In “Between the Heavens and the Earth” it talked about how Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb was instrumental in the technologies that improved the way underground mining was allowed to occur. With the invention of the light bulb, Edison also revealed the need for copper and all of its alloys, since it was believed that copper was going to be the new efficient energy source for all. Now that the demand for more copper was ignited, miners had to begin to dig deep mines to get all of the copper that they could, with the help of the light bulb.
I believe that a majority of the negative aspects of before during and after mining all stem from the waste disposal of the chemicals waste that is dug up from extensive mining, there has been no regulation in the past on the disposal of the waste, so it has been allowed to runoff into the water supplies nearby and contaminate the Ph levels drastically. This contamination throws the whole ecosystem surrounding the water and mines into disarray. A way to help control and eliminate this problem from zombie mines and any future or current mines in operation, would be to set up a proper disposal system. Some way for when the waste is dug up to immediately be stored in a safe and contained area where it will not get out and contaminate the wildlife any further than it already has. This is if we as a society does not switch over to a different energy and material sources that do not require all of this excessive mining to take place. If we are able to switch over so an energy source that doesn’t need fossil fuel or toxic minerals to be mined, then the only problem to take care of is the decontamination and the closing and containing of all the zombie mines left all over the world.
I think that it is super innovative and unique that you actually came up with a solution instead of just saying that there really isn’t a way of fixing our problems. I do agree that we need some sort of depository area in which to put chemical waste from mines or other areas. However, I do think that this is way easier said than done because anywhere that we dump these chemicals it will hurt some portion of the environment or ecosystem. I agree that we need to switch over to some other form of energy and replace the need for minerals that we extract. That, in my opinion, is the first step to some real change. I think that we have to look at the example of the superfund site discussed in class in which the materials were buried in containers and yet, years later, people still have negative effects.
I enjoy the solution you offered, however the question remains as to where those toxic wastes should be stored. The part of California I am from is currently talking about this as we recently decommissioned a nuclear power plant. Californians want to find a safe long term disposal solution except nobody wants the toxic waste in their area or areas they use for recreation. California has been solicited offers from foreign nations to dispose of it, however Californians are concerned that those countries will not take proper precautions to safely dispose of the waste as not to cause any future problems. I do admire your initiative however to find real world solutions, but the real world problem remains that this is a topic that involves almost every facet of our lives from politics and economics to our recreation lives. It will be hard to rally people behind any one solution.