rio tinto

Take a moment to think about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the nearby patches of Wisconsin, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan that border it. Picture the sparkling waterfalls, blueberries, brook trout and wave-washed shores there — the multitude of reasons so many think of this as God’s Country. New proposals for mining in the U.P. involve a method — metallic sulfide mining — known for its record of toxic water pollution.

Tribal and community representatives from around the world will address Rio Tinto's annual meeting and argue that the mining group's claim that its operations are sustainable and fair is far from the truth.  Meanwhile, investors going to the BP annual meeting will be greeted by campaigners dressed as pirates, symbolising the company's attempt to "rob" Iraq of its oil through pressing the Baghdad administration to sign a new oil law.

Andrew Vickerman, Head of Communication and External Relations for the mining company Rio Tinto, describes trends in communicating sustainable development and corporate responsibility at the International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) Clarion Awards 2007.