Mining has been around for hundreds of years and it still is a major business today. As technology advances so does mining. Over the years mining has become increasingly safer to the miners themselves. However, the technological advancements have not been without consequences. One of the more monumental advancements to mining has been the electric light. It has aloud miners to go deeper than ever before and creates a much safer environment for them. The advancements in technology have unfortunately also caused negative impacts, nearly all of which are related to the environment. For example between the heavens and the earth speaks on how mining has affected nature. During the 1850’s farmers in Montana experienced livestock deaths in alarming numbers due to the use of copper and new technology being used close by.
As we know, mining can be very harmful. Knowing this, how can we make mining more environmentally friendly. Before mining begins it’s important to look at the effects of previous mines in similar geographical areas. During the mining process it’s important to actively monitor emissions and the environment around them so If there is problems they can catch them. After mining has been completed it would be beneficial to future mining projects if they checked what the effects of their mine were to the environment. I do believe mining has the possibility to become safe, however it’s trial and error that will fix it. I Also think mining is something that absolutely needs to be changed if our world is to fix it’s growing pollution problem.
I would respectfully disagree with you, and caution that mining will always inevitably cause damage to the environment, at least with current technology and technology in the foreseeable future. At its core, excavation of materials from the ground invariably means that it must be disrupted to gain access to those materials, and the very act of shifting the earth and tampering with the geological status quo is bound to have effects such as polluting the groundwater, weakening rock formations and damaging the structural integrity of things like underground caverns, and so on and so forth. I believe that it is an inherently disruptive process.
You’re definitely right it needs to be changed, and that it’s a trial and error process. I am not sure if it can be made entirely safe though, and I think, as far as I personally view it, that the question lies whether it is worth it to damage the environment to suit our own needs, and how much of that damage can be repaired after we’re done getting what we want.