# data[].attributes.headline
BAD EFFECTS OF MINING TO OUR ENVIRONMENT

# data[].attributes.subject
BAD EFFECTS OF MINING TO OUR ENVIRONMENT

# data[].attributes.body
Mining destruction in Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre Mountain Range is a 540-kilometer mountain range that borders the northeastern side of Luzon. It is considered as the Philippines’ shield against typhoons. Over the years, Sierra Madre has weakened a lot of destructive typhoons. Typhoon Ompong is one of the examples, in fact, this typhoon is meant to be the strongest typhoon in 2018, but because of Sierra Madre, it slowed down to 160kph from 220kph.

It is also a home to a lot of threatened biodiversity species, such as the Philippine Eagle.

It is a home for many many people.

With all this, we can see that Sierra Madre is a really important mountain range, however, humans are failing to protect it since a lot of destructive mining is being done here. It’s damaging the mountain range causing typhoons to cause more damage. Many animals lose their natural habitat because of mining. And a lot of indigenous people that reside here lose their homes.

Damage to the ecosystem

Mining can cause a lot of damage to the ecosystem, it is like a domino effect. Because of mining, deforestation will occur, after deforestation it will lead to many damaging effects such as flood, loss of habitat of animals, land erosion and many more.

Depletion of natural resources

Mining is a way of getting our natural resources, but we have to keep in mind that our natural resources are limited and are non-renewable. If we continue this excessive mining, we will have no natural resources left. And in the future, it will eventually run out. So mining is not only destructful but also a bad way of gathering resources.

Ecological Imbalance

Mining ruins the balance in our ecosystem. How? It’s as simple as this. When a company decides to mine in a certain area, all the animals and other organisms that are living there will be forced to leave. This will disrupt the food chain and will  also cause the overpopulation of some prey because the predators are forced to leave the area. Eventually, that area will not be able to sustain itself just because of the miners seeking for some raw materials.

Air and water pollution

Air is the most important thing for us to live. Every living organism uses air to breathe. Mining can ruin the quality of air that we breathe. When mining, workers need to blast rocks to get an ore which may contain different minerals. The dust from the blasting of rocks may contaminate the air. Inhaling it may cause respiratory diseases. Coal mining is also bad for our environment because it produces methane which is a greenhouse gas.

Mining can cause runoff that may contain sulfur-bearing materials which may cause sulfuric acid on water. This runoff may dissolve different minerals such as iron, copper, and mercury which may pollute our drinking water and our land as well.

Mining can also cause metal contamination which may affect groundwaters negatively. When digested, contaminated water can cause serious complications such as cancer, anemia, and intestinal damage.

Yes, mining causes invisible sediment particles. But what about the larger ones? Large sediment particles can result in contaminated and muddy water. It can also affect the odor and the taste of water (magkukulay putik at maglalasang lupa).

Land pollution

Mining can cause destruction on natural landscapes. Mining can also destroy habitats which may cause soil erosion, water pollution, and land pollution. Land pollution due to mining also causes landslides and mudslides which is a hassle for everyone.

Soil Contamination and Loss of Vegetation Cover

Surface mining results in deforestation and this has long term effects even after the mine has been decommissioned and the land refilled with soil and replanted. Besides, the majority of plant species have a very low tolerance to high concentrations of metals in the soil except for grass. Plants that are intolerant to such conditions will fail to germinate in the reclaimed areas. Plants in such areas are normally affected through direct poisoning, modification of pH, clogging of their leaf surfaces by dust particles, or unavailability of nutrients. Particulate matter is released in surface mining when overburden is stripped from the site and stored or returned to the pit. When the soil is removed, vegetation is also removed, exposing the soil to the weather, causing particles to become airborne through wind erosion and road traffic.

Mining causes land-use changes which ultimately affects global food security

The World Food Summit (1996) defined food security as existing ‘’ when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life’’. Food security the world over is increasingly becoming a global concern. With the continuous food shortages leading to price hikes, malnutrition, hunger and even deaths in some parts of the world. Arable farmlands are being substituted for mining which is becoming a global challenge. The hunt for minerals and resources has led to many arable farmlands destroyed and destitute.

