{"id":18116,"date":"2019-10-03T00:01:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T00:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=18116"},"modified":"2019-10-05T02:01:42","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T02:01:42","slug":"mining-powers-modern-life-but-can-leave-scarred-lands-and-polluted-waters-behind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/mining-powers-modern-life-but-can-leave-scarred-lands-and-polluted-waters-behind\/","title":{"rendered":"Mining powers modern life, but can leave scarred lands and polluted waters behind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew Ross<\/a>, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Modern society relies on metals like copper, gold and nickel for uses ranging from medicine to electronics. Most of these elements are rare in Earth\u2019s crust, so mining them requires displacing vast volumes of dirt and rock. Hard rock mining \u2013 so called because it refers to excavating hard minerals, not softer materials like coal or tar sands \u2013 generated US$600 billion in revenues worldwide in 2017<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has revived several controversial mining proposals that previously were blocked or stalemated. They include the Pebble Mine<\/a> at the headwaters of Alaska\u2019s Bristol Bay and leasing around Minnesota\u2019s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness<\/a>. It also approved a large copper mine<\/a> in southern Arizona, which was subsequently blocked by a federal court ruling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I study human-altered landscapes, including areas impacted by mines. Mining operations are major water pollution sources and can cause problems that persist for generations. Their global footprints also directly reshape significant portions of Earth\u2019s topography, leaving indelible evidence of human presence.<\/p>\n