Responsible Mining

Mining! When you hear this word, what would be the first thing that sinks in your mind?

Some people think that mining is an inadequate way that only destroys our environment.
Mining has been ought to be a major threat to the environment due to its after-effects. Adversely
mining, affects the environment by inducing the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and
contamination of surface water. This may also trigger the formation of sinkholes, and the leakage
of chemicals from mining sites that can also have bad effects on the health of the population
living at/or around the mining sites.

But one thing people didn’t know is that mining is the number one source of everything
we have now.

As an advocate of Responsible Mining, I say making mining better for our environment,
our communities, and our country. Mining is not only just for the benefits of the mining
industries. But also for our own needs, not just today but also for the years to come. As we pay
more attention to our surroundings, we can say that this is because of all the help of all mining
corperations.

You may wonder how mining can be beneficial in our life. How it helps our daily
commodities. This is where the importance of mining takes place.

For about 8 billion people living in our world today, in either to survive we need water,
food, and shelter. Could modern civilization survive without mining?. Well you see, no iron ore,
limestone, and rock crush mining there would be no source of steel, cement, and concrete that we
can use in building houses. But not only that, there would be no supermarkets, hospitals, nor
cities. For infrastructures, there would be no roads, bridges, harbor, and airports. For
transportations, there would be no cars, trucks, motorcycles, ships, or planes. Without
infrastructure and transportation, there would be no local businesses or global trade.

Without steel and concrete, it can greatly affect our source of water and electricity.
Because without it we can’t build dams (hydroelectric power produce electricity), water
treatment plants nor water well. Without agriculture pieces of equipment that are made of steel,
there would be no crops. No feeds for animals, no food for us humans. With just these examples,
it shows the basic commodities of water, shelter, and food.

In our country, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declares that our environment should be
the top priority. During his third State of the Nation Address, he said that “Nature endowed us
with this wealth to be tapped for the benefit of all generations. My policy in the usage of these
resources is non-negotiable: protection of the environment must be our top priority”. TVI
Resource Development Philippines, Inc. in Zamboanga, Mindanao and Rio Tuba Nickel Mining
Corporation in the town of Bataraza, Palawan has fulfilled their purpose.

These two mining companies had followed and observed the principles of responsible mining
over the years. They have been fully conscious of our societal and environmental impacts. By taking
measures in giving back to the environment in restoring the ecosystem. By rehabilitating, reforestation,
setting up pollution control, solid waste management, watershed management, and situation control,
these can protect the environment and enhance their programs .

I am sizing in the right advocacy, which is mining has to be done responsibly. And you
should too. This is for the community, the economy, the environment, the country, and for every
human being. Mining can be done in a way that provides benefits to all over time. As we care for
the future of our environment we must promote how mining can be done responsibly. Mining
industries must bring back nature and sustainability in the area that is being mined. By obeying
the law it can be done.