Gold mining in South Africa has a large impact on the environment, the economy and social structure in South Africa. The environmental impact of gold mining on the environment includes water, air and noise pollution. The mining industry in South Africa is one of the largest in the world. It provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of people in the mining industry alone. The mining industry also indirectly provides jobs for about 400 000 with the goods and services that the mines require to run successfully.
Some of the typical impacts that mining in South Africa has on the environment are that it can lead to a loss of biodiversity because of a transformation in the natural habitats and ecosystems. The mining industry also usually requires large amounts of water. Surface and groundwater pollution often happen due to the acid mine drainage.
Greenhouse gasses that are released into the air when mining are harmful to the environment and the release of dust particulates negatively affect the ecosystems around the mines. As well as the air pollution there is usually a large amount of noise. In Gauteng large scale mining has caused the dolomite rock to cave in which has resulted in large sinkholes forming and earthquakes.
One of the biggest problems with gold mining in South Africa is the disposal of the overburden from the mines. Another problem is the use and disposal of the cyanide solutions which are used to extract and dissolve the gold. Cyanide is a well known poison and is very toxic for humans. Cyanide is also very dangerous to plants and animals as even small amounts of cyanide can be dangerous to them. To produce just one single fine ounce (about 31,104 g) they need about 3.3 tons of ore, 5440 litres of water, 572 kilowatt ...
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The indirect impact of the mining industry has been huge in terms of funding for things like skill development through education and training, there is also provision made for social services in the mines (e.g. health care for the employees of the mines and their families, housing, school etc.) and the contribution the national economy.
Gold mining is both beneficial and destructive for South Africa. The gold mining industry provides jobs for about many people, the people and the families of the people employed by the mines get free healthcare, education etc. Gold mining is also a very important part of the South African Economy. The environmental impact of mining however, is terrible and the impact of a mine can be seen for many years even after the mine has been closed. The mines also pose serious risks for people living nearby or working in the mines.
One of the biggest problems with working in a mine is the the health risks you are taking when stepping into a mine and staying there anywhere from 10-16 hours of the day. Miners of the Gilded Age, needless to say, did not live very long at all. Some of the diseases they contracted were black lung, Silicosis, and COPD. Coal Miner’s Pneumoconiosis, more commonly referred to as Black Lung, is caused by inhaling respirable coal mine dust. Silicosis is a more specific, but yet still commonly found in coal miners, version of Black Lung caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica, such as Quartz, a major component in rocks. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, is still common today in people who don’t even work in mines. COPD is a progressive disease that increases airway
As I am sure you know mining has a extremely negative impact to the land but many good things come out of it. The mines in Broken hill have generated more than 100 billion dollars and a large amount of this has been given to the Broken Hill community. Broken hill has not only given Australia multiple resources but has also given so many Australians great jobs and memories that will impact their life forever.
Coal Mining in West Virginia has long been a source of income in the mountain state. Coal was first being mined here in 1742, and many of our families have felt the impact of coal. My grandfather and great grandfather were both involved in the coal industry. Both worked underground while my grandfather graduated to an above ground job doing maintenance on long wall miners and other mine related equipment. I can say that the life of a coal miner has altered the ways of many for this great state (both good and bad), which I will elaborate below.
As always throughout the course of history the discovery of gold usually does not bode well for one party or another. In South America it meant killing of the population, in North America it meant moving and killing the Indians, and again in Africa it spelled thousands of deaths of the innocent. Even worse were the finding of diamonds, with the gold, to add to the level of greed and lust. Always greed will drive men on to do terrible things. The British Empire is not exempt from the atrocities committed during the Boer Wars. Concentration camps, scorched earth policy, and the use of foreign colonial troops would win Britain the day but also forever remain in the hearts and minds of South Africans. Pictures of the atrocities can still be seen and pictures of starving women and children of the Boer are no easy sight to bear.
Yes, this additional expense is necessary and mining affects the plant and animal population, hydrological cycle. And it’s necessary to maintain this for sustainable development.
