Overseas Territories: Colonial Continuities

The Chlordecone Catastrophe

The chlordecone scandal in Martinique and Guadeloupe exemplifies environmental racism's colonial dimensions. This toxic pesticide, banned in mainland France in 1990, continued poisoning banana plantations in the Antilles until 1993. Today, over 90% of Martinicans have chlordecone in their blood, causing elevated cancer rates and developmental disorders.

"This is environmental genocide," declares Malcom Ferdinand, Martinican environmental philosopher. "They knew it was toxic but kept using it because Antillean lives matter less than banana profits." The French state's delayed response and inadequate compensation reinforce feelings of colonial abandonment.

Local movements demand justice beyond technical remediation. Groups like ASSAUPAMAR connect chlordecone to longer histories of plantation violence, from slavery through contemporary exploitation. They practice jardins créoles (Creole gardens) as alternatives to industrial agriculture, reclaiming indigenous and African diasporic agricultural knowledge.

Kanaky: Mining and Self-Determination

In New Caledonia, the indigenous Kanak struggle against nickel mining embodies environmental decolonization. The territory holds 25% of global nickel reserves, with extraction devastating landscapes and lagoons that sustain Kanak communities.

"The land is our mother," explains Susanna Ounei-Small, Kanak environmental activist. "When they dig mines, they wound her body. Independence means protecting our environment from those who see only resources to exploit."

Kanak resistance employs multiple strategies. Customary authorities invoke traditional law protecting sacred sites. Activists blockade mining operations. Youth document pollution using drones and social media. The movement connects environmental protection to broader self-determination struggles, rejecting green colonialism that would preserve nature while maintaining French control.

French Guiana: Protecting the Amazon

In French Guiana, indigenous peoples and other forest communities confront multiple environmental threats: illegal gold mining, deforestation, and proposed industrial projects. The 2017 social movement that paralyzed the territory included strong environmental demands alongside calls for better services and security.

Christophe Pierre, spokesperson for indigenous organizations, explains their perspective: "The forest is our pharmacy, our supermarket, our church. When they destroy it for gold or palm oil, they destroy our way of life." Indigenous communities practice sustainable forest management developed over millennia, contrasting with destructive extractive approaches.

The proposed Montagne d'Or industrial gold mine became a flashpoint. Despite government support promising jobs and revenue, massive opposition led by indigenous groups and environmental activists defeated the project in 2019. This victory demonstrated possibilities for alliance between indigenous knowledge and environmental science.