Soil degradation among others is one of the leading factors to low food productivity by mining activities. The nutrients in the soil are depleted leading to an infertile land, thus no farming being done. The soil is a natural resource which is not renewable in the short or very difficult to renew, or expensive to reclaim and improve, following erosion, physical or chemical degradation.

The release of chemical substances by the mining processes into the soil discourages and destroys crops. Due to this phenomenon there are not many crops grown in the area, thus food becomes scarce as a result of mining activities. Food production levels drop as more and more opt for mining jobs rather than, leading to low food production levels in the farming communities.

Illegal Miners do not have enough resources

Illegal Miners do not have enough resources to rectify the damage that has been done of mining in the environment since they aren’t financially capable of fixing it.

Poisoning of marine animals

Mine waste coming from abandoned mining sites causes environmental degradation and ecological imbalance to several bodies of water.

Said mines affects freshwater through excess use of water to processing ore, and through water pollution from discharged mine and from tailings and waste rock impoundments which can cause adhere effects to marine inhabitants in several bodies of waters.

Acid Mine Drainage

Sulfide minerals in waste rock react with air and water to form sulfuric acid, which wcauses acid mine drainage.

This acid dissolves metals in the rock, allowing them to enter nearby streams, rivers, and groundwater.If mining waste emits acid, the consequences for fish, animals, and plants can be severe. The most immediate and serious consequences of acid mine drainage are on natural waterways. High levels of dissolved metals may kill all of the resident fish and aquatic life.

Mining can cause floods and land erosion

Mining can cause flooding and land erosion. When trees are cut to mine an area, the open area that is left unprotected will be exposed to wind or water erosion. Furthermore, considering that the area is now deforested, no more vegetation will absorb water and therefore cause flooding in the surrounding area.

# data[].attributes.body
Several mining companies exploit their workers and do not pay them enough.

One of our main concerns about the cons of mining is the lack of regard towards the welfare of the miners-- the people who actually do the work and who are directly affected by the several complications mining can give. Mining work is globally considered as blue-collar work that does not require profound and thorough education. Consequently, it is primarily a job that people who have not attained a high level of education and people who are from lower socio-economic class engage in (McWilliams et.al, 2012). For South African miners, due to their low level of education, they often encounter these job opportunities through labor brokers that serve as intermediaries between an employee and a mining company. This process (legal brokering) is legal in South Africa, even though it has been tied to practices of human trafficking most of the time due to the withholding of pay, coercing employment under untrue standards, or forced labor (Steele, 2013). In addition, due to the 20 percent poverty incidence rate in the Philippines, getting a job has gotten more crucial. With this, it is logical to assume that the Filipinos are highly exposed to the risk of this kind of exploitation by greedy mining companies. This also applies to many people in the world.

In year 2019, about 2,000 copper miners at four mines and smelters in US owned and operated by Asarco, a subsidiary of Grupo México, the third-largest copper producer in the world, were heading into their third month on taking industrial action over low pay, increased healthcare costs, and poor working conditions. Asarco reported a profit of $1.3B in 2018 and have continued to observe profit increases into 2019. Even with these profits, the miners there have not received a pay increase in 10 years. One worker there of 15 years had even said that he had become unable to provide for his family any more as a single father due to all the increase of cost of living, but still not receiving any pay increase. Another statement from a specialty mechanic at Asarco for 13 years was that their lives are on the line every time they mine. He added that “the company does not actually care about the employees, they just want their money and they will do everything it takes to ensure that production is prioritized over safety.” The possibility of other unreported miners in the world also experiencing this is high.

Mining has caused child labor.

