Peru: Climate Change Meets Human Rights

Peru, like many other regions, has environmental issues.  Because of recent climate challenges in the region is having has brought new issues to surface.  Some issues such as oil erosion, deforestation, and water pollution.  These issues are a combination of climate changes and human influence. 

Map of Peru

Deforestation is a human influence factor.  Due to oil and gas exploration the Amazon has decreased in size.  The deforestation has affected the general environmental make up and the indigenous groups to the Amazon.  The displacement of these groups of people has involved fights and uproar between groups. 

           Water pollutants in Peru are a result of the excessive mining.  According to Anywhere Peru, “Copper, silver, gold, mercury, and zinc are all mined in Peru, and have polluted water supplies in central Peru and the Cordillera Huayhuash. As of 2009, three big gold mines in Madre de Dios, in southern Peru, had claimed some 38,300 acres (15,500 ha) of forest”.   Peru has been dealing with these environemntal issues and the correspondence with human rights through many organizations that involve their youth.  The youth of Peru have formed groups such as, Power Shift Peru.   The direction of change is seen through the energy and passion of the youth in Peru and around the world.

Power Shift Peru Group Picture

            Climate change corresponds with human rights through quality of life.  According to the United Nations Environement Programme, “More than 2 million annual deaths and billions of cases of diseases are attributed to pollution. All over the world, people experience the negative effects of environmental degradation ecosystems decline, including water shortage, fisheries depletion, natural disasters due to deforestation and unsafe management and disposal of toxic and dangerous wastes and products”.  Elizabeth Lindsey’s stance on climate changes relation to human rights is seen through her poetic speech about her past experiences.  She makes the point that indigenous groups and the wisdom they impart is extremely vital.  With the conservation of the environment and culture create a society that has the opportunity to explore and learn lessons from those before them.  With less pollutants people live longer and with less worry and more happiness. 

                                      

             Shifting to Noor's "Beyond Eurocentrism" and his view, speaks to the idea of seeing the world without the existence of Europe, or at least not centered around Europe.  She defines eurocentrism as “the emerging perception within the European cultural, historical experience of European identity as good and all other forms as less good or less advanced”.  Noor sends the message that in order to lean more about the impact each region has on another, we must take a new view.