land + sea
Two stories from Baja California where US business and local communities compete for space.
Distant neighbours
A real estate development for US expats hopes to build "community" but is dogged by social conflict.
Fishermen in Mexican town protest development of new resort
Marketplace (July 29, 2016)BY BY NINA FELDMAN Todos Santos is just 50 miles north of the fancy hotels and gated resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Same glittering turquoise Pacific coastline, fewer golf courses. But construction is underway on a mega resort called Tres Santos that bills itself as local-friendly. And blending in hasn't exactly been easy. The promo video for Tres Santos sells a free range, locally sourced lifestyle. Bronze-skinned yogis salute the sun at the water’s edge; families sample fresh tomatoes off the vine.... read more
Superhippie pero imperialista
El Universal (Oct. 29, 2016)BY En este pueblo hay sólo un semáforo y no funciona. Las calles pavimentadas deben barrerse cada dáa para evitar que el polvo desértico sepulte el asfalto. Es una localidad de 5 mil habitantes en la costa del Pacífico de la península de Baja California, una hora en autopista al norte de Los Cabos. Un sitio internacionalmente conocido a partir de un mito: aquí está el Hotel California, aquel que inspiró la canción del grupo Eagles en los años 70. Es un lugar frecuentado por extranjeros (la mayoría estadounidenses y canadienses) atraídos por su ambiente bohemio y el paisaje desértico a la orilla del mar, donde conviven tres poblaciones: nativos, visitantes y foráneos que se asentaron... read more
Mining the Sea
The world's first underwater phosphate mine might help Mexico's farmers, but it has fishermen alarmed.
We need phosphate to grow food. But should we be digging it up from the sea floor?
The World (Oct. 4, 2016)BY The view from the sleepy town of San Juanico, Mexico, is about what you’d see from any village along the Pacific coast of Baja California — craggy coves, turquoise waves, a couple of surfers and fishing boats. But 25 miles offshore, there's something different. The sediment at the bottom of the sea out there is rich in phosphate, a mineral form of phosphorus that’s vital to the rest of the world. read more
Cazatesoros gringos y AHMSA van por el fósforo de Baja California Sur
Proceso (Jan. 1, 2016)BY La vida en este pequeño poblado de 500 habitantes gira alrededor del surf y la pesca. Aquí el océano Pacífico es potente y dadivoso. Sus playas son visitadas en el verano por surfistas que practican en la bahía Escorpión, famosa por tener la segunda ola más larga del mundo.... read more
land + sea was made using Round Earth Media's unique reporting model, that partners a local reporter and one from the US.
Celia Guerrero is a member of the Periodistas de Pie journalism network, and teaches classes on digital security for journalists. Nina Feldman is an audio producer and journalist based in New Orleans, whose work has appeared on NPR's Morning edition, Marketplace, and PRI's The World among other programs.
The partnership model helped the pair get close to the story. "We complimented each other's skills in almost every way," says Nina. "In interviews, if she stayed polite with a subject, keeping them comfortable, I might come in and ask a harder question." Celia agrees. "Working together we were able to get a clearer and broader picture. It was like having two heads thinking for one."