In the Philippines, thousands of children risk their lives every day to mine gold. The minimum age for work is 15, and hazardous work is not allowed for anyone under the age of 18. Our country has approved international laws on child labor, specifically the International Labor Organization (ILO) Minimum Age Convention and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, which describes work underground, work underwater, and work with hazardous substances as hazardous and, therefore, one of the worst forms of child labor. Despite this sturdy legal framework, child labor is still occurring. With accordance to a 2011 child labor survey, there are about 3 million children that work in the Philippines (possibly caused by family poverty). There was also a recent study by a Philippine NGO which revealed that 14 percent of children who live in mining areas work in mining. We must consider how alarming this is because we are talking about children, who are stripped of their rights. The children in our country and maybe all over the world are forced to do mining or labor in order to survive. This is one of the most available sources of income for them, and this results in having no choice but to mine.

Overworking of miners

There are many cases of overworking miners. One incident is when a miner is caught in an accident on the mine(since mining is very dangerous), they still need to go to work as a janitor or office staff since they cant afford to be marked as absent

Mining is not a permanent job for miners

When a  mining operation ends, there is nothing left in the area. Not only is the mined area now ruined, but also the workers who worked here now loses their job, because there is nothing to mine now

In order for these miners to continue their job, they have to move places, and basically not have a permanent work location. Since many are not willing to do this sacrifice, mining is not a very desirable job since it is so hard

Respiratory Complications

Studies indicate that mining is one of the most perilous occupations in the world in terms of injuries and fatalities, and also due to the long term health effects associated with it. Long term effects include respiratory problems such as pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, and silicosis. The health effect of mining is based on the type of mining activities namely deep mining and the opencast methods of mining. A coal mine produces lots of dust which if inhaled, can lead to the black lung disease among the miners and other people living within the surrounding region. Due to blasting and drilling, the fine mineral particles of dust are inhaled and accumulate in the lung causing pneumoconiosis. And when a miner inhales excessive amounts of quartz or crystalline silica, he or she is likely to suffer an irreversible disease called silicosis. In addition, miners and people living around areas where radioactive gases such as Radon are emitted can suffer from long term respiratory diseases such as lung cancer. Chronic exposure to welding fumes can also cause lung irritation and poisoning, and inhalation of mercury can lead to mercury poisoning.

Poisoning and Organ damage due to heavy metals exposure

Mining activities ordinarily generate high concentrations of metals and metalloids. When these metals leach they can reach the groundwater and surface water and find a way into the food chain and even climb up the food chain through bioaccumulation. If a metal such as mercury is ingested it can lead to poisoning, organ damage, and even death in high concentrations.

Injuries and Fatalities

Mining poses tremendous risks to life and health of not only to miners but to those close to it. Countless accidents have happened that affected thousands of miners in our country caused by hazardous mining operations. There is a very high social cost of mining and the impact on the society is immeasurable.

Cancers due to radioactive material exposure

People in industries that mine radioactive elements or in fields that generate hazardous gases such as Radon are in danger of having terminal diseases, especially cancers. Also, people living in these regions will be affected by radioactive materials.

Insufficient Regulations Regarding Mining

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 signed by the former president Fidel V. Ramos promised us economic growth and rural development. 25 years have passed and these economic growth and rural developments are nowhere to be seen. The Mining act paved the way for massive environmental destruction. Mining is the least contributor in the country’s economy in contrary to the government’s claims. Neither the economy nor the people benefits this Mining Act of 1995.

Exposing them to harassment by mine/government security

Big companies usually lead mining. What if there are people living in a certain area where there are minerals to be mined below? The company owners will have to evict the people from their homes.

Since big companies have the power and authority, they can easily remove the citizens’ rights to their land. What if their land is their number one source of income? What if they use their land for farming, planting, etc.? Giving them money doesn’t answer the problem. Providing them “libreng pabahay” is not enough.

Not everyone is capable of doing mining activities so offering them jobs for mining isn’t right. For example, old people are the only ones who work on the farm. You can’t just offer them jobs such as being a miner, work as a construction worker, and many more. Because those jobs require skills. If they are more into farming, how would you expect them to work in the mining or construction field?

