The latest investigation by the UK Ecologist magazine probes the impact Greece's economic crisis is having on the nation's environment, examining a controversial mining project.Gold mining is probably the most environmentally destructive mining practices of all, and probably the least useful because much (most?) of the gold ends up back below ground stored in banking vaults because capitalists have a mystical belief that it constitutes wealth. Of course, their system is all about the private accumulation of wealth regardless, if while accumulating it, such operations destroy the environment on which we depend for all our needs: food, clothing, shelter, etc.
One of the persons being interviewed is Giannis Stathoris, a local cheese producer in Chalkidiki. He has been involved in the movement of producers-consumers, and now Stathoris—together with three other family men from the region—has been sent to prison, accused of terrorism against the gold mine.
The video makes the salient point that international (in this case a Canadian mining company and likely banking institutions) corporations have invaded Greece under the current reign of neoliberalism and using the economic crisis there to divide Greek people by offering a few jobs to those desperate in need of work. Corporations have successfully used this tactic, which is usually complemented with bribes to local government officials, throughout the world.
