"It Looks as if They Threw the Entire Periodic Table Into the River": A Decolonial Perspective for Chemistry Education in the Context of Environmental Injustices.

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Title: "It Looks as if They Threw the Entire Periodic Table Into the River": A Decolonial Perspective for Chemistry Education in the Context of Environmental Injustices.
Authors: Gandolfi, Haira E.1 (AUTHOR) heg38@cam.ac.uk
Source: Science Education. Nov2025, Vol. 109 Issue 6, p1652-1668. 17p.
Subject Terms: *Chemistry education, Environmental justice, Power (Social sciences), Decolonization, Mineral industries, Environmental disasters, Mines & mineral resources, Developing countries
Geographic Terms: Brazil
Abstract: In this article I explore the case of the Mariana dam disaster in 2015 in Brazil seeking to contribute to reflections about the role of chemistry and chemistry education in environmental injustices. Drawing on stories about this disaster shared in the Dead River Podcast (2024), on wider literature and on other cases of environmental injustices associated with mining complexes around the world, I explore the historical and contemporary connections between chemistry‐related knowledge, practices and industries with mineral resource exploitation. In particular, I examine how this example of a mining complex in the Global South, like many others across the world, can bring to light chemistry's complex socio‐political and socio‐historical entanglements with extractivist, neocolonial and socially unjust practices that structure the triple planetary crisis we currently face. From this theoretical‐exploratory work, I then elaborate on a decolonial perspective for chemistry education to support critical engagement with such entanglements. Here I seek to offer some insights into what a nuanced and critical decolonial perspective can bring to those interested in the role of chemistry education in the context of environmental injustices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: "It Looks as if They Threw the Entire Periodic Table Into the River": A Decolonial Perspective for Chemistry Education in the Context of Environmental Injustices.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chemistry+education%22">Chemistry education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+justice%22">Environmental justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+%28Social+sciences%29%22">Power (Social sciences)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decolonization%22">Decolonization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mineral+industries%22">Mineral industries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+disasters%22">Environmental disasters</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mines+%26+mineral+resources%22">Mines & mineral resources</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developing+countries%22">Developing countries</searchLink>
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  Data: In this article I explore the case of the Mariana dam disaster in 2015 in Brazil seeking to contribute to reflections about the role of chemistry and chemistry education in environmental injustices. Drawing on stories about this disaster shared in the Dead River Podcast (2024), on wider literature and on other cases of environmental injustices associated with mining complexes around the world, I explore the historical and contemporary connections between chemistry‐related knowledge, practices and industries with mineral resource exploitation. In particular, I examine how this example of a mining complex in the Global South, like many others across the world, can bring to light chemistry's complex socio‐political and socio‐historical entanglements with extractivist, neocolonial and socially unjust practices that structure the triple planetary crisis we currently face. From this theoretical‐exploratory work, I then elaborate on a decolonial perspective for chemistry education to support critical engagement with such entanglements. Here I seek to offer some insights into what a nuanced and critical decolonial perspective can bring to those interested in the role of chemistry education in the context of environmental injustices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Science Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/sce.21984
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Power (Social sciences)
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      – SubjectFull: Decolonization
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      – SubjectFull: Mineral industries
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              M: 11
              Text: Nov2025
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