ABSTRACT
Chile is a country that has grown at a fast rate in the last two decades. This economic growth comes mostly from exporting natural resources. This growth process, which includes mining, fishing, industrial agriculture, exploitation of native forests, and the construction of hydroelectric dams, has deteriorated or destroyed important ecosystems. These actions not only have direct negative environmental, social, and economic consequences for the regions but also erode the natural capital basis of new development for the whole country. What explains the Chilean choice of a nonsustainable path of development?
