Big business and the mountain environment: Focus on mining

That the mountain environment is fragile is nothing new; and, that mountains in many nations are inhabited by the often habitually poor and politically weak is also unsurprising. Despite these apparently negative factors mountains are resource rich - they are cultural and spiritual icons, they are tourism magnets, they are potentially rich sources of energy, they produce food, they often contain rich mineral deposits, and they perform key ecosystem process functions. But, if mountains are so resource rich then why are the people often so poor? This is another question but it does..