RE: A Green Alternative to Strip Mining in My Collage for LMAC #102

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Mining and strip mining are necessary as soon as we account for the way we live. Note that I didn't say this was good. I only said that resources are necessary, and these resources need to be gathered in one way or the other. In order to reduce the impact of the mining industry, we probably need to rely less on resources. In other words, we need to reduce the demand. But these resources are needed, e.g, for technologies that we use in our everyday life.

In short, this is an open question (and interesting debate). I have no strong opinion, personally. I think extracting resources is necessary but maybe there are other ways (possibly more expensive) a bit better for the surroundings.



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as soon as we account for the way we live

There's the rub.

we probably need to rely less on resources

Of course this is not an 'easy' issue. There are so many aspects to it. One is consumption. If all of us--everyone, including industry--just consumed less, we would need less. One way to do this would be to increase the efficiency of those things that work for us (energy-consuming) instruments.

Something that irks me is the way we assess cost of a project. People who extract resources from the earth think about labor and equipment. I think the environmental cost should be theirs to bear. That includes impact on community health. A better, fairer way of looking at cost. Mining projects would be managed differently if this were true.

You are right. This is complicated.

I love it when I find a comment from you. I know how busy you are and I am truly honored.

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Yes, all of this is not easy. I am somehow relieved that ecology and environment is getting more and more important. However, all of this does not move fast enough and we may hit a wall very soon. It is a good moment to mention the 2021 Physics Nobel prize about climate modelling. This is kind of old physics, predicted in the 1960s.... and the lessons are still not fully learned :(

I love it when I find a comment from you. I know how busy you are and I am truly honored.

Thank you! it is my pleasure!

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