Jardines de plomo

Peru. Where lamas once pastured in meadows at 4000 m, dirty water now springs from the rocks. In Huayhuay, a small mining village, a teacher and her students collect water samples for analysis in the school laboratory.The finding of macroinvertebrates indicates high lead levels in the water and confirms the devastating effect the mining operations have on the animals and local population.The unusually high morbidity and mortality rates mean nothing to the mining company, however. Worker unrest and an attempted work strike are put down by the threat of losing steady employment.Nonetheless, the students have learned a memorable lesson and some are already thinking about how to improve the situation.