By 1995, the 350,000 residents of Eastern Antioquia had tired of using their rivers as dumps. River water ran yellow from sand pits and cement factories. It ran electric blue from the dyes at paper and textile plants. At times it even resembled a rainbow, frothing with chemicals and detergents. The once proud region of orchid and coffee farms, parks and pine forests had become a cesspool. Even those responsible for the pollution—industrialists, farmers and municipal authorities—were fed up. So environmental authorities went on the offensive: They decreed an ambitious 80% reduction in pollutants and took swift and drastic enforcement action, imposing fines and closing factories. And they failed. In fact, the get-tough campaign only worsened the filth. Faced with crushing payments... [Log in to read more]