What comes to mind when you think of coal mining? If you're like me, coal mining means living in darkness and a cold hearted industry. Other words that come to mind are poverty and oppression. Coal mining is not a job that you dream about or get a degree for. People who are coal miners do not chose a life full of danger and repression, they get stuck with it. There are many dangers that come along with coal mining, not only for the workers, but for the environment. Coal mining and the coal industry have caused irreversible damage to our environment and has killed innocent miners.
Lins, C., & Horwitz, E. (2007). Sustainability in the Mining Sector. Retrieved November 6, 2017, from http://www.fbds.org.br/IMG/pdf/doc-295.pdf
Though it has had many negative impacts on the environment in the past, mining is a vital industry completely necessary to our economy and lives. Nearly every item we use or encounter in our day to day lives is mined or contains mined products. Without the excavation of such materials things like computers, televisions, large building structures, electricity, and cars would not be possible. Virtually every technological and medical advance uses minded materials, without which millions would suffer. Some examples of minerals in the home include the telephone which is made from as many as 42 different minerals, including aluminum, beryllium, coal, copper, gold, iron, silver, and talc. A television requires over 35 different minerals, and more than 30 minerals are needed to make a single personal computer. Without boron, copper, gold and quartz, your digital alarm clock would not work. Every American uses an average 47,000 pounds of newly mined materials each year, which is higher than all other countries with the exception of Japan, which is a staggering figure representative of our dependence and need for mined minerals. Coal makes up more than half of nation’s electricity, and will continue to be the largest electrical supplier into 2020 & accounting for some 95 percent of the nation's fossil energy reserves – nine of every ten short-tons of coal mined in the United States is used for electricity generation. As the population of the world grows more mineral resources must be exploited through mining in order to support the rising demand for such products. Though it may present a hazard to the environment and those physically located nears the mines, the materials extracted from mines...
Coal mining can benefit humans as well as it supports the economy in many ways. Coal mining provides a lot of jobs for local communities. It provides over 7 million jobs worldwide.
Mining is the process or industry of obtaining minerals from the earth. Topics in this paper I’ll be specifically discussing are pros and cons of mining, structures of a mine, mining in general, California gold rush, diamonds in Africa, and comparison of diamond and gold mines.
...rbon dioxide, hazardous chemicals, and other pollutants, which can put a hole in the ozone. Also, the usage of some mineral resources can also pollute the air; burning any kind of fuel fossils releases dangerous elements into the air, such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. All of these kinds of pollution which are caused by the increase of technology, can lead to global environmental problems.
The thrown plastic, pampers and other product block water in the stream near the settlement which helps create habitat for the harmful species to breed in them, species such as mosquitoes that causes malaria and other disease such as cancer ,asthma and neurological disease. All those disease is dangerous disease to young children even in adult, in my opinion the high rate of mortality in South Africa is mainly cause by dirty. Uncollected waste obstructs the storm water runoff resulting in flood. Causes low birth weight, like in tembisa the is goats and horses moving the street in search of food, and they end up eating plastic bag on the ground thinking it food and that lead to death animals. Sewage in aquatic animals causes eutrophication silt build up in fresh
In our days, mining for resources is inevitable. The resources we need are valuable in everyday life. Such resources mined up are coal, copper, gold, silver, and sand. However, mining poses environmental risks that can degrade the quality of soil and water, which can end up effecting us humans if not taken care of and many of the damages are irreversible once they have occurred.
Dilley, L.; Earle, J.; Keats, G.; Nxele, A.A. & Ravenscroft, G. (2012) Conventional energy sources and their impact on the environment. Focus Geography Grade 11. 4th edition. Cape Town, South Africa. Maskew Miller Longman. p. 263
This is mainly due to mining in the country. The heavy reliance on coal mines to supply 80% of the energy in South Africa causes pollution and allows toxic chemicals to leech into the surrounding land and water bodies. Poor spatial planning of human settlements, sanitation and waste management systems, storm water management, and fall in life expectancy in the past few years have also contributed to South Africa’s low long-term sustainability and high greenhouse gas emission.