Estudio Economico, Solcial Y Biologico De "El Cerrejon" Colombia

Colegio Hacienda los Alcaparros
Analysis of the Social, Biological and Economical Aspects of the Activity of “El Cerrejón”
Students: Veronica Reyes Vives
Juliana Trujillo Sarmiento
Teachers: Jaime Solórzano (Social Studies)
Miguel Mantilla (Biology)
Roy Nijhof (Economics)
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Grade: 10

CONTENT:
1.Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..Pg 2
2. Theoretical background…………………………………………………………………………………………….Pg 2
3.1 Social Studies theoretical background…………………………………………………………………Pg 2
3.2 Economics Theoretical background………………………………………………………..…………..Pg 4
3.3 Biology theoretical background…………………………………………………………………………..Pg 6
3.Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Pg 6
4. Analysis……………………………….………………………………………………………………………….Pg 9
5.4 Social Studies analysis.…………………………………………………………………………………………Pg 9
5.5 Economics analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………….Pg 9
5.6 Ecological analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………..Pg 12
5. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Pg 14
6. References………………………………………………………………………………………………………Pg 16

1. INTRODUCTION

“ElCerrejón” is one of the largest carbon open pit mines of the world and the largest in Colombia. This mine produces 32 million tons of carbon during a year which represents the fifty percent of the country’s carbon exportation. “El Cerrejón” is located in la Guajira department, in Colombia, more specifically, in the low Guajira, between de municipalities of Hato Nuevo, Albania and Barrancas.Because of its location, magnitude and productivity, this Company has a lot of influence in the economy, society and biological aspects in the region, but how does el Cerrejón affect the development of the economic, social and environmental aspects in la Guajira? Is this development sustainable?

2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND


2.1 Social studies theoretical background: In the 70´s, when mineralexploitation started, there was a big expectation in the price of coal; the price ranged between $360 and 430 Dollar per ton. But the ton did not exceed the $30 Dollars. This was the first problem the company needed to face. They needed to take away some plans and programs they had planned because the bad economic situation and this brought disagreement in the habitants.
After some agreements withthe community, this inconvenient was solved. The next step the company did was the purchase of w equipment, building up new infrastructure and more employees. This was how the company found the hoped course and start increasing in all aspects. The coal at the expected price and the company working in a good way were the main points that made modernization arrived to la Guajira and make a realModernization process started in this area. As is shown in the conceptual map, La Guajira experienced a process in which we can see that in general terms life in this place improved for the habitants.
Despite all the positive aspects and all the things the company has brought to the community of la Guajira, we had also found some problems that have happened among the years. Expansion and growth ofthe mine, has finished with plants, animals, rivers and some communities of the area, that according to residents this has been done in a wrong way The principal consequences this expansion had on the local communities was that fist they took out their lands, secondly this re in vindication of land produces some changes in how the communities act after, that also produces changes in the communitymanners.
This entire situation was published in some important diaries of the country in 2001 when the police with huge machines destroyed a complete town in La Guajira named Tabaco to give life to the project of mining. Community members, felt that their rights were totally ignored, that even thought they were killing a entire town, killing a...