Causes, Affects,and Sustainability for the Canadian Shield The Canadian shield is the oldest landform in Canada, originating in the Precambrian era. Over the years, the extraction of minerals, has caused many problems. Mining in the Canadian Shield is an issue that greatly affects the environment and its inhabitants. Through further teaching and organization, the Canadian Shield can be sustained. Furthermore, insight as to how issues are caused, the affects of issues and how to sustain the extraction and use of mining resources in the Canadian Shield can help spread awareness and eliminate the problem.
Mining in the Canadian Shield is an issue which should not be taken lightly. Many Canadians are concerned as to how the minerals are mined
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Mining has a great impact on aquatic ecosystems, like creeks,wetlands, and lakes. From the perspective of a ecological and recreational point of view, the impact mining has is significant. This mining affects all of its inhabitants whether it being the fish that supplement nutrients through creeks, to the people who drink it.(Klemow Effects of mining on aquatic ecosystems n.pg) Prior to the 1977 federal water pollution control act, Mining companies would proceed with the exercise of strip mining, and the removal of culm material would proceed, without regarding the destruction of the ecosystems.(Frelich, n.pg) Water goes through some mines, and can seep into fractured bedrock which in result can contaminate water when resurfaced down the watershed.(Frelich, n.pg) Stream channels are usually altered on mined sites due to the contaminated water because the bedrock can contain radioactive substances, which cause a lot of erosion and some species cannot handle the amount of sediment deposition.(Frelich, n.pg) Another concern is the destruction of wetlands. they have many benefits in regard to the environment, and are now in protection by the government.Wetlands trap sediments and dissolved pollutants. But due to Mining has caused dirty water to to block the absorption of the sediments and can cause flooding in forests. Mining also impacts forests and terrestrial ecosystems.dissolve other materials such as metals and they can leak …show more content…
Mining not only has an impact on the environment, but also on the inhabitants. Mining in the Canadian Shield mining is one of the main sources of human and economic activities, but in the process, can cause great harm as well . Some of the effects of open pit mining are topographic modifications, soil changes, surface water quality changes, groundwater quality changes, air quality changes, chemical residues, land Subsidence, cultural factors, including: aesthetic, noise, and visual effects, flora and fauna alterations, land use modifications and economic costs. The problems associated with in situ mining are many. The leaching liquid used for in-situ leaching may contain the leaching agent ammonium carbonate or sulfuric acid. The advantages of this technology are the reduced hazards for the employees from accidents, dust, and radiation, the low cost and no need for large uranium mill tailings deposits. The disadvantages of the in situ leaching technology are the risk of spreading of leaching liquid outside of the uranium deposit, involving subsequent groundwater contamination, the unpredictable impact of the leaching liquid on the rock of the deposit and the impossibility of restoring natural groundwater conditions after completion of the leaching operations. Moreover, in-situ leaching releases considerable amounts of radon, and produces certain amounts of waste slurries and waste water during recovery of the uranium
The Alberta Oil Sands are large deposits of bitumen in north-eastern Alberta. Discovered in 1848, the first commercial operation was in 1967 with the Great Canadian Oil Sands plant opening, and today many companies have developments there. The Alberta Oil Sand development is very controversial, as there are severe environmental impacts and effects on the local Aboriginal peoples. This essay will discuss the need for changes that can be made for the maximum economic benefit for Canada, while reducing the impact on the environment and limiting expansion, as well as securing Alberta’s future. Changes need to be made to retain the maximum economic benefits of the Alberta Oil Sands while mitigating the environmental and geopolitical impact. This will be achieved by building pipelines that will increase the economic benefits, having stricter environmental regulation and expansion limitations, and improving the Alberta Heritage Fund or starting a new fund throu...
The tar creek mining site originally was owned by a Native American tribe, the Quapaw. The Quapaw wanted to keep these lands, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs deemed members opposing a transaction to mining companies “incompetent” (1). In such a case the business could continue and the Bureau of Indian Affairs sold the lands to mining companies. In essence these lands were stolen from the Quapaw because they were ripe for mining. These mines were then used from approximately 1891 to 1970. In the 79 years the mines were open 1.7 million metric tons (~3.75 billion pounds) of lead and 8.8 million metric tons (~19.4 billion pounds) of zinc were withdrawn from the mine (2). The entire area around Tar Creek is known as the tri-state mining area. This tri-state area was a massive source of metals. This area accounted for 35% of the all worldwide metal for a decade. It also provided the majority of metals the United States used in World wars I and II (3).
