"The provincial government should also remove regulatory barriers that impede the Ring’s development “to the greatest extent possible,” it adds."
Read the article and think:
1) Mining is already not environmentally friendly what would removing barriers do to our environment?
2) Should we remove these barriers to allow growth in the north where it is needed?
3) Would a road be a good idea or would hovercrafts be cool and better?
4)Do we really need to make this a national priority?
What are your thoughts?
http://www.thestar.com/business/economy/2014/02/20/ring_of_fire_must_be_a_national_priority_report.html
This is my post for the week.
ReplyDeleteThis article does a good job of informing the reader on the benefits of developing northern Ontario, however it does not provide the same insight on the possible negative consequences. Having said that o still do believe that if it is done in a certain way it can be very beneficial to the whole country. First off by removing barriers , it is referring to building sufficient transportation, and more importantly going through aboriginal land. It is essential that we come to an agreement with the aboriginals some way or another before anything is done. I think the idea of a hovercraft is very cool however not efficient, you can carry alot more material on trains and even transport trucks then you could on hovercrafts. Making the road will be costly but the revenue created by the jobs that will be produced and the development of the area, the money will be made back very quickly. I do not think that at this point in time this is a national priority, there are other things such as how to minimize tar sand pollution that should get attended to before this, however i do think that eventually this project will bring a lot of money and will do alot of great things for Canada if they do it as eco friendly as they possibly can. This is an article explaining various breakthroughs in which mining has become more environmentally friendly.
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2016/finalwebsite/solutions/greenmining.html
I agree with you Nick. I think that this article definitely shows some Bias by omission. The article is very pointed towards the financial benefits/profits to developing this mineral-rich land, but yet they do not present many of the other side's concerns. There is more than just transportation emissions. As I read about the problem online "Ontario Nature" said that the government still needs to do some studies on the effects of the actual process, but will need some time before they should allow the land to be used,which is ironic as the federal government is currently trying to speed up the process of environmental reviews on major mining and energy projects. I think that we do need to take the time to do some studies before we allow ourselves to make a major mistake.
DeleteThis is the article I mentioned: http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/ring_of_fire.php
Great post Nick,
DeleteI think you hit it pretty spot on. The article you posted was very helpful in showing ways that mines are stepping there game up. I think that Canada has more natural resources and opportunities than it knows and being able to extract these precious elements has been and will be essential to our further growth as a nation. I think that slowing down the extraction process with unnecessary laws is a poor choice as Canada already lies in 1.3 trillion dollars of debt.
This is my post for the week
ReplyDeleteI am not big on words so I'll keep it short. The expansion of mining in northern Ontario will bring a great deal of job opportunities to many people. Though there is the environmental impact, the profits of mining this area can go back into the government to build a more sustainable economy. Developing the mines will cost a lot of money ($2 billion if I remember), and with such ideas as hovercrafts, it is gonna burn a big hole in ottawas pocket. If they could develope the road whilst using these so called hovercrafts, it seems they could establish the mines and the worker's placements fairly soon. I believe the idea is there, but they should think of a better alternative for transportation than relying on specialized vehicles. For the matter of jobs, this could help Ontario in many ways, our unemployment rate is escalating and this seems like a great opportunity to salvage that.
I'm going to have to address your first comment about jobs vs the environment. I don't how many people have actually been to a mining town, but I'm from Sudbury so I think I should shed some light on the environmental effects. The first thing you see when you used to get to Sudbury is barren black rock. The minning industry diminishes most of the vegetation leaving only the most fit to survive. My grandparents live on a highway, and the entire ride up to their house was full old mines with little vegetation. It got so bad that city had to plant trees to correct this environmental catastrophe. That's why when you go to Sudbury the nature is mostly composed of black rock and very young trees. As we know, little vegetation means less wildlife (except for bears of course!) As much as I want to say that the mining the helped the city by providing jobs, which it did, it also caused all those problems that need to be fixed. Unless I can be assured that these kinds of environmental problems can be avoided (no matter what the cost) I don't think it's actually worth the destruction. If they can find more efficient ways to to this, then I'm all for it.
DeleteThe idea that we are pushing the government to remove barriers and allow us to do more damage to our already suffering environment is just kind of sad. I understand the potential for jobs and revenue, but will that all really matter when the world starts to fall apart around us. Gold is shiny, and that is cool, but is it worth the impact? From what I gather, there are more "important" metals to be found, like those used to make stainless steal, but with all of the potential to create environmentally friendly alternatives do we really need to keep expanding the mining industry?
ReplyDeleteFrom a little "googling", I found that mining not only has terrible effects on the environment but also is linked to increased health issues in surrounding areas from the toxins in the air and water supply. It is difficult to look into the distant future and consider how you may be effecting it, but it should be easy enough to look into the near future and the effects of mining on the people nearby. It just is not worth it for something that is not absolutely necessary.
As for their proposed transportation methods: if they are going to do it, I am all for hovercrafts. This is for several reasons, one of which being that it would be awesome, but also that it could reduce the costs of building an all weather road system, and because it may be slightly more environmentally friendly. Although hovercraft do have gas engines they cause less friction when travelling (therefore less gas needed for momentum), and can be less of a disturbance to the environment (hovering over instead of trampling). I have also seen some pretty big hovercraft so they can certainly carry decent volumes, although I am not sure how much weight they can manage to hold up.
Whether or not the government should make this a priority is debateable. I am sure that people in need of a job may say so, but as I myself am much more detached from that motivation I don't necessarily agree. It could have great effects on the economy and provide people with all sorts of precious metals, but if the world does come to a human-caused end, will it be worth it? Gold watches and diamond necklaces don't look as good on people killed by a global warming-caused super storm.
Here's a link for some of the environmental and health issues associated with mining: http://www.bactechgreen.com/s/ResourceCentre.asp?ReportID=429869
Here's one about the environmental impact of hovercraft (although they focus more on the aquatic part): http://4wings.com.phtemp.com/faq/faq-envi.html