Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
wet environment, lack of proper respiratory equipment and consequent
health concerns” (Oxfam Australia 2006).
Our study of the environmental risks of mining at Vatukoula also
revealed that women are disproportionately affected by the environmen-
tal risks associated with the mining industry. Powerful forces of occupa-
tional discrimination and segregation by gender persist throughout many
industries in Fiji (Asian Development Bank 2006). Despite the fact that
there is no difference in the education levels achieved by men and women
in Fiji, women do not have equal access to the benefi ts of employment
at Vatukoula, while assuming much of the environmental burden. Women
reported having less knowledge about the environmental and health risks
of mining than men did, and reported feeling less able to avoid the envi-
ronmental and health risks of mining compared to men. Finally, women
also have less access to direct information about mining risks than men
do; the study revealed that women tend to receive information about
such risks from secondary sources. These fi ndings highlight how foreign
investment without appropriate consideration of local social norms can
serve to further entrench existing social and cultural inequalities at the
local level.
Bottled Water
The attractive labels on bottles of FIJI Water—another of Fiji's biggest
industries, and a brand of bottled water known throughout the world—
inform consumers that the plant is located “a continent away from the
nearest industrialized civilization.” Many of these consumers would be
surprised to learn that Fiji itself is industrialized to some extent and that
the fi rm's headquarters are located just a few miles from the Vatukoula
mine, which has been minimally regulated in terms of environmental
impact for over seventy years. FIJI Water's original owner, David Gilmour,
also had a strong connection with the mining industry in Canada and
used geologists from Barrick Gold Corporation to assist in the company's
search for artisanal springs. Apart from these technical connections, this
case also exemplifi es how globalization without proper development
planning can empower a relatively limited and powerful elite rather than
spreading benefi ts more widely. While Fiji's economy may appear to be
diversifi ed in terms of sectors, the ownership patterns are still concen-
trated among foreign elite. For example, Gilmour also owns the Wakaya
Club—Fiji's most prized tourist resort.
A few years ago, FIJI Water launched a major campaign to position
itself as a green and sustainable business, outlining plans to go carbon
