TALK OF SUSTAINABILITY IS JUST LIP SERVICE

Professor Hanri Mostert and Dr Cheri Young of the Chair appeared in the Business Day back in June, with an opinion piece on issues around balancing the benefits of mining and its environmental consequences.

MINING creates waste, which causes social and environmental harm, particularly water contamination and air pollution. The consequences are often insidious and the harm becomes obvious only decades later, as with silicosis and acid mine drainage in SA. Silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by the inhalation of dust, is so prevalent that it is classified as a public health issue. Acid mine drainage, caused by the release of sulphuric acid from minerals such as pyrite into the water table, is a leading cause of water pollution.

There is an uneasy relationship between reaping the benefits of extractive activity and assuming responsibility for its consequences. Mining is, by its nature, destructive and waste-producing.

Read the full article at the Business Day.