Party time already

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Chile witnessed a huge celebratory march by thousands of environmentalists, covering 14 cities of the country, on July 9, 2005. The activists sought to underline their successes, especially their two victories against major industries: the closure of the Valdivia wood pulp plant belonging to industrial conglomerate Copec, charged with polluting a wetland and killing hundreds of black-necked swans, and the success action against Canada's Barrick Gold (bg). The greens had opposed bg's plan to move parts of two glaciers for its Pascua Lama gold mine, following which the government asked bg to redesign its project.

Chile's business leaders admit that the citizens have kept the industry on its toes. Analysts believe this is linked to the country's prosperity. "Environmental awareness grows when people's basic needs are relatively satisfied and they can worry about quality of life issues,' explains Manuel Baquedano, president of Institute of Political Ecology environmental group.