Michael Holder puts mining in perspective around the world and looks at some of the major disasters that has tainted its image.
Many of the richest countries in the world have built their economies on exploiting their mineral wealth, and the link between mining and economic prosperity is as strong now as it has been throughout history.
The World´s second largest and fastest-growing economy, China, has the World´s largest mining industry, producing 3b tonnes of coal each year, accounting for 40% of the global coal output. The World´s largest economy - the USA – produces just over 1b tonnes of coal. And other wealthy mining countries include Canada, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Sweden, Columbia, Mexico, Chile and Peru. South Africa has the deepest gold mine in the world, going down nearly 4 km beneath the earth´s surface.
According to the International Labour Organisation, mining now employs around 1% of the global workforce. It still, however, generates 8% of fatal work accidents (according to the ILO), and some estimates suggest mining accidents kill around 12,000 people each year.
Mining has a chequered past and was a frequent site for catastrophes both environmentally and through loss of life. Common environmental concerns are deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution and disease. In recent years there have been some serious accidents which have called the safety of the industry into question. Only last year 25 miners were killed after an explosion at a West Virginia coal mine in the USA, and a similar explosion killed over 100 miners in Ukraine in 2007. In China - a country thought to be responsible for 80 per cent of World mining fatalities each year - as many as 210 miners were killed at a Sunjiawan mine in 2005.
Mine safety is thought to be slowly improving, however, as the number of fatalities and accidents (with the possible exceptions of China and Russia) are dropping worldwide. Greater legislation, technology and rights for miners are needed, but it is hoped that accidents like the one that trapped 33 miners in San Jose last year will become a thing of the past.
To read more about mining in Argentina, click here for our article concerning environmental issues in mining (The Green Issue), click here for our Interview with a Geologist, and click here for our report on a recent protest against mining in Mendoza.
