Life without Lead: Contamination, Crisis, and Hope in Uruguay (Critical Environments: Nature, Science, and Politics Book 4)

Life without Lead examines the social, political, and environmental dimensions of a devastating lead poisoning epidemic. Drawing from a political ecology of health perspective, the book situates the Uruguayan lead contamination crisis in relation to neoliberal reform, globalization, and the resurgence of the political Left in Latin America. The author traces the rise of an environmental social justice movement, and the local and transnational circulation of environmental ideologies and contested science. Through fine-grained ethnographic analysis, this book shows how combating contamination intersected with class politics, explores the relationship of lead poisoning to poverty, and debates the best way to identify and manage an unprecedented local environmental health problem. "Life without Lead examines the social, political and environmental dimensions of a devastating lead poisoning epidemic. Drawing from a political ecology of health perspective, the book situates the Uruguayan lead contamination crisis in relation to neoliberal reform, globalization, and the resurgence of the political Left in Latin America. The author traces the rise of an environmental justice social movement, and the local and transnational circulation of environmental ideologies and contested science. Through fine-grained ethnographic analysis, this book shows how combating contamination intersected with class politics, the relationship of lead poisoning to poverty, and debates over the best way to identify and manage an unprecedented local environmental health problem"--Provided by publisher Contents 7 List of Illustrations and Maps 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction: Saturn’s Nightmare 17 1. To Live, Not Only Survive 40 2. This Is Not a Game 67 3. La Teja Shall Sing 99 4. The Two Fires of ANCAP 131 5. New House, New Life 163 6. We Are All Contaminated 202 Conclusion: Contamination, Crisis, and Hope 230 Notes 243 Bibliography 263 Index 285 Drawing on political ecology and science studies perspectives, 'Life without Lead' examines the social, political, and environmental dimensions of a devastating lead-poisoning epidemic