Coastalsurvey

On the morning of February 27, 2010 residents of Santiago were thrown from their beds as an 8.8 tremblor rocked the Chilean capitol. The epicenter of the earthquake was later placed about five miles west of Curanipe, Chile, or about 200 miles southwest of Santiago.  Tsunami warnings were posted as far away as New Zealand, although most of the damage was limited to a region within a radius extending 300 miles from the epicenter.

The Chilean tsunami spared Hawaii and Japan, but it devastated coastal towns like San Juan Bautista village on remote Robinson Crusoe Island, the port of Talcahuano, Vichato and Pelluhue, just up the road from Curanipe. Revised estimates now put the death toll from the quake at about 500.

As bad as that earthquake was, a more lethal and lasting threat to the region is the unchecked development of the Chilean coast.

This is another example of one of Chile's greatest national resources.

Chile has pursued pro-business, pro-development policies since Pinochet’s military dictatorship (1973-1990).  The country’s economy largely depends upon its natural resources. Chile, for example, is the world’s largest exporter of copper. Non-mineral exports include paper and wood products, fresh fruit, processed food, seafood, and wine.

Often overlooked in this rush to development are the lasting effects of environmental damage.  That’s the topic of All Points South, a documentary film released last year by Save the Waves and Patagonia. The short film tells the story of how surfers and fishermen in Southern Chile joined forces to fight pollution caused by paper plants  in the region, and how consumers can help by making better choices when buying paper. A copy of the short can also be seen on YouTube.