Jorge Recharte

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The Rio Negro in Canrey Chico in 2011. The rocks have turned reddish-orange due to iron and other minerals that have washed into the river from exposed rocks once covered by glaciers. (D. Byers)

When the poisoned river ran red with heavy metals, people from nearby communities didn’t believe at first that climate change was to blame. In this small village nestled in the Cordillera Blanca, a majestic mountain range that contains several of the highest peaks in South America, the glaciers melted and metal-rich rocks were exposed to the air for the first time in thousands of years.

The glacial meltwater washing over the exposed rocks carried metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium and iron into area waterways, turning rivers like the Rio Negro a rust red. This contaminated both soil and water and posed a significant health risk.…  Seguir leyendo »