VIII T
The Future of the Environment
he article appeared in Lima’s El Comercio at the end of May 2008. In her report, journalist Nelly Luna told of how the snow cap on Mount Pastoruri, the most visited snow-covered mountain of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca mountain range, could no longer be considered a glacier.1 “I don’t think it will be more than 10 years before it melts completely,” said a geologist quoted in the article. Similar stories, supported by documentary evidence, are told in other countries of the region that have or have had snowcapped mountains or glaciers. In all cases, not only is thawing undeniable, but its pace has quickened over the last few years. Evidence such as this constitutes one more example of the impact of global warming on the region, a phenomenon that has become more and more noticeable over the last half-century and that is of increasing concern to academics, leaders and the general public. Without a doubt, climate change caused by increasing
concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and the degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, represent the most significant environmental problems of the twenty-first century and some of the greatest global challenges facing humanity today. As paradoxical as it may seem, this process has been accompanied by a greater institutional strengthening in many Latin American countries, characterized by the emergence of environmental protection agencies, developing regulations and greater awareness among the region’s inhabitants. This does not mean that degradation has been avoided, but the occurrence of isolated, successful experiences gives cause for hope that the region can make significant contributions to the fight against global warming as it continues to make progress in the environmental arena. Such objectives are especially significant in light of the crisis affecting the world economy as of early 2009. In the face of the financial difficul-
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