Correcting Misconceptions About Miningby Prince Joseph Erneszer A. Javier

UP MINERS Groundbreak 2016, Palawan March 19, 2016

Photo of Pljevlja Coal Mine by

What is Mining?

It is the process of accessing and getting valuable material that is buried in the earth. It includes the removal of soil and rocks covering the valuable material or digging tunnels underground to get to the valuable material. This valuable material can be oil, coal, soil that contains iron, or rocks that contain gold and copper.

Photo by M M from Switzerland

Three Common Misconceptions About Mining

1. We don’t need mining.

2. Mining doesn’t help alleviate poverty.

3. Mining permanently devastates the environment.

We don’t need mining.FALSE

We need mining to sustain and improve our quality of life.

copper lead

gold aluminummagnesium

silicon

zinc

cobaltnickel

tin carbon

iron

mercury

ruthenium

bismuth

lithium

indium

silver cadmium

platinum

palladium

tantalum

rhodium

aluminum

iron

magnesium

manganese

silicon

copper

aluminum iron carbon

manganese copper

nickel

chromium

iron carbon

manganese

nickel

chromium

aluminum iron carbon

manganese copper

chromium

iron molybdenum

nickel

various clays

Toothpaste photo by TheGreenJ, calcite photo by P. Fernandes, mica photo by Khurner, titanium photo by RTC, Quartz photo by Didier Descouens

iron

carbon

gold

silicon

manganese leadtin

copper aluminum

gold

silicon

aluminum

silver

iron

carbon

silicon

manganese

copper

lead

zinc

copper

iron

carbon

manganese

aluminum gold

Photo by JudgeFloro

Photo by JudgeFloro

iron

aluminum silver

magnesium

carbon

manganese

lead

cadmium

chromium

nickel

copperzinc

germanium

gallium

tin

vanadium

cobalt

barium strontium

tungsten

titanium molybdenum

ironzinc carbon

Photo by JudgeFloro

alumina

silica lime

gravel

sand iron

gypsum

Photo by JudgeFloro

Photo by JudgeFloro

Photo by JudgeFloro

titanium nickel aluminum

Virtually all infrastructures and products that we use today need raw materials from mining.

We need mining to sustain and improve modern civilization.

Mining doesn’t help alleviate poverty.

FALSE

A mine generates employment and contributes to the local economic

growth.

A Mine Needs Hundreds to Thousands of Employees

• Technical people like engineers and geologists

• Operators of large equipment like trucks

• People that will handle community development programs

• Foresters and environmental management experts

• People to handle general and administrative tasks like human resources

• Supporting employees like cleaners and carpenters

Olle

Olle

Olle

The Multiplier Effect Improves the Economy

Mine

Mine’s Employees (Direct)

Supplier e.g. office supplies

Supplier’s Employees (Indirect)

Other Businesses Other Businesses’ Employees (Induced)

flow of income

Other Contributions of Mining to the Economy

• Local and national taxes

• Community development projects

Mining can help alleviate poverty

• by generating employment that ultimately increases the communities’ income through the multiplier effect.

• by paying local and national taxes

• by implementing community development projects

Mining Permanently Devastates the Environment.

FALSE

Mined Out Areas Can Be Rehabilitated Into

Beautiful Environments

Photos by Rob Young (left), Glen Bowman (top right), and sergfokin

Butchart Gardens

• Located in Canada

• Originally a limestone quarry

• Now a park with around 900 species of plants - totalling over a million plants.

Photo by

Northumberlandia

• Situated in Cramlington, United Kingdom

• Park and one of the largest sculptures in the world

• Constructed from the byproducts (clay and soil) of a currently operating coal mine

Photos by Glen Bowman

• Located in Malaysia

• Originally the largest tin mine in the world - Hong Fatt Mine

• Now a complex with a world-famous 5-star hotel, swimming lagoon, shopping mall, and theme park

Mines Wellness City

Photo by edmundlou

Photo by Rob Young

The Eden Project

• Situated in Cornwall, United Kingdom

• Originally a clay pit (used to make ceramics)

• Mine closed in 1995

• Now is the largest greenhouse complex in the world containing thousands of plant species from tropical and mediterranean environments.

From edenprojecttv

The disturbance of land due to mining is not permanent.

Mined-out areas can be rehabilitated into beautiful, sustainable landscapes.

Summary

• Virtually all products that we use need materials from mining. We need mining to sustain and advance modern civilization.

• Mining can help alleviate poverty by generating employment, paying taxes, and implementing community development programs

• The disturbance of land due to mining is not permanent. Many old mines have been successfully rehabilitated into beautiful, sustainable landscapes.

Thank you!For more interesting topics about mining, visit

coppernicus.wordpress.com