Discourses of Development and Disasters: Shocks and Responses in Philippine Mining

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which a society like the Philippines can generate meaningful responses to mining disasters. Mining disasters amplify long-standing conflicts that have been hounding the industry, where different views about development, politics, and the environment clash. Using three different cases of mining disasters in Marinduque island, I examine how responses are conditioned by the configuration of dominant discourses. I
identified this configuration by studying the deeper history of discourses that surround Philippine mining. This study also identifies two environmental discourses in non-industrial settings, indigenous sustainability and a non-industrial cornucopian discourse, which expands existing environmental discourse taxonomies. I evaluate the adequacy of response to disasters
through reference to the idea of ecological reflexivity, a capacity to recognise environmental issue, rethink core values and practices, and respond by changing values and practices. In mining, ecological reflexivity might be sought in the shocks generated by disasters. But the degree to which reflexivity is possible is conditioned by the deeper history of discourses as well as their contemporary configuration. This study applies an environmental discourse approach that shows the protracted influence of the Promethean discourse in policies and
institutions leading to mining disasters. In mining, the Promethean discourse means using capital-intensive technology to enable the perpetual exploitation of minerals while downplaying environmental risks. Promethean thinking was consistent with or went alongside state intervention, crony capitalism, and oligarchic patrimonialism. Another contribution of this study is in the application of ecological reflexivity, a transformative ideal. Green political discourse can help set conditions for ecological reflexivity, because it recognises complex and
vulnerable ecosystems and the value of inclusive and participatory governance. Consistent with green politics, the local environmental movement anticipated these disasters and mobilised in their aftermath, helping set conditions for ecological reflexivity. However, an institutional response that varied from resistant to weak and inconsistent severely constrained reflexivity. The study offers a different approach to the study of mining disasters and the conflicts they amplify. The findings suggest some pathways to veer away from entrenched
dominant discourses and practices that lead to mining disasters.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	English
Supervisor	John DRYZEK (Supervisor) & Nicole CURATO (Supervisor)