Surface Types
Most common method which creates massive widening, and deepening pits, typically used to extract iron, copper, gold, and diamonds.
Open-pit mining
Diagonal tunnels accessing inclined deposits.
Slope mining
the portion of water withdrawn from a source (groundwater or surface water) that is not returned to the original source after use.
Water consumption
actions, policies, or systemic structures that undermine the inherent right of Indigenous Peoples to self-governance, land control, and cultural preservation
Threats to the Indigenous people
the unequal distribution of job opportunities, pay, and career advancement among different demographic groups
Employment Disparties/Imbalances
Involves removing long, linear strips of overlying waste material to reach shallow ore or coal seams, often replacing the overburden in the previous strip.
Strip mining
Horizontal tunnels built into the side of a mountain, usually to reach seams.
Drift mining
the presence of harmful substances—such as gases, smoke, and dust—in the air that are detrimental to human health, animals, plants, and the environment.
Air pollution
disputes, ranging from diplomatic tensions to violent confrontations, over the access to, control of, or use of water resources and systems
Water conflicts
the process of generating new, paid employment opportunities within an economy, primarily aimed at reducing unemployment and fostering economic growth
Job Creation/Opportunities
A method used for recovering materials from the bottom of rivers, lakes, or coastal waters.
Dredging
Used for flat deposits like coal or salt, this method leaves "pillars" of ore to support the mine roof while removing "rooms" of material.
Room and Pillar mining
those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement
Carbon emissions
the shared health issues, risks, and health-related needs affecting a specific group of people, often defined by geography (like a neighborhood) or common demographics
Community health concerns
substantial upfront investment, capital outlay, or expenses required before a project, business, or technology can become operational and generate returns
High Initial costs
A technique that uses a continuous miner to extract coal from the exposed face (highwall) of a surface mine, extending beyond where traditional surface mining is economical.
Highwall mining
A highly productive, automated method that uses a shearer to remove a long, continuous wall of coal, allowing the roof behind it to collapse.
Longwall Mining
the reduction, destruction, or fragmentation of natural environments, rendering them unable to support the native species that rely on them for food, water, and shelter
Habitat loss
the involuntary reduction or complete destruction of the means by which individuals or communities earn a living, access resources, and secure their basic needs
Loss of Livelihoods/ways of living
While bringing in revenue, the extraction process can damage local environments, impacting other industries such as tourism or agriculture.
Environmental Costs and Long-Term Sustainability
A highly destructive method used in coal mining where explosives remove the top of mountains to access underlying coal seams, often filling adjacent valleys with waste.
Mountain top removal mining
the deepest form of underground mining.
Shaft mining
the persistent decline or loss of the biological and economic productivity of land, caused by human activities and natural processes.
Land Degradation/decline
a significant decrease in visitor numbers to a destination, leading to severe economic, social, and environmental consequences for local communities
Loss of Tourism
Lithium prices can be volatile. Sharp declines can lead to mining shutdowns and slow investment in new projects, making the long-term economic benefits uncertain.
Economic Uncertainty/Doubt