Large-Scale Economic and Social Dynamics

Mining and energy development in the North has often proceeded with limited consideration for its impacts on neither environment nor society. The industrialization has seldom been directed toward the interests of the local population or the regions themselves, and the combination of national and company interests have resulted in a disregard for the consequences of industrialization on regional life, causing a history of unfortunate examples of hit-and-run approaches where developments exploited the resource, then left, leaving local residents and the environment worse off than before [1]. Generally these activities have been promoted and supported by external sources of capital and related to world market processes, and seldom subject to decisions influenced by local communities or authorities.