BOOK REVIEW

MINING

ALJIEBEL VENTURA

09/04/17
INTRODUCTION

It is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from

the earth usually from an orebody, lode, vein, seam, reef or placer deposits.
These deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to
the miner.
Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil
shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock
salt, potash, gravel, and clay. Mining is required to obtain any material that
cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or created artificially in a
laboratory or factory. Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-
renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water. Mining
operations usually create a negative environmental impact, both during the
mining activity and after the mine has closed. Hence, most of the world's
nations have passed regulations to decrease the impact. Work safety has
long been a concern as well, and modern practices have significantly
improved safety in mines. President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday warned
mining companies that he would tax them “to death” unless they restore the
“virginity” of exploited areas. Duterte said in his annual address to Congress
"You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity
of the source or I will tax you to death,".

Summary

In his Second State of the Nations Address (Sona) on Monday ,President

Rodrigo Duterte said his administration would make it a “non-negotiable”
policy to protect the environment from the destructive effects of mining.In
his speech, Duterte demanded all mining companies to clean up the adverse
effects of their mining operations. “Reasonable and sustainable development
is what we advocate and require,” he said. “The protection of the
environment must be made a priority ahead of mining and all other activities
that adversely affect one way or the other. This policy is non-negotiable.”
Duterte said he would hold all mining companies and officials “responsible
for the full cleanup, restoration, rehabilitation of all areas damaged by
mining activities and the extension of all necessary support to all
communities that have suffered.” “You have gained much from mining,” he
said. “You have considerably neglected their responsibility to protect and
preserve.” Duterte said he was “sternly warning” all mining operations and
contractors to stop its “unbridled and irresponsible destruction over
watersheds, forests, and aquatic resources.” Still,the fighting words were
welcomed by some as it showed that protecting the environment was still
front and center for the Duterte administration now into the second of its
six-year,term. President Rodrigo Duterte addressed mining companies on
Monday who he said were responsble for the destruction of the environment
in areas such as Diwalwal in Compostela Valley. Duterte said apart from
environmental degradation, mining operations have also contributed to the
economic decline of communities near mines. The President said despite the
revenues the government reaps from the industry - around P70 billion a
year, five percent of what mining companies earn - he said the amount was
negligible because they "have considerably neglected your responsibility to
protect and preserve (the) environment for posterity."

Author’s Arguments

Duterte said the country was endowed with riches, gifts from God which
should be used for the benefit of all Filipinos. He said, "I do not believe that
this gift was given to us to be merely viewed or appreciated, but to be
extracted from the earth and utilized to make life worth living." Duterte said
extracting these riches was not enough. What is important, he said, would
be to convert it into raw material to be used for products "for international
and local purposes." He warned, however, against reckless extraction of
mineral resources. "Responsible, regulated and sustainable development is
what we advocate and require. The protection of the environment must be
made a priority [applause] ahead of mining and all other activities that
adversely affect one way or another," he said. The President added this
policy was "non-negotiable." Duterte said mining companies should be held
responsible "for the full and quick clean-up, restoration [and] rehabilitation
of all areas damaged by mining activities." Added to this, the President said
they should extend "all necessary support to the communities that have
suffered mining's disastrous effects on their health, livelihood, and
environment, among others."
EVALUATION

Objective opinions and solutions require an understanding of the underlying

components together with the experience and judgement to allocate relevant
priority to these issues. Too much focus on the details and you could end up
solving the wrong problem. Too much focus on the big picture and you could
end up with unwanted surprises. Proposed mining projects vary according to
the type of metals or materials to be extracted from the earth. The majority
of proposed mining projects involve the extraction of ore deposits such as
copper, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and platinum.

CONCLUSION

When Miners continued to destroy our Natural Resources it may come out
with a bad result it includes erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss
of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by
chemicals from mining processes. Besides creating environmental damage,
the contamination resulting from leakage of chemicals also affect the health
of the local population. Erosion of exposed hillsides, mine dumps, tailings
dams and resultant siltation of drainages, creeks and rivers can significantly
impact the surrounding areas, a prime example being the giant Ok Tedi
Mine in Papua New Guinea. In wilderness areas mining may cause
destruction and disturbance of ecosystems and habitats, and in areas of
farming it may disturb or destroy productive grazing and croplands. In
urbanised environments mining may produce noise pollution, dust pollution
and visual pollution. We should be responsible in everything that we do
especially when it affects our environment and others. We must think first
before doing such things that can destroy us . We must be matured enough
to think with the possibilities that may come up . Don’t just think of Money ,
because sometimes money can’t buy us Happiness.
 BOOK REVIEW

DEATH PENALTY

MECCAH ALIAH S. TAMBUCO

09/04/17