From Guest Blogger Rohit: What Is Green Mining And How Does It Help The Environment?
Green mining in general refers to the latest technological advancements in the mining industry that allows for lower waste production and lowered environmental impact. Aimed at the preservation of Mother Nature, green mining also seeks to reduce the use and wastage of water in the mining procedures. Green Mining is said to have been originated in Quebec, Canada where several groundbreaking technologies were developed by the Canadian Mining Industry. Explosive free rock breaking technology produces less waste by electrically heating up veins containing the valuable gems and minerals. Listed below, are the various ways by which Green Mining helps the environment.
1. Reducing Water Pollution
The mines can cause surface water pollution when placed next to the water sources. Mining companies have now started storing the polluted water until the mine is shut down. Techniques like acid mine drainage have also been implemented to counter the effects of water pollution due to mining activities.
2. Reducing Energy Consumption
The Canadian Mining industry features the world’s first hybrid mining vehicle that is currently said to be in a testing phase. This brings forth the next age of mining technology with a drastic reduction in the energy required by mining industry. The mining industry is the major consumer of electrical, mineral and thermal energy. The increase in the use of energy efficient techniques like LED and hybrid mining equipment will lead to a considerable reduction in the power consumption in mining.
3. Reducing The Waste Rock
The biggest challenging with mining is the production of waste rock in the form of rubble. The age old dynamite mining and drilling techniques have now been revolutionized by techniques that eliminate the use of explosions or drilling to break the rock. Conventional methods produce a lot of waste in the form of broken rocks and rubble which has been considerably reduced by the introduction of electronic mineral extraction techniques.
4. Reduction in the Ecological Footprint
When a mine is closed, it leaves the area literally dead and insufficient to sustain any sort of life. This is a pretty serious environmental impact of mining which has now become an alarming problem. Several mine owners have now made it a mandatory policy to fill the mine properly after it has been closed for good. Lowering the environmental impact is essential to maintain the ecological balance on our planet.
Mining although is one of the most important of all industries, has left a vast environmental impact on Mother Nature. Alarmed by the growing need to preserve the ecological balance and environmental sustainability, several mining companies have now started adopting several green mining techniques keeping the above points in mind.
