Terra Verde

Lithium, the Environment and a Green Constitution? Historical Moment in Chile Merits Global Attention

Mural at Universidad Santiago de Chile (photo credit Gary Hughes)

After an unprecedented street protest movement against inequality put Chile in the global media spotlight in 2019, the recent election of a former radical student leader to the countries presidency has once again turned all eyes to this South American country. As a process continues to write a new constitution that many are hoping will secure better protections of the environment, the extraction of minerals like lithium explodes, and the country is confronted with the dilemmas of how to manage extractive industry that is central to popular responses to climate change. To explore these topics and more, journalist John Bartlett joins Terra Verde to describe current events in Chile, and articulates how Chile will continue to merit global attention.