In the run up to the peace agreement last November that brought an end to more than half a century of war between the Colombian government and leftist guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), many people hoped there would be an environmental peace dividend. The FARC, after all, had engaged in activities such as illegal gold mining and coca growing, which caused deforestation and the chemical contamination of rivers and streams. It also bombed oil pipelines, causing millions of gallons of oil to spill into fragile ecosystems. By bringing the FARC into a durable peace agreement, some experts thought, such destruction would decrease significantly. But those hopes may be premature. If the FARC has mostly ended its environmentally damaging pursuits, others have... [Log in to read more]
