The Impact of Metal Mining

597 Words2 Pages

Ontario produces the largest amount of metal such as nickel, gold, platinum, and cobalt in Canada. Also, Ontario is a significant producer of copper, zinc, and silver. The amount of metal proves that Ontario produces very large amount of metal. For example, in 2005, over four billion dollars of metal was produced in Ontario.
Mining is the industry that makes people to earn profit by extracting solid minerals (e.g. copper, zinc, silver, gold, and coal). The mining started from the prehistoric age. Mining back then had many limitations since advanced technology for efficient mining did not exist and human labour was only power to extract minerals. Mining was very dangerous job, too. By the time back then, deep mining was not easy job. Also, mining in wet places were not possible because they could not remove water easily and quickly. In late middle age to early modern age, the invention of explosives and steam engine improved the mining technology. Also, technological advance in safety measures made safer mining environment. Nowadays, mining takes important role in economy and our everyday life.
Metal mining is not just the extraction of the minerals. It is connected with our everyday life. First of all, mining is important industry for our life. For example, most of utensils, vehicles, technologies, tools, and many more things cannot be produced without metal. Therefore, metal is very important substance for our lifestyle. Second, it is important for the economy, too. In Canada, mining provides job to over 115 communities. Many companies working on processing, smelting, refining, altering, and exporting mineral provides variety of job, too. Mining in today is not just extracting natural resources. It is connected with our lifestyl...

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...t will become bigger than environmental problems that caused by mining itself. Many people will lose their job, lifestyle and healthcare will become poor, and many communities that relied on mining will face bankruptcy. In conclusion, since there are alternatives to mitigate environmental damage of the mining and mining is connected to our lifestyle and economy, the benefit of mining will justify the cost of the mining.

Works Cited

“Reducing Mercury Pollution from Gold Mining” http://www.epa.gov/international/toxics/mercury/asgm.html “Metals” http://www.greatmining.com/metals.html “Mining Impacts” http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/coal/Mining-impacts/ “Economic Impact Analysis” http://www.mining.bc.ca/sites/default/files/resources/pwcmining-economicimpactanalysis_1.pdf “Health Effects – Mercury”
http://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm

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