As a group of students studying
major development issues in a Thai context, the issue of mining was largely a
mystery to many of us. In the past, when I heard people speak of mining I often
flashed back to childhood memories of the Seven Dwarfs singing “Hi Ho” in
Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. When I learned we would be
covering mining as a major topic in our final unit I was interested to learn
more about mining beyond the idea of cartoon characters dancing around with
pick axes. Throughout the course of the unit many in the student group, found
the material to be especially engaging.
In
light of what little most of us knew about mining processes and impacts, the
information we learned was rather shocking. Prior to our unit we learned about mining as a general
practice and specifically explored some of the techniques and dangers of the
gold mining industry. Modern gold mining is a far cry from the river panning
done by prospectors during the California gold rush of the 1850’s. It was
surprising to learn how chemically intensive and environmentally reckless
mining tends to be. One of the
issues that stood out the most was the amount of cyanide used in the mining
process. As noted by Earthworks and Oxfam America in their publication, Dirty
Metals, cyanide is a chemical that can be fatal in doses as small as a
grain of rice. Yet, in the gold mining process, gold ore is saturated with
cyanide in amounts of up to several tons a day in order to precipitate gold
from the ore compound. The thought of such a dangerous chemical being retained
and utilized excessively was unbelievable. After visiting Tungkum Limited, a
gold mining company in Loei Province, the process became even more real to us.
I, personally, had a better understanding of why villagers in nearby Na Nong
Bong village were concerned about the mine’s presence.
One
of the factors that also stood out to us was the fact that mining is a process
that plays such an active role in all of our lives. Though we don’t actively
participate in harvesting the materials ourselves, there was a sense that we as
consumers inadvertently contribute to many of the ills caused by mining.
Minerals obtained through mining can be found hidden in the vast majority of
the items we possess. Not to mention gold jewelry and other obvious byproducts
of mining which only serve cosmetic purposes. Throughout the student group
there were many questions of our own level responsibility and implication in
issues associated with mining. In light of the damage that mining can do to
people and the environment we were left to wonder if the benefits of mining
actually outweighed the cost. If the demand for byproducts of mining were
decreased, could we put an end to many of the ills associated with the practice?
These
questions and more helped present the issue of mining on a more personal level.
In addition, the fact that mining is such a prominent industry throughout
America also made it a notable topic. As a group of students from towns all
over the United States, we realized we probably wouldn’t have to journey very
far to see examples of mining and its effects in a more familiar context. In
reality, the development issues of Thailand didn’t seem so foreign after all.
Alex Marable
Miami University
1 comment:
Alex,
As a student of Santiago Service-Learning, I was stunned while reading your article because it sounded exactly like an article that could have been written by one of our students. Just recently, we were studying the harmful effects of gold mining here in the Dominican Republic. I, too, was affected by how hard it hits home, realizing that many people don't even think twice about the origin of their products, including me in the past. Therefore, I really appreciated your article.
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