James J. A. Blair
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Anthropology, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Media Coverage
“Water Wrangling: Environmental justice advocates are increasingly worrying about how much of the Imperial Valley’s dwindling water supply could go to the emerging lithium industry.” Politico: California Climate. (4/19/2024). https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-climate/2024/04/19/las-having-second-thoughts-about-2030-00153467?nname=california-climate&nid=00000189-315c-d8dd-a1ed-797dc9f10000&nrid=02ce94f6-98ac-4b18-97d4-14a91467bfcf&nlid=2745178
“Sinclair on Blair, ‘Salvaging Empire: Sovereignty, Natural Resources, and Environmental Science in the South Atlantic.’” H-Environment. (4/9/2024). https://networks.h-net.org/group/reviews/20030401/sinclair-blair-salvaging-empire-sovereignty-natural-resources-and
“In Rush for Lithium, Miners Turn to the Oil Fields of Arkansas.” Yale Environment 360. (2/29/2024). https://e360.yale.edu/features/arkansas-direct-lithium-extraction
“Lithium Valley | Episode 1: The White Gold Rush and Episode 4: Whose Health? Consider the Consequences.” Electric Futures Podcast, USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication. (1/24/2024). https://linktr.ee/uscelectricfutures
"Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brine: Technology and Impacts Expert Briefing." California Council on Science and Technology (12/15/2023). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPLtReh7NzY
“Book Review: James J. A. Blair, Salvaging Empire: Sovereignty, Natural Resources, and Environmental Science in the South Atlantic.” The British Journal for the History of Science. (12/23/2023). https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/B6AA42D780B5CE7DC0C78DE44D1E0B12/S0007087423000997a.pdf/james-ja-blair-salvaging-empire-sovereignty-natural-resources-and-environmental-science-in-the-south-atlantic-ithaca-ny-cornell-university-press-2023-pp-318-isbn-978-1-5017-7154-5-dollar3195-paperback.pdf
“James J. A. Blair, ‘Salvaging Empire: Sovereignty, Natural Resources, and Environmental Science in the South Atlantic’ (Cornell UP, 2023).” New Books Network. (10/13/2023). https://newbooksnetwork.com/salvaging-empire
“Lithium mining is changing the Atacama Desert.” The World. (11/14/2022). https://theworld.org/stories/2022-11-16/global-demand-lithium-changing-chiles-atacama-desert
“See how electric cars are changing this South American desert.” The Washington Post. (9/5/2022). https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/interactive/2022/lithium-mining-electric-cars-chile/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
“Featured Q&A: Is Chile Losing Ground to Other Lithium Producers?” Energy Advisor, Inter-American Dialogue. (9/2/2022). https://www.thedialogue.org/energy-advisor-2022-09-02/
“El gran agujero de la extracción del litio ¿Cuáles son las opciones en Chile y Bolivia?” El Ciudadano. (8/25/2022). https://www.elciudadano.com/actualidad/el-gran-agujero-de-la-extraccion-del-litio-cuales-son-las-opciones-en-chile-y-bolivia/08/24/
“Why Lithium Power Politics Are Playing out Very Differently in Chile and Bolivia.” Peoples Dispatch. (8/18/2022). https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/08/18/why-lithium-power-politics-are-playing-out-very-differently-in-chile-and-bolivia/
“Chile’s lithium mining dilemma: Reconciling economic opportunities with environmental concerns.” Fortune (5/23/2022). https://fortune.com/2022/05/23/chile-has-become-the-worlds-case-study-for-reconciling-economic-opportunity-with-climate-change-concerns/
“Why Lithium Mining for EV Batteries Should Be Our ‘Absolute Last Resort’…and biking, walking and transit should come first.” StreetsBlog USA (5/3/2022). https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/05/03/why-lithium-mining-for-ev-batteries-should-be-our-absolute-last-resort/
“Lithium Mining is Leaving Chile’s Indigenous Communities High and Dry (Literally).” NRDC Dispatch (4/26/2022). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/lithium-mining-leaving-chiles-indigenous-communities-high-and-dry-literally
“As Lithium Drilling Advances at the Salton Sea, Researchers Work Out the Details.” KCET (3/21/2022). https://www.kcet.org/news-community/as-lithium-drilling-advances-at-the-salton-sea-researchers-work-out-the-details?utm_source=Clips&utm_campaign=a00c102177-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_03_22_03_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dc3c65a100-a00c102177-310732901
“Chile is in for a mining boom. Could a new constitution prevent environmental catastrophe?” Grist (1/28/2022). https://grist.org/climate/chile-mining-boom-new-constitution-prevent-environmental-catastrophe/
“Uncharted Horizons: Season 3, Episode 1.” Learn Through Discovery (11/4/2021). https://soundcloud.com/user-725278661/uncharted-horizons-season-3-episode-1
“California outlaws gas-powered landscaping equipment; campus follows suit.” The Poly Post (11/2/2021). https://thepolypost.com/news/2021/11/02/california-outlaws-gas-powered-landscaping-equipment-campus-follows-suit/
“Mining Atop a Massacre.” Atmos (10/18/2021). https://atmos.earth/lithium-mine-nevada-indigenous-justice/
“New political climate: Biden prioritizes rejoining Paris Agreement.” The Poly Post (11/24/2020). https://thepolypost.com/news/2020/11/24/new-political-climate-biden-prioritizes-rejoining-paris-agreement/
“Why Advocates are Skipping International Climate Talks to Stand with Chilean Activists.” Gizmodo (12/4/2019). https://earther.gizmodo.com/why-advocates-are-skipping-international-climate-talks-1840180994
Radio interview on “La Otra Cara de la Moneda,” Coyhaique, Chile (6/20/2019).
