Category: Latin America

PAYNE INSTITUTE’S EOG MEASURES CHILEAN WILDFIRES

PAYNE INSTITUTE’S EOG MEASURES CHILEAN WILDFIRES

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Mikhail Zhizhin, Christopher Elvidge, Communications Associate Kristin Ziv, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about the Chilean wildfires which could be the deadliest on record, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. With its VIIRS Nightfire satellites, the Earth Observation Group can detect wildfires all over the world within two hours after the satellite overpass. With this algorithm, EOG can not only detect, but characterize wildfires in size and temperature. February 9, 2024.

Tracking electricity losses and their perceived causes using nighttime light and social media 11/21/2023

Tracking electricity losses and their perceived causes using nighttime light and social media

Samuel W. Kerber, Nicholas A. Duncan, Guillaume F. L’Her, Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Earth Observation Group Chris Elvidge, and Faculty Fellow Mark R. Deinert write about how urban environments are intricate systems where the breakdown of critical infrastructure can impact both the economic and social well-being of communities.  Electricity systems hold particular significance, as they are essential for other infrastructure, and disruptions can trigger widespread consequences.  This study shows how satellite imagery, social media, and information extraction can monitor blackouts and their perceived causes. November 21, 2023.  

Transitional dynamics from mercury to cyanide-based processing in artisanal and small-scale gold mining: Social, economic, geochemical, and environmental considerations 7/21/2023

Transitional dynamics from mercury to cyanide-based processing in artisanal and small-scale gold mining: Social, economic, geochemical, and environmental considerations

Payne Institute Research Associate Aaron Malone and Faculty Fellow Nicole Smith and others examine the environmental issues around artisanal gold mining, in particular highlighting often-overlooked problems that are occurring as more of the sector incorporates cyanide processing. The common sense among policy makers and the international community is that anything that decreases use of mercury is an improvement – but what we show is that the current transition phase, with mercury and cyanide use overlapping, actually makes environmental problems worse. In this regard, it is important not to be complacent or imagine that artisanal gold mining’s environmental problems will fix themselves. July 21, 2023.

The 2023 CCNow Journalism Awards Finalists 6/28/2023

The 2023 CCNow Journalism Awards – Finalists

The Payne Institute Earth Observation Group contributed satellite imagery to this 2023 CCNow Finalist for Journalism Award (Up In Flames article in Reuters) that analyzed the flaring sites across Mexico.  The article is about how gas flaring soars in Mexico, derailing its climate change pledges as it seeks to boost oil output. The new data suggests that in spite of signing an international pledge to reduce methane emissions, Mexico is moving in the opposite direction from a global push to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas production. June 28, 2023.  

Can CSR strategy mediate conflict over extraction? Evidence from two mines in Peru 6/19/2023

Can CSR strategy mediate conflict over extraction? Evidence from two mines in Peru

Payne Institute Advisory Board member Deborah Avant, Devin Finn, and Tricia D. Olsen write about how corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies can shape political contexts to mediate or exacerbate the resource curse. Using a relational pragmatic approach—one that recognizes actors are dynamic and focuses on the interactions that shape how they see their interests—we develop expectations about two ideal type CSR strategies: transformational and transactional and their relational implications. June 19, 2023.

Analyzing a deadly confrontation to understand the roots of conflict in artisanal and small-scale mining: A case study from Arequipa, Peru 6/7/2023

Analyzing a deadly confrontation to understand the roots of conflict in artisanal and small-scale mining: A case study from Arequipa, Peru

Payne Institute Research Associate Aaron Malone, Faculty Fellow Nicole M. Smith, Eliseo Zeballos Zeballos, Rolando Quispe Aquino, Ubaldo Tapia Huamaní, Jerónimo Miguel Gutiérrez Soncco, Guido Salas, Zacarias Madariaga Coaquira, Jose Herrera Bedoya write about how conflicts around large-scale mining are common and widely researched, but artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) features sparingly in the mining conflict literature, despite the prevalence of ASM conflicts. This paper examines ASM conflicts, focusing on a central case study from Arequipa, Peru, where violence between rival ASM groups and a mining company resulted in 15 deaths between 2020 and 2022. June 7, 2023.

Chile Is Nationalizing Lithium. It May Not Go How Nervous Investors Expect. 4/25/2023

Chile Is Nationalizing Lithium. It May Not Go How Nervous Investors Expect.

Payne Institute Research Associate Aaron Malone and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how lithium is one of the renewable energy transition’s most crucial minerals, primarily for its use in electric vehicle batteries. Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, and has the largest reserves. So, when Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced his intention on Thursday to nationalize the country’s lithium industry, it provoked strong reactions.  April 25, 2023.  

Mines to host high-level event on mining and development in the Americas

Mines to host high-level event on mining and development in the Americas

The Colorado School of Mines and the Payne Institute are hosting a Cities Summit Side Event – Partners in Development – Mining and Cities in the Americas on Tuesday, April 25.  U.S. State Department Under Secretary Jose W. Fernandez will be among the high-level representatives in attendance.  This event will provide mining sector stakeholders with visibility on past successes and future challenges for the mining industry and cities in the Americas as partners in development. April 10, 2023.

Six bold steps towards net-zero industry 3/30/2023

Six bold steps towards net-zero industry

Benjamin K. Sovacool, Payne Institute Director Morgan D. Bazilian, Jinsoo Kim, and Fellow Steven Griffiths write about how the rapid and deep decarbonization of global industry is key to reaching climate policy targets, yet it remains an incredibly difficult challenge. They propose six bold steps for accelerating progress on achieving net-zero industrial carbon emissions by mid-century with a focus on lessons learned and emerging analysis from both the Global North and Global South, the latter of which we consider as low or middle income countries primarily located in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  March 30, 2023.