Value of Mining in Society

There has been a lot of opposition by environmentalists to the development of a new nickel/copper mine by Kennecott located on the Yellow Dog Plains. As part of the debate on this issue, I believe a discussion on the value of mining to society is in order. I will start by making the rather bold statement that everything of a material nature in our lives has its roots in mining. It is easy to understand that all the metals are the direct product of mining, but what about the food we eat and the clothes we wear? How about the homes we live in? What about the fuel and energy we use to run our cars, heat our homes and operate our electrical appliances?

Mining supplies the basic raw materials that directly impact the production of steel, copper, aluminum, gold and many other metals. It also provides the raw materials that produce glass, ceramics, concrete, sand and gravel. These are very straightforward.

All of our energy needs are also a direct result of mining. Mining coal and uranium and drilling for gas and oil are mining activities. These fuels are used to power our world. They are used to produce electricity for our private lives and industry. Without mining there would be no power sources. Have I forgotten solar energy and ethanol from corn? The answer is no, I have not forgotten those power sources. How do you capture the power of the sun without the equipment made from the products of mining? How do you plant and harvest the huge tonnages of corn needed to make the ethanol without the products of mining. All the steel, copper and nickel needed to make the tractors and harvesters and the fuel to operate them come from mining. All the tanks, pumps and pipelines it takes to convert corn to fuel come from mining. All the hydrocarbons in plastics and other products from the chemical industry come from mining.

The same facts apply to the food you eat and the home you live in. How would you clear the land without an axe to chop down the trees? How do you cut logs into lumber? How do you turn the soil and plant the tons of seed you need to feed the world? How do you harvest, transport and process the crops? You cannot even build the grocery store without the products of mining. You couldn't even print or mint the money to buy the products.

Everything we have and everything we need has its roots in mining. The old saying “you either have to grow it or mine it” is not valid because the growing and the processing of these products cannot happen without mining. Mining is the most basic industry on this earth. How can anyone say no to mining? Where is the voice of reason?

I am not an environmentalist! I am a conservationist! The difference is where I put my priorities. I believe that God put the minerals and hydrocarbons in the ground for our use and gave us the intelligence to responsibly extract them without spoiling the environment. I encourage the use of responsible mining for the benefit of mankind and believe it is a good thing. I reject the “not in my backyard” attitude of some people as being hypocritical. I believe in strict laws to govern the mining activities because it prevents the greed of man from destroying our environment while protecting the right to mine from the radical anti-mining groups.

A Citizen for Responsible Mining
Tom Petersen


	Value of Mining in Society There has been a lot of opposition by environmentalists to the development of a new nickel/copper mine by Kennecott located on the Yellow Dog Plains. As part of the debate on this issue, I believe a discussion on the value of mining to society is in order. I will start by making the rather bold statement that everything of a material nature in our lives has its roots in mining. It is easy to understand that all the metals are the direct product of mining, but what about the food we eat and the clothes we wear? How about the homes we live in? What about the fuel and energy we use to run our cars, heat our homes and operate our electrical appliances? Mining supplies the basic raw materials that directly impact the production of steel, copper, aluminum, gold and many other metals. It also provides the raw materials that produce glass, ceramics, concrete, sand and gravel. These are very straightforward. All of our energy needs are also a direct result of mining. Mining coal and uranium and drilling for gas and oil are mining activities. These fuels are used to power our world. They are used to produce electricity for our private lives and industry. Without mining there would be no power sources. Have I forgotten solar energy and ethanol from corn? The answer is no, I have not forgotten those power sources. How do you capture the power of the sun without the equipment made from the products of mining? How do you plant and harvest the huge tonnages of corn needed to make the ethanol without the products of mining. All the steel, copper and nickel needed to make the tractors and harvesters and the fuel to operate them come from mining. All the tanks, pumps and pipelines it takes to convert corn to fuel come from mining. All the hydrocarbons in plastics and other products from the chemical industry come from mining. The same facts apply to the food you eat and the home you live in. How would you clear the land without an axe to chop down the trees? How do you cut logs into lumber? How do you turn the soil and plant the tons of seed you need to feed the world? How do you harvest, transport and process the crops? You cannot even build the grocery store without the products of mining. You couldn't even print or mint the money to buy the products. Everything we have and everything we need has its roots in mining. The old saying “you either have to grow it or mine it” is not valid because the growing and the processing of these products cannot happen without mining. Mining is the most basic industry on this earth. How can anyone say no to mining? Where is the voice of reason? I am not an environmentalist! I am a conservationist! The difference is where I put my priorities. I believe that God put the minerals and hydrocarbons in the ground for our use and gave us the intelligence to responsibly extract them without spoiling the environment. I encourage the use of responsible mining for the benefit of mankind and believe it is a good thing. I reject the “not in my backyard” attitude of some people as being hypocritical. I believe in strict laws to govern the mining activities because it prevents the greed of man from destroying our environment while protecting the right to mine from the radical anti-mining groups. A Citizen for Responsible Mining Tom Petersen