“Anthropology in Environmental Advocacy.” CUNY Graduate Center Alumni Aloud podcast (2/20/2019). https://careerplan.commons.gc.cuny.edu/blog/alumni-aloud-episode-30
“The Desire to Stop Canadian Tar Sands Transcends Borders.” NRDC in Action (1/10/2019). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/desire-stop-canadian-tar-sands-transcends-borders?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=tweet&utm_campaign=TarSands
“El Hombre de los Ríos.” La Segunda (9/21/2018). http://impresa.lasegunda.com/2018/09/21/V/RVSV-A-20180921-018
“Red por los Ríos Libres rechaza proyecto hidroeléctrico Alto Maipo.” El Paradiario 14 (7/20/2018). http://m.elparadiario14.cl/noticia/sociedad/red-por-los-rios-libres-rechaza-proyecto-hidroelectrico-alto-maipo
“La escasez de agua es inminente en Chile.” Diario Clever (7/20/2018). http://www.diarioclever.cl/la-escasez-de-agua-es-inminente-en-chile/
“Red por los Ríos Libres manifiesta su rechazo a proyecto hidroeléctrico Alto Maipo.” Bio Bio Chile (7/20/2018). https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-metropolitana/2018/07/20/red-por-los-rios-libres-manifiesta-su-rechazo-a-proyecto-hidroelectrico-alto-maipo.shtml
“The Rise of Chile’s River Protectors” NRDC in Action (7/10/2018). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/rise-chiles-river-protectors
“Experto internacional critica falta de cuidado de las cuencas chilenas.” Diario y Radio Universidad de Chile (7/2/2018). http://radio.uchile.cl/2018/07/02/experto-internacional-critica-falta-de-cuidado-de-las-cuencas-chilenas/
“Política energética para Aysén: organizaciones sociales entregan propuesta al gobierno.” La Tercera (5/10/2018). http://www.latercera.com/nacional/noticia/politica-energetica-aysen-organizaciones-sociales-entregan-propuesta-al-gobierno/159381/
“Chile quiere avanzar en la protección de sus ríos y conservación de sus parques.” Corresponsables (4/9/2018). http://chile.corresponsables.com/actualidad/entrevista/chile-proteccion-rios-conservacion-parques
“ONG norteamericana: ‘Hay victorias muy emocionantes como HidroAysén, pero mi preocupación es que sean a corto plazo.’” Soy Chile (subsidiary of El Mercurio) (3/15/2018). http://www.soychile.cl/Santiago/Sociedad/2018/03/16/521778/ONG-norteamericana-Hay-victorias-muy-emocionantes-como-HidroAysen-pero-mi-preocupacion-es-que-sean-a-corto-plazo.aspx
“GC Grad Seeks Environmental Justice, with Mellon Funding.” The Graduate Center, City University of New York Newsletter (6/28/2017). https://www.gc.cuny.edu/News/All-News/Detail?id=40819
Radio interview on the 35th Anniversary of the Falklands/Malvinas War with Latino Media Collective, 89.3FM, Washington, D.C. (4/14/2017). http://bit.ly/2nMQEMI
Anthropology and Environment Society Facebook page profile picture feature (7/10/2015). http://on.fb.me/1K6rURe
“Exploring the Falklands’ Future.” City University of New York: Outstanding Students (2014). http://cuny.edu/about/alumni-students-faculty/outstanding-students/os-profile.html?id=jamesjablair
“Scholar will continue to ‘extract’ the Falklands future thanks to scholarship.” Penguin News (3/28/2014).
Radio interview with Falkland Islands Radio Service. Stanley, Falklands (Malvinas) (3/10/2014).