SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Members of the Inuit Ataqatigiit (AI) Party wave party flags as they celebrate following the exit polls results of the legislative election in Nuuk, on April 6, 2021. Greenland went to the polls on April 6 after an election campaign focused on a disputed mining project in the autonomous Danish territory, as the Arctic island confronts the impact of global warming. (Photo: Emil Helms / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)
'The People Have Spoken': Left-Wing, Indigenous-Led Party Vows to Stop Greenland Uranium Mining Project After Historic Win
"Greenlanders are sending a strong message that for them it's not worth sacrificing the environment to achieve independence and economic development."
Apr 07, 2021
Members of the left-wing and Indigenous-led Inuit Ataqatigiit (AI) party in Greenland celebrated late Tuesday after winning a majority of parliamentary seats in national elections and vowed to use their new power to block controversial rare-earth mining projects in the country.
Poll results released Wednesday morning showed that the Inuit Ataqatigiit won 36.6 percent of the vote compared to the 29 percent garnered by the center-left Siumut party, which has dominated domestic politics since Greenland won autonomy from Denmark in 1979. If those margins hold, according to the Associated Press, AI is expected to grab 12 out of the 31 seats in the Inatsisartut, the local parliament, a 50 percent increase from the 8 seats it currently holds.
As Agence France-Pressereports:
The dividing line between the two parties was whether to authorise a controversial giant rare earth and uranium mining project, which is currently the subject of public hearings.
The Kuannersuit deposit, in the island's south, is considered one of the world's richest in uranium and rare earth minerals--a group of 17 metals used as components in everything from smartphones to electric cars and weapons.
IA has called for a moratorium on uranium mining, which would effectively put a halt to the project.
According to Reuters, the results cast "doubt on the mining complex at Kvanefjeld in the south of the Arctic island and sends a strong signal to international mining companies wanting to exploit Greenland's vast untapped mineral resources."
"The people have spoken," IA leader Mute Egede told local news oultet DR when asked about Kvanefjeld. "It won't happen."
"We must listen to the voters who are worried," he said. "We say no to uranium mining."
\u201cThe people of Greenland vote to oust a government that was planning to welcome foreign companies eager to tap the island\u2019s rare-earth metals https://t.co/yFt9hQ1gcF\u201d— Bloomberg (@Bloomberg) 1617785343
In other comments following the party's victory, Egede said, "There are two issues that have been important in this election campaign: people's living conditions is one. And then there is our health and the environment."
"It's not that Greenlanders don't want mining, but they don't want dirty mining," Mered added. "Greenlanders are sending a strong message that for them it's not worth sacrificing the environment to achieve independence and economic development."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Members of the left-wing and Indigenous-led Inuit Ataqatigiit (AI) party in Greenland celebrated late Tuesday after winning a majority of parliamentary seats in national elections and vowed to use their new power to block controversial rare-earth mining projects in the country.
Poll results released Wednesday morning showed that the Inuit Ataqatigiit won 36.6 percent of the vote compared to the 29 percent garnered by the center-left Siumut party, which has dominated domestic politics since Greenland won autonomy from Denmark in 1979. If those margins hold, according to the Associated Press, AI is expected to grab 12 out of the 31 seats in the Inatsisartut, the local parliament, a 50 percent increase from the 8 seats it currently holds.
As Agence France-Pressereports:
The dividing line between the two parties was whether to authorise a controversial giant rare earth and uranium mining project, which is currently the subject of public hearings.
The Kuannersuit deposit, in the island's south, is considered one of the world's richest in uranium and rare earth minerals--a group of 17 metals used as components in everything from smartphones to electric cars and weapons.
IA has called for a moratorium on uranium mining, which would effectively put a halt to the project.
According to Reuters, the results cast "doubt on the mining complex at Kvanefjeld in the south of the Arctic island and sends a strong signal to international mining companies wanting to exploit Greenland's vast untapped mineral resources."
"The people have spoken," IA leader Mute Egede told local news oultet DR when asked about Kvanefjeld. "It won't happen."
"We must listen to the voters who are worried," he said. "We say no to uranium mining."
\u201cThe people of Greenland vote to oust a government that was planning to welcome foreign companies eager to tap the island\u2019s rare-earth metals https://t.co/yFt9hQ1gcF\u201d— Bloomberg (@Bloomberg) 1617785343
In other comments following the party's victory, Egede said, "There are two issues that have been important in this election campaign: people's living conditions is one. And then there is our health and the environment."
"It's not that Greenlanders don't want mining, but they don't want dirty mining," Mered added. "Greenlanders are sending a strong message that for them it's not worth sacrificing the environment to achieve independence and economic development."
From Your Site Articles
Members of the left-wing and Indigenous-led Inuit Ataqatigiit (AI) party in Greenland celebrated late Tuesday after winning a majority of parliamentary seats in national elections and vowed to use their new power to block controversial rare-earth mining projects in the country.
Poll results released Wednesday morning showed that the Inuit Ataqatigiit won 36.6 percent of the vote compared to the 29 percent garnered by the center-left Siumut party, which has dominated domestic politics since Greenland won autonomy from Denmark in 1979. If those margins hold, according to the Associated Press, AI is expected to grab 12 out of the 31 seats in the Inatsisartut, the local parliament, a 50 percent increase from the 8 seats it currently holds.
As Agence France-Pressereports:
The dividing line between the two parties was whether to authorise a controversial giant rare earth and uranium mining project, which is currently the subject of public hearings.
The Kuannersuit deposit, in the island's south, is considered one of the world's richest in uranium and rare earth minerals--a group of 17 metals used as components in everything from smartphones to electric cars and weapons.
IA has called for a moratorium on uranium mining, which would effectively put a halt to the project.
According to Reuters, the results cast "doubt on the mining complex at Kvanefjeld in the south of the Arctic island and sends a strong signal to international mining companies wanting to exploit Greenland's vast untapped mineral resources."
"The people have spoken," IA leader Mute Egede told local news oultet DR when asked about Kvanefjeld. "It won't happen."
"We must listen to the voters who are worried," he said. "We say no to uranium mining."
\u201cThe people of Greenland vote to oust a government that was planning to welcome foreign companies eager to tap the island\u2019s rare-earth metals https://t.co/yFt9hQ1gcF\u201d— Bloomberg (@Bloomberg) 1617785343
In other comments following the party's victory, Egede said, "There are two issues that have been important in this election campaign: people's living conditions is one. And then there is our health and the environment."
"It's not that Greenlanders don't want mining, but they don't want dirty mining," Mered added. "Greenlanders are sending a strong message that for them it's not worth sacrificing the environment to achieve independence and economic development."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.