In the US, we see our share of environmental battles. But more often than not these battles are waged in courtrooms and in the media.
In poorer countries, these battles are waged on the land itself, with few witnesses, and they are increasingly fatal.
According to the group Global Witness, activists and locals who are simply trying to protect their land are being killed in growing numbers.
Says the report:
The briefing, A Hidden Crisis?, finds that over 711 people appear to have been killed in the last decade – more than one a week. In 2011 the toll was 106 people, almost doubling over the past three years.
Here’s the PDF report.