According to one government analysis, the crude from Canada’s oil sands will emit seventeen percent more greenhouse gas pollution than there processes used for conventional oil, making it even more controversial against environmentalists (Davenport par. 6). The concerns are reflected in great quantity of carbon in the tar sands, “Ensure that they will play an important role in whether or not climate change gets out of hand” (Clayton 2). In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A) noticed the impact it would have on greenhouse gas emissions. According to the E.P.A., “The recent drop in global oil prices might mean that contraction of the pipeline vault spur increased development of Canadian oil sands—and thus increase planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions” (Davenport par
For hundreds of years, the First Nation of Aamjiwnaang has been lived there. Aamjiwnaang is located in Sarnia where 40% of Canada's petrochemical industry is located. The documentary movie “Canada's Toxic Chemical Valley” discussed this environmental health issue that facing Sarnia’s residences. The story of the chemical valley had been started when the oil was discovered in1800 in Sarnia, then the mass industrialization was devolved there and the business became to boom. During the last 70 years, Sarnia became the major center of petrochemical industry, while the issue of environmental health was not existed. Currently, there are about 60 petrochemical plants and oil refineries that work in the chemical valley that are
Canadian landform regions include the Interior Plains, Canadian Shield and the Western Cordillera, Innuitian Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Lowlands, Arctic and Hudson's Bay Lowlands. When studying the Interior Plains, we learned it’s a dry, flat land called the ‘breadbasket’ of Canada. The Interior Plains are made up of sedimentary rock. The topics covered in unit 3 were the levels of industry, resources, sustainability, trade and oil resources. The oil sand industry brings great impacts to Canada. This industry creates jobs and lowers taxes. It is also Canada’s largest and most important export. On the other hand, oil sands damage the environment and contaminate the water and air, which make people sick. These two ideas are connected because oil sands are found in the fossil fuels in sedimentary rock. Oil sands are extracted from sedimentary rock. We also learned that sedimentary rock is the only rock that contains fossil fuels. Oil is trapped within the layers of sediments and can be extracted by a well or open-pit mining. Without the Interior Plains, Canada wouldn’t have as much oil resources and have negative trade
Canada ruled the 20th century through science and technology and advanced more than any other country in this time period. Prime Minister Laurier was correct when he stated in his speech “that it is Canada that shall fill the 20th century.” Technology and science were one of the huge factors for Canada being a successful country compare to the world. In technology and science, there were many inventions that were developed in Canada that wowed the world and made Canada feel incredible. Even though war is sad and cruel, the crazy need to survive and the confidence to strive for success has made Canada’s technology and science advance greatly. During the near closing point of the 20th century, Canada’s environment and living is being more advanced and they are thinking about the future generations to come.
Just like any country or nation, Canada posses its own unique culture, language and history. As with other cultures throughout the world, Canada’s culture is a result from a long history of influences, some peaceful and some arising out of conflict. This essay will discuss some important information about Canada. First and foremost, Canada is the second largest country in the world and is located
The Canadian Shield is thought to be the first part of what became the North American landmass to have emerged above sea level
The statement ‘Canada oil sands are much more of a blessing rather than a curse’ is not true because the disadvantages of oil sands outweigh the advantages. For this reason, this paper aims at indicating points against the statement. To understand the defects of oil sand exploration in Canada, one has to delve into the explanation of what oil sands are as well as how the entire process of mining and refining and thereafter, determine the disadvantages based on socioeconomic factors, environmental factors, as well as the infrastructure and energy required for its production.
"Stakeholders Realtions (Oil Sands) Pdf." CBSR. Canadian Buisness for Social Responsibility, May 2009. Web. 9 Jan. 2014. .
The border that separates the Canadian Shield from the rest of the province runs across Saskatchewan from south-east to north-west. This part of the province was formed during Precambrian era and contains igneous and metamorphic rocks. From the minerals found in that part of the Shield the most abundant and the most important for Saskatchewan is the metallic mineral uranium that can be used for building the nuclear reactors or exported to the other countries. The rest of the province, except for the extreme southwest which is occupied by the Hills, is situated on the Saskatchewan Plain which is a part of the Interior Plains that are, in turn, part of the Great Plains of North America. This part was formed under water when the mountains of the Canadian Shield eroded and deposited on the bottom of the shallow seas that it was surrounded by. The process was completed during the Mesozoic era. This part is relatively flat with gently rolling hills and occasional valleys.
It is recognized that in a time when the Internet and technology have taken over; mining still employees and provides livelihood to a vase number of people. However, the process of mining affects our health and our environment. According to Wikipedia, “The environmental impact of mining include erosion , formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining proces...
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...
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.
Surface mining can lead to the drastic changes of landscapes, destruction of habitat, damages to water supplies, and air pollution. Also the loss or degradation of forest further degrades groundwater because coal seams are often serve as underground aquifers, removal of coal beds may result in drastic changes in hydrology after mining has been completed. Moreover, surface mining causes green house gas emission since mountaintop removal releases large amounts of carbon through clear cutting and burning of trees. Beside, liquid coal known as sludge is generated by washing coal. It is typically disposed of at impoundments located near coal mines, but in some cases it is directly injected into abandoned underground mines. Since coal sludge contains toxins, leaks or spills can endanger underground and surface waters. The coal mining activities have exposed rocks containing the sulphur-bearing mineral pyrite. Pyrite reacts with air and water to form sulphuric acid and dissolved iron, and as water washes through mines, this compound forms a dilute acid, which can wash into nearby rivers and streams called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). The transportation of coal is another issue because coal is often transported via trucks, railroads, and large cargo ships, which release air pollution such as soot and can lead to disasters that ruin the environment. (Environmental Impacts of