CHILEAN ENVIRONMENTALISTS BATTLE

CHILE is home to four-fifths of South America's glaciers and has some of the largest ice fields in the world outside the polar regions, but they are coming under threat from mining industry dust.

Climatologist Fabrice Lambert from Chile's Catholic University believes that the country 24,114 glaciers are in danger from mining activities, although the direct cause and effect are hard to establish.

''The dust generated by mining can settle on the glaciers, covering the white surface so the particles absorb solar energy that results in rapid glacial melting,'' Lambert told AFP.

It's a problem because ''soame glaciers in Chile are close to mines,'' he says.

Sara Larrain, director at the Sustainable Chile environmental NGO, says the country needs legislation like its neighbors Argentina to protect the glaciers, but says such proposals keep getting stonewalled by the powerful mining sector.

''Since 2005, there have been six or seven glacial protection projects presented to senators or deputies but every time they've been blocked by the mining sector.'' she said.

Joaquin Villarino, president of Chile's mining Council, says such laws aren't necessary.

''More than 70 percent of mining activity takes place in areas where where there are no glaciers,'' he said.

In any case, under current legislation ''there is certain protection that prevents mining companies from damaging existing glaciers.''

For Lambert, there's a happy medium to be struck somewhere. .

''They're not going to close the mines within the next five years, but we need to find a way to protect the glaciers without destroying the mining industry, which is essential to the country's economy.''

Chile's economy depends on mining.

It's the world's biggest producer of copper with around 5.6 million tons, a third of global production.

Environmental law specialist Pilar Moraga says the Chile urgently needs a legal framework to specifically protect the glaciers.

In 2014 a bill was introduced in Congress to ban certain dangerous industrial activities near the glaciers.

But the bill underwent several damaging modifications before it was finally ditched altogether by the government of the right wing President Sebastian Pinera in June. [Agencies]