Technological advances allow underground mining to occur by making it so that digging deep into the ground could be easier. An example of this from the reading is when Andrew C. Isenberg who was a historian that had made a pathbreaking discovery explained how far we’ve come with industrial mining. He directly states, “the advent of hydraulic mining there California) signaled a shift to the capital-intensive industrial mining that would dominate much of the West for the next century. Whereas the forty-niners have used simple tools to develop placer mines, the hydraulic miners used costly tools and large-scale engineering techniques” (LeCain, pg. 38.) Although a bit costly the new advances in technology really made things incredibly easier than before where they just used hand tools to dig mines. As said before the consequences of new technologies are that the new machines cost a pretty penny. Another consequence of these new advances is that they have a heavy toll on the environment. This is best said by Andrew C. Isenberg stating, “The powerful but imprecise methods of hydraulic mining also exacted a heavy toll on the California environment, washing away thousands of acres of forests and soil” (LeCain, pg. 39). The mines generate silt that ends up chocking downstream rivers, fisheries, and covering great farmland that have thick layers of sand and gravel.
These negative aspects of mining should definitely be addressed beforehand and in the middle. I think that reminding everyone at the end of the process is useless. It is very important to let your men know what they are about to do obviously and keep reminding them of the negatives of what they might be doing. Mining is a dangerous activity and everyone knows it. The question is whether it’s worth it in the end when the jobs done.
Hi there Will! I enjoyed reading your blog about technological advances of trying to dig deeper into the earth. Although this could benefit the economy, it would would also extremely damage our home. the Earth. I liked your Andrew C. Isenberg quote about how hydraulic mining is ruining the California environment. In your second paragraph I agree that you should remind your employees that what they do is extremely important and that what they do has a last effect on this world. If we continue to mine without improving of ability to mine more efficient and more Eco-friendly, the consequences we force onto this planet could be devastating.