(Outdoor animals) Factors To Consider When Undertaking New Mining Projects
No commentsBy Dominic Donaldson
Mining projects, by their very nature, are huge endeavors. The factors that have to be taken into consideration are both complex and far-reaching and are becoming more and more important.
As well as clearing large areas of land to make mining projects possible, there are often logistical factors and infrastructure issues involved; roads and houses may need to be built, and in some cases entire communities spring up as part of a large project.
Some of the major factors to be considered, and also the ones with increasing importance, are the environmental consequences of a mining project. In light of recent studies on pollution, ozone and global warming, it is clear that certain behaviour is no longer acceptable in the 21st century.
As scientists study new data about the environment and our planet, it is becoming clear that everyone has to respect the world we live in and adapt accordingly. This includes mining companies.
As well as important minerals and resources, mining areas can contain potentially hazardous material that needs to be dealt with appropriately and in a manner in accordance with environmental laws. Environmental laws are now established as an important way of minimising the impact of human activity on the environment and on humanity itself.
To obtain important metals such as iron, silver and copper, extracting sulphide ores from the ground is a necessary evil. In environmental terms one of the unwelcome by-products of this is the production of sulphuric acids and metal ions.
These do not occur when the mineral is underground, only when it is exposed to oxygen or water. Factors such as this need to be taken into account from the initial stages of planning right through to the execution of any new mining venture.
Mining also involves the use or destruction of many resources which are important to people but geographically located near mining projects. As well as mining being responsible for about 10 per cent of the world’s energy consumption, it can also require agricultural land to be destroyed or flooded.
This can affect lakes and rivers that are used for drinking water or fishing, and crops local people rely on for food being taken away.
As well as all the issues involving the extraction or destruction of resources, there is also the human factor to consider. People have land taken away by large scale mining projects, land that is not only physically important but is often historically or spiritually important.
The people effected by these projects must be involved in the decision making process at every stage and on every level. If this is not dealt with properly then problems will arise that can seriously effect a project financially and even lead to a project being delayed or not going ahead at all.
To overcome all these issues, and overcome them effectively and with minimal disruption, it is necessary to undergo a thorough consultation process, taking into account financial, environmental and social considerations.
In an increasingly environmentally friendly world the mining industry are facing a new list of challenges and responsibilities. Things that it hasn’t had to consider in the past are now of paramount importance.
Mining companies need to create or assess their policies on managing the environment, waste, water and other resources as well as having a clear and sustainable strategic plan. Without these things in place any company undertaking a mining project is neglecting its responsibilities and not fulfilling its potential.
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the engineering industry.
Find out more about mining in the engineering industry at URS Corp.
Massive international growth potential for UK breakthrough in road maintenance
By ASI Solutions ASI Solutions
Potholes claim 1 in 6 vehicle failures Scottish roads the worst, South West the best
Local road lottery is being blamed for a 47 percent increase in car suspension failure during the past five years.
According to analysis by independent automotive warranty firm, Warranty Direct, the number of cars needing suspension and axle repairs as a result of poorly maintained roads and potholes has jumped from 9 percent of all claims in 1999 to an average of 17 percent for the first eight months of 2004.
Either continuous driving over cracked and uneven road surfaces, or the sudden jolting of a deep pothole, can cause damage to shock absorbers, springs, upper and lower arms, and stabiliser bars.
Regionally, Scottish drivers are the most at risk with a staggering 35 percent of all claims attributable to a road defect. The worst region in England during the past twelve months has been Anglia with nearly 1 in 5 breakdowns reporting suspension or axle damage. Greater London recorded a figure of nearly 14 percent, with roads in the South West, currently the least likely to damage the health of your vehicle at just over 11 percent.
Region %
Scotland 35.07
Anglia 19.11
North East 18.77
West Midlands 15.56
North West 15.25
Wales 14.42
Greater London 13.99
East Midlands 13.76
South East 12.40
South West 11.04
=======================
British Average 16.93
The data from Warranty Direct is supported by comments from the Institute of Civil Engineers and the Asphalt Industry Alliance about the state of British roads. The latest ALARM (Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance) survey, reported a 94 percent increase in visible defects over the past ten years, during which time the number of compensation claims against local authorities in England had doubled an annual payout of 85m.
ASI Solutions is author of this article on Infra-red road repair .
Find more information about Infra-red road repair here.
Learn About Outdoor Creatures In Wildlife
Renewable Energy for Everyone
By Cedric DSilva
Affordable Renewable Energy for Everyone
Have you ever wanted to power your home or office with renewable energy, but thought it was too expensive? Or you didn’t want to deal with installing and maintaining equipment?
Now there is a way that everyone can use solar, wind, and other renewable energies, at a fraction of the cost. Even renters can power their homes with renewable energy.
Renewable energy certificates (aka green tags, green energy certificates, or tradable renewable certificates) make it easy and inexpensive for anyone to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of their electricity use.
Each certificate represents the delivery of a specific amount of renewable power (usually one megawatt-hour) into a regional or national energy “grid.” This replaces the non-renewable fossil fuels that would have otherwise been used with non-polluting energy from solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable sources.
While the renewable energy you pay for may not flow through the wires in your own home, the resulting overall benefit to the environment is the same as it would be if you installed solar panels or wind turbines directly on your own property.
The certificates are purchased in addition to paying your regular energy bill. So it doesn’t cost less than standard electricity, but its a small premium to pay to keep toxic pollutants produced by the burning of fossil fuels out of the environment. And it supports the market for renewable energy as a whole, which ultimately will bring the price down for renewable energy and make it more generally available.
These certificates are available on the internet, but not widely known. Green energy certificates are currently being marketed to big businesses that use a lot of energy and can make a big impact with their purchase, but anyone can buy them.
I recently purchased renewable energy certificates to offset the electricty I use in my own home and home office. Though my purchase is only 15 MWh per year for my 1500 square foot house, every little bit helps establish the market for renewable energy. It prevents the emissions of 20,700 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to planting 1,500 trees or removing 2 cars from the road for one year. I pay only $40 a month (in addition to my regular energy bill) for solar, and other renewables cost even less.
Cedric DSilva
Age: 43
Position: CEO: Bits,Pieces and Fishes And CDS People
Previous jobs: Worked as Mechanical Engineer in several countries around the world
Education: Bachelor’s degree
Residence (Dual) : Mumbai, India; Calgary, Canada.
Other interests: Travel, golf, Adventure, Ornamental Fish Breeding
Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pm and is filed under environmental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
