Page 670 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

seeking solutions

1. List three impacts of mining on the natural environment, 5. thINK It thRoUgh The story of coltan in the Congo
and describe how particular mining practices can lead is just one example of how an abundance of exploitable
to each of these impacts. How are these impacts being resources can often worsen or prolong military conflicts
addressed? Can you think of additional solutions to pre- in nations that are too poor or ineffectively governed to
vent, reduce, or mitigate these impacts? protect these resources. In such “resource wars,” civilians
2. List three impacts of mining on people’s health, life- often suffer the most as civil society breaks down. Sup-
styles, or well-being, and describe how particular min- pose you are the head of an international aid agency that
ing practices can lead to each of these impacts. How has earmarked $10 million to help address conflicts related
are these impacts being addressed? Can you think of to mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You
additional solutions to prevent, reduce, or mitigate these have access to government and rebel leaders in Congo
impacts? and neighboring countries, to ambassadors of the world’s
nations in the United Nations, and to representatives of
3. You have won a grant from the EPA to work with a min-
ing company to develop a more effective way of restoring international mining corporations. Based on what you
a mine site that is about to be abandoned. Describe a few know from this chapter, what steps would you consider
preliminary ideas for carrying out restoration better than taking to help improve the situation in the Congo?
it is typically being done. Now describe a field experi- 6. thINK It thRoUgh As you finish your college degree,
ment you would like to run to test one of your ideas. you learn that the mountains behind your childhood home
in the hills of Kentucky are slated to be mined for coal
4. Present one common argument in favor of retaining the
General Mining Act of 1872. Now present one common using the mountaintop removal method. Your parents,
argument in favor of repealing or reforming the law. who still live there, are worried for their health and safety
Describe how you think the United States today should and do not want to lose the beautiful forested creek and
balance our need for minerals with our need to protect ravine behind their property. However, your brother is
public lands and public interests. Would you retain, out of work and could use a mining job. What would you
repeal, or reform the 1872 law? attempt to do in this situation?

Calculating ecological Footprints

As we saw in Figure 23.12, the supplies of some metals are living standards, then this will sharply increase pressures on
limited enough that, at today’s prices, these metals could be mineral supplies.
available to us for only a few more decades. After that, prices The chart shows currently known economically recov-
will rise as they become scarcer. The number of years of total erable global reserves for several metals, together with the
availability (at all prices) depends on a number of factors: On amount used per year (each figure in thousands of metric
the one hand, metals will be available for longer if new depos- tons). For each metal, calculate and enter in the fourth col-
its are discovered, new mining technologies are developed, or umn the years of supply left at current prices by dividing the
recycling efforts are improved. On the other hand, if our con- reserves by the amount used annually.
sumption of metals increases, the number of years we have The fifth column shows the amount that the world would
left to use them will decrease. use if everyone in the world consumed the metal at the rate that
Currently the United States consumes metals at a much Americans do. Now calculate the years of supply left at current
higher per-person rate than the world does as a whole. If one prices for each metal if the world were to consume the metals CHAPTER 23 • Min ERA ls A nd Mining
goal of humanity is to lift the rest of the world up to U.S. at the U.S. rate, and enter these values in the sixth column.

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