the control of big business not only the minerals but also air, water and plants.

Gilberto Cervinski of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), Brazil, emphasized the central position of energy in the capitalist system because it increases the labour productivity of workers. He stressed that the central problem is not with respect to the production matrix, but to the control of the power generation.

Fabian Masisa, International Network of People Affected by Vale, Mozambique, talked about the coal mining by the transactional Brazilian Vale company in his country and denounced the absolute lack of respect for the affected communities.

Joao Antonio de Moraes from the Federation of Oil Workers (FUP), Brazil, emphasized that the energy sector workers are not adversaries of the communities affected by the works or of the environment. The workers are also victims of this predatory industry. He stressed the importance of the fight against the privatisation of the sector and noted that the so called “renewable” energies also have impacts on the environment and communities and must, like all forms of energy generation, be discussed by workers and not imposed by capital.