Mining Needs to go Green
-By Richard Verkley May 2019
Towards an ecological society — the role of green mining
Humanity is facing an existential dilemma. On the one hand, we need to be kinder to the earth if we are to avoid ecological catastrophe. On the other, many of the practices that are damaging our planet — climate, creatures and communities alike — are essential to our quality of life. Our new challenge is one we must face together. Can we transform technology to coexist with nature? In this series, we examine the role of mining practices in rising to this challenge.
Current gold-mining practices are unsustainable
Each year, we mine approximately 2500–3000 tons of gold. To put this in perspective, two-thirds of all above-ground gold was mined after 1950.[1] It is a sprawling, global industry. The environmental damage caused in the process is significant. A central problem is the difficulty of gold extraction: one ounce of gold is typically dispersed in many tons of ore. Much of the tailings (leftover rock and dirt) of these mines contains cyanide and mercury used in the extraction process.[2]
Mercury extraction is favoured by small-scale miners: it is simple, relatively cheap and works quickly. While small in isolation, these sites cause enormous cumulative damage — tens of thousands exist, using up to 1000 tons of mercury per year.[3] Exposure to mercury is incredibly dangerous[4], and mine tailings contaminate the atmosphere and neighbouring water sources.[5] Worse still, mercury concentration accumulates as it moves up the food chain.[6]
Cyanidation, the industrial standard for gold separation[7], can have disastrous consequences too. In heap leaching, a cyanide solution is sprayed over massive piles of ore — for up to years — dissolving the gold for separation.[8] While there are regulations for managing cyanide,[9] too often these are not enough. There have been numerous cases of dams with cyanide-contaminated waste collapsing. A devastating spill into the Danube River in Romania killed more than 1000 tons of fish as it spread 1600-miles to the Black Sea.[10] Handling practices have improved, but many operations (particularly in developing countries) [11] have failed to meet these standards — with dire consequences.[12]
Stop mining? It’s not that simple…
Is it imperative that we end our relationship with gold — and is that even possible? Should we not forgo golden jewellery, and its cultural importance[13], for the sake of the planet? Can we not replace gold investment, used to hedge against geopolitical risks, with other commodities?[14] The global effort of trying to enforce either would be gargantuan; but it is hypothetically possible, at least. Even setting aside those practicalities, however, gold has vital scientific and technological uses. In fact, information-age society would be impossible without it.
· Computers
Computers — arguably the linchpin of modern society — could not function without gold. A reliable high-performance conductor is needed to transfer digital information from one component to another, accurately and at high speed. Gold simply has no equal. Mounting the microprocessor and memory chip onto a motherboard, for example, requires a gold-plated edge connector.[15]
· Electronics
This is true of all sophisticated electronic devices: from cell phones to calculators to GPS units. Gold’s reliability makes it essential for components such as switch and relay contacts, soldered joints and connecting wires.[16]
· Medicine and dentistry
The health we enjoy owes much to gold. Gold is non-reactive with the human body, and therefore vital for surgical equipment. Medical electronic equipment and life-support devices use it extensively. Many procedures require gold, too: radioactive gold, for example, is used to treat certain cancers, and as an emitter for diagnosis.[17]
Gold is chemically inert, non-brittle, and non-allergenic. This makes it perfect for dentistry. Gold fillings, crowns and bridges are gaining renewed popularity now that the long-term health issues with less-inert materials are being uncovered.[18]
· Aerospace
Finally, gold enables us to reach beyond our own planet: it is used in hundreds of ways in every space expedition. In the vast reaches of space, where small errors can be catastrophic, one cannot do without gold in circuitry. The radiation outside of our atmosphere would break down organic lubricants. Instead, a thin film of gold — whose molecules can slide past each other — allows critical moving parts to work together under friction.[19] Gold is used to protect equipment in space from harsh UV-light and x-rays and in spacesuit visors to protect astronauts’ eyes from infrared light — while still letting in visible light.[20]
Green gold: the ecological imperative
This contradiction — of gold-mining’s damage vs its societal necessity — will only become sharper moving forward. Gold is incredibly valuable, and so only used when cheaper alternatives aren’t viable. Its number of uses thus compound over time. In fact, most of the ways we utilise gold now
have only emerged in the last few decades.[21] At the same time, the average grade of gold ores has been declining — meaning it is more difficult and expensive to extract the same amount.[22] This in turn leads to increased use of toxic chemicals like cyanide,[23] and has coincided with riskier operations.[24]
This is a no-win situation with serious environmental implications. Pushback against this kind of damage by concerned communities and environmental groups has resulted in withdrawn permits and abandoned mines.[25] [26] As a result, the quantity of gold being mined is falling.[27] This reduced supply, combined with increased demand as gold’s uses multiply, will force the price of gold to rise.[28] This in turn will increase the costs of technology that make modern society possible. In sum, the likely social outcome of these events is worrying. If gold supply dwindles and becomes much more expensive, its use in science and technology will slow — and societal progress along with it. In addition, poorer people and nations will likely be disproportionately impacted. With unequal access to information-age technology, the prospects of global development look grim.
If we are to escape this vicious cycle, we need green mining: a practice that can maintain the output of gold without the concurrent environmental impact. Eco Metals Recovery offers an innovative solution. A new patent-pending technology, The Separator, uses only water in extracting gold — with a higher recovery rate — from ore. Not only does this prevent associated damage in existing mines, but concessions that have been closed due to environmental impact may be reopened. The result is increased global access to green gold. This technology can also be used to target many other precious metals like silver and platinum — with less energy consumption than conventional extraction methods. We’ll explore these metals, their uses and their mining practices in articles to come. Stay tuned.
Eco Metals Recovery’s goal is to change the way the world mines: to work with the planet’s ecology, not against it; to build a mining system that benefits humanity as a whole. We invite you to join our mission — you can find out more here:
https://ecometalsrecovery.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3foWhgwFvBz8sKrwpXYOVQ
