Environmental Studies

Events

ENVS Sacagawea Series: Martin Frye

Date: November 6 2009 12:30pm - 1:30pm Location: JR Howard Hall 302 Conference Room

Join Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies senior, Martin Frye for a brown-bag talk, photo slide show, and discussion about Chile’s hydroelectric future.

Chilean Energy Politics and Environmental Conflicts:
Insights from overseas study and thesis research

 

Virtual reservoirs? Dams to nowhere? The World Bank? Fait accompli? Non-consumptive water use rights? The Chicago Boys? What do all of these things have to do with Chilean Patagonia?

The legacy of the military dictatorship (1973-(1990) is dominant to this day in Chile, even though the democratically elected Concertación governments have been in power for almost 20 years. Now this interesting country has become known as an international neoliberal success story. Currently, a large political dogfight is taking place among Endesa (a multi-national utility), investors, the Chilean government, and opponents of HydroAysén, a mega-project destined to dam a handful of Chile’s mightiest Patagonian rivers.

I biked over 1,000 kilometers in Patagonia last semester, and am now sharing my experiences abroad as well as my thesis research as part of the ENVS Sac-Series.