To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=170370
3 messages

BS: Coal mining in Appalachia

14 Sep 21 - 08:18 AM (#4119939)
Subject: BS: Coal mining in Appalachia
From: Jack Campin

The aftereffects of treating an entire ecosystem as disposable.

Guardian article

Coming to any place where your "green" alternative's batteries and magnets come from.


14 Sep 21 - 08:47 AM (#4119942)
Subject: RE: BS: Coal mining in Appalachia
From: Donuel

Until Elon Musk mines asteroids, the Earth is our only place to mine.
The cost we/they have avoided is that of reclamation which would cut into corporate profit margins.


15 Sep 21 - 08:09 AM (#4120032)
Subject: RE: BS: Coal mining in Appalachia
From: Rapparee

There is phosphate mining around here. MUCH of it. FMC left a hilltop west of town missing and phosphate residue exposed. This resulted in very probable phosphine release and the covering of the entire remaining hilltop. FMC left town over 20 years ago and little mitigation would have been done if it wasn't for the EPA and the folks on the Ft. Hall Reservation (whose incomes were devastated by FMC closing up and moving away).

Underground mining would probably be better than tearing down mountains, but it's more expensive. As long as humanity needs metals mining will be with us.