MARK OLALDE
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I think I’m an environmentalist, but I don’t think there’s another word in the English language that invokes so many people’s different points of view to what it is." - Kyle De Lima, Trinidadian environmental activist, on his crusade to protect the planet 
ProPublica
Investigation into cleanup efforts at a defunct uranium mill in New Mexico.
Investigation into groundwater contamination at America's decommissioned uranium mills
Investigation into stalled water conservation efforts in Utah.

​The Desert Sun
Feature on a proposed water project to be built between the Sea of Cortez and the Salton Sea
A narrative look at how climate change is fueling wildfires and what that means for humanity's connection to nature
Feature on small-scale miners informally digging lead bullet fragments from a protected riverbed
Feature on a secretive birder oasis that burned in a bush fire and the stories the event exposed
An installment in a series investigating California's response to the coronavirus
Investigation into the use of bankruptcies to evade liabilities in the oil industry.

​Center for Public Integrity
Investigation into the slow death of the oil and gas industry in California
Investigation into avoidable, fatal accidents in America's mines
Investigation into the use of long-term idling to shed liabilities
Investigation into Los Angeles' failure to deal with its orphaned well problem
Investigation into the funds available to clean hardrock mines
Feature on one New Mexico valley's fight for water rights and how climate change puts the Gila River at risk.

​U.S. freelancing
Investigation into the insurance policies backing coal cleanup that are a "house of cards"
Reclaiming Coal: Investigation into the reclamation and closure of America's coal mines
Exposé on the Kasich administration quietly tapping into a fund meant for coal cleanup

​​South Africa freelancing
Feature and photos on the backdoor deals allowing international mining houses access to communal land
Feature and photos documenting the abandonment of South Africa's coal mines
Investigating the thousands of abandoned mines piercing South African soil
Four-part investigative series on zama zamas around Johnannesburg
Exposé on a British family's use of bankruptcy to abandon and pilfer a gold mine near Johannesburg
Part 1: Story, mini-documentary and dataset on applications for mine closure and funds for rehabilitation
Part 2: Investigation involving 19 months of data and document collection on mine closure
Part 3: Final installment of a ground-breaking investigation into financial provisions for rehabilitation
First feature in a long-term investigation into potential corruption channels in the Department of Social Development

Other international work
Feature on Malawi's competing interests of hydropower and irrigation
A month-long investigation into environmental degradation in Trinidad and Tobago, resulting in a multi-media, self-published website
Stories from permaculture farms in Trinidad and Tobago, Curaçao and Dominica.

​The Arizona Republic
A Canadian mining company fights a local coalition of environmentalists, businessmen, American Indians, and others over the fate of what could become a huge, open-pit copper mine
A view of Phoenix's residents and culture through the eyes of an eccentric, teenage hiker (picked up by USA Today)
High numbers of school board elections across Arizona are cancelled due to a lack of candidates

​The Star
A city-wide, street-level investigation of Johannesburg's drug epidemic reveals its true nature (top)
A city-wide, street-level investigation of Johannesburg's drug epidemic reveals its true nature (middle)
A city-wide, street-level investigation of Johannesburg's drug epidemic reveals its true nature (bottom)
Investigation shows school hostel no place to live - neither for students nor squatters
A service delivery protest turns violent and a KFC is attacked
Investigation leads to life-saving repairs of city infrastructure
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