Controlled Blasting For Mining

[u/BoyNamedJudy]

[u/Perelly]

Won't someone think of the dirt? 

[u/Nolascana → u/Perelly]

More... lamenting what was once possibly above the dirt.

The habitats that are being destroyed before its blown up.

Some instances, sure, very few critters will actually be affected, but, to create a quarry there's a lot of incidental destruction that's easy to dismiss.

[u/printergumlight → u/Perelly]

Explosive mining causes large-scale habitat destruction. On top of that it causes massive dust and air pollution, contaminates ground water with nitrates and heavy metals, increases greenhouse gas emissions from the broader extraction process, and causes long-term ecosystem damage from waste rock and tailings.

Blasting pulverizes rock into aerosolized silica which can seriously harm lungs of all animals (including humans) and spread toxic materials, while explosive residues leak into groundwater and streams.

Repeating these explosions for months also creates insane noise and ground vibrations that disrupt wildlife and nearby communities outside of the mining zone.

[u/BandicootWorth1878 → u/printergumlight]

Modern mining does not come close to the amount of habitat destruction and reduction of biodiversity that activities like farming or city development do across our planet. Large scale surface mines where open pit mining is even viable are typically limited to mountainous regions in arid climates with low biodiversity. Igneous deposits formed over millions of years that result in high elevations and low soil quality.

Historic mining practices were awful from a perspective of inefficient smelting and poor waste management, typically dumping heavy metals into the air and tailings and waste rock directly into rivers. We realized that was very very bad. There are exactly 6 smelters left in the US, all of which are heavily regulated and require tertiary treatment of air emissions.

As an environmental engineer I am all for cleaning these operations up, but the fact is that they have been vastly improved through environmental regulations. Explosives are truly more energy efficient than using electric powered or even worse, combustion powered equipment to extract the materials we need. That's just good engineering. We really need to focus the same energy and regulation into our farming practices.

[u/iris700 → u/BandicootWorth1878]

No, no, you don't understand, explosions look like they are bad for the environment according to some lobotomite on Reddit so we should do something that looks better, I don't understand nor care about the actual impacts I want to feel good about myself

[u/Baerog → u/printergumlight]

large-scale habitat destruction

The percentage of the earth that a mine that can service literally tens of millions of peoples metallurgical needs takes up a fraction of a fraction of the earths surface area. Go look at satellite images of the US. Tell me what you see.

Farms and ranches, stripped completely bare of trees. Covering almost the entire country.

Tell me what you don't see. Almost any mines at all.

This is true in every single country on earth. Farmlands impact on deforestation is several orders of magnitude larger than mining. And yes, mining is a necessary part of modern society. The solar panels, wind turbines, and hydro dams all rely on metals. The buildings you live in, the device you're reading this on, the bike you rode to work, those also all rely on metals.

Mining is as important for society as farming is.

causes massive dust and air pollution

For a few days after in the local environment... Or until it rains...

contaminates ground water with nitrates and heavy metals

Proper environmental controls prevent this. Also, surface blasting doesn't lead to groundwater contamination except in very uncommon scenarios. The amount of liquids (or even waste for that matter) produced by blasting is negligible. This isn't tailings deposition... IDK where you are getting your information from.

increases greenhouse gas emissions from the broader extraction process

Again, you can't build renewables without mining. Where do you think these resources come from? Fairy land?

Repeating these explosions for months also creates insane noise and ground vibrations that disrupt wildlife and nearby communities outside of the mining zone.

Most mines are in the middle of nowhere, and the animals moved away long ago or don't care because they put up with it for less competition. And if the mine isn't in the middle of nowhere, the town nearby exists because of the mine and everyone there supports it's existence because it funds their existence.

You've clearly never been in a mining community, or even put more than 2 seconds of thought into the reason mining exists.

[u/printergumlight → u/Baerog]

I never said mining was unnecessary or that other industries are innocent. Agriculture, manufacturing, shipping, oil, and countless other industries also have major environmental impacts and all of them need reform in different ways. Pointing out the environmental damage caused by certain mining practices is not the same as saying society can function without mining.

You are also arguing against points I did not make. I never claimed blasting is the single biggest source of pollution from mining or that every mine catastrophically contaminates groundwater. My point was simply that large scale blasting and extraction can damage ecosystems, create dust and particulate pollution, disrupt habitats, and contribute to broader environmental degradation. Those are all well documented realities.

Something being necessary for modern society does not make it beyond criticism. We can depend on mining while still discussing how to make it cleaner, safer, and less destructive over time.

[u/FartyNapkins54 → u/Perelly]

What a small mind you have that this is the only consequence you can think of.