Besieged by political pressure, financial hardship, and legal exposure, the extractive industries have been deeply affected by the public campaigns waged against them. This chapter provides an overview of the political battles that stem from environmentally and socially destructive resource extraction. The authors illustrate some of the ways in which the public – including local affected communities, nongovernmental organizations and consumers in the developed countries – express their concerns and seek to reduce the social and environmental costs of the extractive industries.
Keywords: environment, extractive industries, NGOs, public concern, public response