Forcing people (indigenous)  from their homes and lands to evacuate

Indigenous people in the Philippines have always been considered marginal members of the society. Indigenous people are known to be deeply tied to their land. Indigenous people predominantly live in mountainous, rugged regions due to their resistance of foreign religions and cultural norms, and mountain regions of the Philippines have large deposits of minerals and natural resources due to the geographic processes that shaped them over time. This puts them in a constant environmental conflict with mining companies, as natural resources can be found in, or around their settlements. Half of the areas identified as mining projects or potential mining projects are on indigenous lands.

The Binongan community in Abra province describe having a responsibility to nature through a web of values, and mining interferes with these values because it represents a symbol of the Western culture of resources, but local government officials will often appoint their own officials that align with interests of mining companies and interfere with indegenous socio-political organizations.

The geological features of the Philippines have made the country rich with natural resources, including metals and rare earth elements. Over time, the Palawan Continental Block and the Philippine Mobile Belt, the two major tectonic features of the Philippines, have evolved and deposited gold, copper, and other valuable mining minerals. This has opened the country up to exploitation of these resources. Indigenous peoples in the Philippines face the brunt of exploitation, as mining projects and mining exploratory excavations increasingly take place on their homelands. Mining has had several adverse environmental effects on indigenous peoples, and has caused them to lose ancestral sacred sites, as well as opened their communities up to exploitation and conflict with the local military and paramilitary groups.

# data[].attributes.body
It has a benefit on healthcare

It is not really proven effective. There is no available scientific explanation on why these said stones help on human lives. It is all based on personal beliefs
Besides, there are much better ways of curing oneself than using stones.

There are rehabilitation programs after mining

Rehabilitations are not instant. It will take years to grow another tree and make the ecosystem itself sustainable. Addition to that, not all companies, especially the illegal ones, are able to follow the rules on rehabilitation programs. Some of them just leave the area, unrehabilitated and are not habitable for animals anymore.

Raw materials that are gathered from mining are essential to human lives

Mining is not a long-term solution. Most extracted resources are non-renewable and will eventually be consumed sooner or later. Mining will eventually become uneconomical, thus it should be viewed as a temporary solution rather than a long-term strategy. Even if mining is necessary to offer critical resources in the short term in the modern world now, we should strive to convert to renewable resources rather than fossil ones as soon as possible to limit mining's negative consequences and to ensure the global sustainability of our lives. By not giving too much resources, we can teach people how to recycle. There are many alternatives too when it comes to some resources.

Diamond and Gemstone Mining

We can live without diamonds and other gemstones. We can instead use lab grown diamonds which is very relevant in today’s society and there is a study that the elements of lab grown diamonds and real diamonds are not far apart from their elements. Researchers said that Diamond-detectors and traditional observations cannot identify between the two given they are identical both chemically and optically. Diamonds from mining are not relevant in everyone’s life, especially since it doesn't benefit the poor. People just want diamonds because they can get rich and wealthy from it.

The resources used to make the modern machines are all gathered from mining.

We can make machines through junk, we have many of those and some are wasted. Recycling can help you save money on disposal and boost your bottom line. It also has a lot of potential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and conserves natural resources including trees, metals, minerals, and water.

Using strip mining method to minimize destruction of environment

Strip mining is a type of surface mining in which the overburden (overlying vegetation, rock, and soil) is removed in order to reach the underlying coal seam, which is usually a few feet beneath the surface. Explosives are used to fracture any overlying rock, and then heavy machinery is used to remove the overburden and dump it in a nearby area. Mining is done in long, narrow strips, hence the name "strip mining."-Strip mining has a direct impact on some of the most biodiverse areas in the US, if not the world. Strip mining, which removes massive amounts of vegetation and frequently dumps it, along with topsoil and rock, into streams and rivers, sometimes threatens endangered species of land and aquatic animals in areas designated as "hot spots for rarity and richness" .

Economy will prosper.

Of the top fifty countries in MCI-W 2014, there are only four high-income economies (HIE), but sixteen upper-middle-income economies (UMIE), eighteen lower-middle-income economies (LMIE), and twelve low-income economies (LIE).

