Mining: Past, Present and Future Consequences

 For many years, mining has been the primary method of extracting resources from the planet. With the advancement of technology, mining has become safer for workers, as well as being more efficient. But what about the hundreds of thousands of mines near fresh water sources? These toxic bombs with short fuses pose a serious threat to fresh water supplies for billions of people. While some of these sites are Superfund Sites, where work is being done to prevent disaster, many more threaten to explode at any time. What more can be done to ensure a contamination threat can be dealt with effectively? This may not be the biggest environmental problem our planet is facing, but it is certainly extremely relevant. We all remember the Gold King Mine spill in 2015. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah were all affected. The irony of that situation is a reminder that even though something is being done to prevent the problem, the appropriate plan of action in case of a disaster could use some serious revision.


It would seem that scarcity could be to blame for this problem for many reasons. First of all, I don't believe that enough people are aware of what a problem this actually is, and will continue to be as time goes on and the barriers become weathered and fail to hold in the toxic waste any longer. Awareness is the first step in taking action. As is common with many environmental issues, the financial support required to produce a fail-safe and implement it simply isn't there. Lastly, a system needs to be put in place for when the problem does arise, but this requires brain-power and man-power, both of which are scarce for this particular environmental issue.

While this problem is not easily solved, a few simple steps can get the ball rolling. First, make the public aware in areas that could be threatened by a spill. Humans are inherently selfish and are more willing to take action if they will be directly impacted. Use social media to locate individuals with a passion for this topic, and ask for help in formulating a plan to resolve the issue. Set up a charity for the cleanup of a specific site. Getting the community involved is the most important step. Great things can be accomplished if people work together.

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