Environmental Impacts of Mineral Resource and Energy Use
Impacts of Mineral Resource and Energy Exploitation
The benefits of using mineral resources and energy include:
- Relatively inexpensive
- High calorific value
- Provides raw materials for the chemical industry
The disadvantages include health risks, resource depletion, and environmental degradation.
Depletion of Fossil Fuels
The depletion of fossil fuels is caused by:
- A slow formation process coupled with a high rate of consumption
- Non-renewable nature after use
- Exhaustibility on a human timescale
Mitigation measures include:
- Restricting the use of fossil fuels and favoring the development of alternative renewable energy sources
- Researching new energy sources such as nuclear fusion
- Improving energy efficiency
Environmental Degradation
The use of fossil fuels is a major cause of environmental degradation.
Impact Caused by Extraction
Extraction causes serious environmental degradation through land stripping and tunnel formation. Oil and gas extraction have a lesser impact, though occasional spills cause serious contamination. Mitigation measures for coal mining include land restoration, vegetation cover, noise reduction, and protective measures for personnel. For oil and gas, controls should prevent accidental discharge.
Impact on Transport
Accidents during oil transport and transfer, along with vessel cleaning, cause oil spills, leading to enormous environmental disasters that vary depending on factors like proximity to the coast and fuel type. Palliative measures include using double-hulled boats and rigorous, frequent revisions.
Impact on Fuel Treatment
Charcoal production has a similar impact to mining. Other hydrocarbons (oil, gas) emit pollutants and toxic substances into the atmosphere and dispose of waste into waters. Mitigation measures include reducing gas emissions through appropriate technology.
Impact of Fuel Use
Fuel use produces the greatest and most consistent impact:
- Generated waste: requires appropriate waste management
- Technical and chemical pollution: thermal pollution originates in power plants. Chemical concentration is produced by the emission of:
- Ash and suspended particles
- Heavy metals
- Numerous gases: CO (incomplete combustion), CO2 and CH4 (greenhouse gases), sulfur and nitrogen oxides (acid rain)
Waterways are also affected by volatile substances in the atmosphere returning to the land surface. Natural gas has certain advantages over coal and oil:
- Easier extraction and transportation
- Does not produce sulfur pollutants
- Higher calorific value than charcoal
Mitigation measures include improving energy efficiency, actions against pollution, eliminating emissions of sulfur and nitrogen, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, and gradually substituting fossil fuels with alternative energy sources, especially charcoal.