There are some regions or countries where mining contributes less to national wealth: Western Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Japan, and South-East Asia.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Crizaldo, Althea Riel S.
2. Piedad, Ralf Junuel H.
3. Baysan, Phoebe Dorothy A.
4. Asuncion, Gianna Carelle E.
5. Rodrin, Althea Biel R.
6. Pegollo, Germaine R.
7. Pinpin Ralph Gabriel R.
8. Baltazar, Con Aldrin P.
9. Bonus,Alexis Anne C.
10. Dolor, Quinn Trahernne Adylheid M.

11. Bautsita Lee Andrew D.

# data[].attributes.body
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/06/the-philippines-a-nation-rich-in-precious-metals-encounters-powerful-opposition-to-mining/

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-last-stand-sierra-madre

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/10/01/sierra-madre-stifles-worlds-fiercest-typhoon-this-year/

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/gemstones-health-benefits/

https://www.amrc.org.hk/content/mining-philippines-and-health-and-safety-effects-mine-workers

w.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/userfiles/works/pdfs/2012-152.pdf

https://www.jstor.org/stable/45131885

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/04/28/21/pandemic-worsened-ph-poverty-2020-adb#:~:text=The%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic%20likely,about%2022%20million%20poor%20Filipinos.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/dec/20/us-miners-strike-wages-safety-healthcare

https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/09/29/what-if-something-went-wrong/hazardous-child-labor-small-scale-gold-mining#:~:text=A%20recent%20study%20by%20a,be%20working%20in%20mining%20too

Effects of Mining on Air | Lutopan Mining Activity (wordpress.com)

Acid Mine Drainage - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Potential Well Water Contaminants and Their Impacts | US EPA

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-mining-human-health-environment.php?fbclid=IwAR1jw1os12xtB0YrDxLUyEnqU2zVorVq8Q7w9ia5jMwquvf6oyA_bBU8nSI

https://www.1215diamonds.com/blog/six-reasons-to-choose-a-lab-grown-diamond-engagement-ring/?fbclid=IwAR01IxTDlAvKhiou66eNcnq4uRolPG_Ah1PRaZkAQokmhpDZEfTrQxERqo0

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Li-Na/Mining.html?fbclid=IwAR0zhQ40ad4TO1GaczRghKZUNJQoLmmesY2D5PlVQ3uwoTqOrSjHv9FnZn8

How does mining affect erosion? | Socratic

https://cpaphils.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/philippine-mining-act-of-1995-a-curse-to-the-environment-and-communities/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7269319/

https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/miningandwaterpollution

https://www.amrc.org.hk/content/mining-philippines-and-health-and-safety-effects-mine-workers

Managing and Reducing Wastes: A Guide for Commercial Buildings | US EPA

https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/53720/Ocansey_Ignitious.pdf?sequence

https://www.sosbluewaters.org/acidminedrainage.pdf

http://www.citizenscoalcouncil.org/strip-mining.html

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/de2c08a0b1cd4d08a4f7e728adc0c22e

https://bilyonaryo.com/2018/12/20/anti-mining-group-happy-to-hear-govt-ban-for-new-permits-stays/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This group wants no new projects to gain ground without a complete mining regime.

This group wants no new projects to gain ground without a complete mining regime.

The Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) hailed the decision of Cabinet officials to keep the moratorium on new mining permits, pending the completion of the second round of audit.

In a statement, ATM said the inter-agency Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) should maintain the status quo until Congress is able to pass a new mining fiscal regime law.

"The new excise tax rates approved under the TRAIN law is not sufficient to address the demand of EO 79, which is that a new fiscal regime on mining must be passed," the group said.

"For ATM, a new fiscal regime on mining includes new rules on royalties, a tax on super profit or windfall profits, increased social development funds and increased rehabilitation and decommissioning funds."

Apart from this, the MICC should also identify the "no-go zones" for exploration to settle issues once and for all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anti-mining group happy to hear gov't ban for new permits stays

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This group wants no new projects to gain ground without a complete mining regime. This group wants no new projects to gain ground without a complete mining regime. The Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) hailed the decision of Cabinet officials to keep the moratorium on new mining permits, pending the completion of the second round of audit.