Hi folks! Welcome back to yet another blog post with me, Vasa, and my sister Limu.
Today, we have finally arrived at our second destination during this migration journey, Panama!
The water here is so crystal clear I swear I could spot a patch of sea sponge a mile away. We’ve also run into a couple of fellow friends here who are preparing for nesting. Limu and I have found a nice warm patch of sand near the shore and decided to give our flippers a rest. The first thing I’ve noticed is the lush green forests that line the coast. In fact, Panama has one of the highest percentages of forest cover in Central America. Yet as Limu and I were enjoying our sunbathing I overheard a disappointing conversation between two humans lounging further up the beach. They were discussing recent news of Panama considering reopening the Cobre Panama copper mine. Before its shutdown in 2023, Cobre Panama was one of the world’s largest copper operations. Due to the environmental impacts and concerns from the public the mine was shut down and about 1% of global copper supply was removed. Now, they are considering reopening the mine for the economic benefits and to ease the global copper market. Despite Panama’s desire to boost its economy the public still expresses the same concerns as they did in 2023. They then began mentioning how the mine has the potential to contaminate drinking water and contribute to deforestation. These environmental concerns pose a threat to the general public as well as the wildlife. Hearing this devastating news makes me worry for the health of not only the forest dwelling animals but also those in the ocean. Deforestation can lead to polluted waters running straight to the ocean during heavy rains because of a lack of natural substances filtering muddy water before it reaches the coast. Polluted and murky water can then cause algal blooms that prevent coral reefs from getting the sunlight they need in order to survive. Essentially this mine can have impacts on many different ecosystems in Panama and it’s not worth the Economic boost that it will produce.
In regards to the people of Panama, these power plants require large amounts of water which could potentially drain important watersheds during dry periods. This can pose a potential issue for the public which makes the people suffer the consequences of decisions made by these large corporations. In addition drinking water contamination is a legitimate concern for the people of Panama. Mines have structures called tailing dams, which store waste from mining. Copper ore contains 35% sulfur, which can acidify when exposed to air and rain creating a highly acidic and dangerous contaminant to water resources. Apparently a community in Panama is located at the mouth of the waters that flow directly from the construction of the tailing dams. The public and environmental health of Panama is at imminent risk if government officials decide to reopen the mine.
https://www.northernminer.com/news/panama-mulls-state-miner-to-revive-cobre-panama/1003893287/
https://www.oneroinstitute.org/research/panama-mining
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