The Three Deaths of Cerro de San Pedro: Four Centuries of Extractivism in a Small Mexican Mining Town

In Cerro de San Pedro, a small gold- and silver-mining district in Mexico, Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert explores the history of precious-metals extractivism, tracing the operations from the Spanish conquest to the present. He shows how the depletion of a mine did not mark the end of its life, as evolving technology accelerated the flow of matter and energy, reviving profitability over and over again. However, each new cycle imposed harmful consequences on laborers and natural ecologies. Studnicki-Gizbert's book offers a long view of environmental justice conflicts around extraction in Latin America, highlighting the competing vision of miners and their communities for a moral ecology that defended the healthy reproduction of life and land.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 20 December 2022
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

Here is the rephrased text:

In the small gold- and silver-mining district of Cerro de San Pedro, located in Mexico, Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert offers a unique perspective on the history of precious-metals extractivism. Spanning from the Spanish conquest to the present day, Studnicki-Gizbert's work transcends the conventional narratives of boom and bust to envision a multicentury series of mining cycles. These cycles were initially operated under Spanish rule, followed by the influence of North American industry, and now in the post-NAFTA world of transnational capitalism.

What is remarkable is that the depletion of a mine did not mark the end of its life. Evolving technology played a crucial role in accelerating the flow of matter and energy within the extractive systems of exhausted mines, leading to renewed profitability time and again in Mexico's mining districts. Studnicki-Gizbert meticulously demonstrates how this serial reanimation of a non-renewable resource was facilitated by capital, supported by state policy and ideology, and how each new cycle imposed increasingly harmful consequences on both laborers and natural ecologies.

At the same time, miners and their communities held a contrasting vision—a moral ecology—that prioritized the healthy reproduction of life and land. This moral ecology sought to balance the economic interests of mining with the preservation of the environment and the well-being of local communities. Studnicki-Gizbert's book offers a breathtakingly long view, providing valuable insights into environmental justice conflicts surrounding extraction in Latin America today. By examining the historical trajectory of Cerro de San Pedro, the author sheds light on the complex interplay between capital, state power, and the moral aspirations of miners and their communities. This work contributes to our understanding of the long-term impacts of extractivism on societies and the environment and highlights the need for sustainable and equitable practices in the mining industry.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781469671109