Tying a Local Environmental Issue to Human Drivers of Environmental Change
Our group discussion began with laying out the fundamentals of the lithosphere, the
use and consumption of minerals by humans, and the challenges faced by humanity in
preserving the environment, while still meeting our current and projected demand. The
lithosphere is known to contain three types of rock: igneous (e.g., granite), metamorphic
(e.g., marble), and sedimentary (e.g., sandstone) (University of Maryland Global Campus,
2021). Rocks, minerals, and soil resources are important because of their inclusion in
everything from cell phones to airplanes, and as Altaner (2018) states “In 2010, the
average person in the U.S. consumed more than 16,000 pounds of mineral resources.” This
rate of consumption is particularly concerning with the growing world population,
economic growth, and the nonrenewable nature of mineral resources. It was further
clarified that it is not solely the depletion of a mineral that causes a deficit in the supply, but
also the cost prohibitive nature of some of the necessary mining and refining. Striving to
overcome this challenge, however, does propel some scientific innovation, with one such
example being increased data collection on the correlation between varying thicknesses of
the lithosphere and metal deposits (Kwon, 2020).
Spurred deeper into this discussion by Professor, both copper and cobalt
were examined in a much more detailed way. Copper was identified as an affordable
electric conductor found in many household items, e.g., refrigerators, microwaves,
dishwashers, electric kettles, hot water heater liners, and more (Iprima, 2017). When it
comes to processing copper, it “begins with mining of the ore (less than 1% copper) and
ends with sheets of 99.99% pure copper called cathodes” (University of Arizona Superfund
Research Center, 2020). Copper is usually mined utilizing open-pit mining, which can cause
“land degradation, noise, dust, poisonous gases, pollution of water, etc.” (Monjezi et al,
2008). The demand for copper in the market is increasing faster than supply, and this
imbalance is set to create deficits as soon as within this current decade (Woodall, 2020).
was the environmental justice concerns of 60% of the world’s cobalt being mined in the
Congo, where the product is almost entirely exported, but the environmental damage and
health effects remain local and extreme, e.g., bioaccumulation of toxic metals in the food
supply, increased infant mortality/ severe birth defects, etc. (Frankel, 2016). With up to
roughly twenty pounds of cobalt being used in each new smart car, the Congo will continue
to face increased habitat destruction, species loss, and human health crises related to
cobalt mining.
Broadening the conversation back out, we discussed various ecosystem services
from soil, e.g., flood control, water purification, agricultural production, recreation, etc.
(Greiner et al, 2017). Soil’s function and benefits are both essential and multifunctional,
comprising both organic and inorganic components, wherein “there are more living
individual organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on the earth” (Soil
Science Society of America, 2013). We did, however, make sure to clarify that coal and oil
are not classified as minerals due to their organic origin, as well as oil’s liquid state at room
temperature (National Park Service, 2019). This remains scientifically accurate, even if, as
Professor Haedtke pointed out, coal and oil may be included in “mineral rights” when
dealing with legislation.
Our weekly discussion concluded by analyzing the quote from President Franklin D.
Roosevelt that stated " A nation that destroys its soils, destroys itself ,” wherein the very soil
we walk upon beneath our feet plays a role in holding our society and prosperity together.
This quote was in direct reference to the environmental disaster that was the Dust Bowl of
the 1930s, where such “poor land management and a severe drought, [literally led to] the
topsoil [being] blown away” (Britannica, 2020). A nation’s soil is a resource that needs to
be respected for the services it provides, both known and to be determined. This tenet will
continue to be evident as increased migration occurs from areas or nations where the soil
has been mismanaged or where anthropogenic climate change has altered soil
characteristics in such a way that they are no longer suitable to previous necessary
functions.
References
Altaner, S. (2018). Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation: 7.6 Mineral Resources:
Formation, Mining, Environmental Impact. OpenStax CNX.
https://cnx.org/contents/F0Hv_Zza@45.1:SF-mRhQa@5/Mineral-Resources-Form
ation-Mining-Environmental-Impact
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, April 2). Dust Bowl. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Dust-Bowl
Frankel, T. (2016). This Is Where Your Smartphone Battery Begins . Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/batteries/congo-cobalt-mini
ng-for-lithium-ion-battery/
Greiner, L., Keller, A., Grêt-Regamey, A., & Papritz, A. (2017). Soil Function Assessment:
Review Of Methods For Quantifying The Contributions Of Soils To Ecosystem Services.
Land Use Policy, 69, 224–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.06.025
Iprima. (2017, November 2). Important Uses of Copper in Our Every Day Lives . AMS Metal.
https://www.amsmetal.com.my/uses-of-copper-in-our-every-day-lives/
Kwon, K. (2020, October 1). Science Pinpoints Global Metal Deposit Locations. Scientific
American.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-pinpoints-global-metal-deposi
t-locations/?error=cookies_not_supported&code=016029c7-b533-4af6-b3c9-54b32
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Monjezi, M., Shahriar, K., Dehghani, H., & Samimi Namin, F. (2008). Environmental impact
assessment of open pit mining in Iran . Environmental Geology, 58(1), 205–216.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1509-4
National Park Service [NPS]. (2019, April 25). Minerals.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/minerals.htm
Soil Science Society of America. (2013). Why is Soil Important?
https://www.soils.org/files/science-policy/sssa-marketing-2013.pdf
University of Arizona Superfund Research Center. (2020, July 24). Copper Mining and
Processing: Processing Copper Ores. Superfund Research Center.
3
https://superfund.arizona.edu/resources/learning-modules-english/copper-mining
-and-processing/processing-copper-ores
University of Maryland Global Campus. (2021). Learning Topic 2: Rocks and Mineral
Resources. Document posted in UMGC ENVM 600 9041 online classroom, archived at
https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/548069/viewContent/21207661/View
Woodall, T. (2020). Copper Supply Faces Struggle To Keep Up With Growing Demand. S&P
Global Market Intelligence.
https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-head
lines/copper-supply-faces-struggle-to-keep-up-with-growing-demand-60471925#:
%7E:text=Fitch%20Solutions%20expects%20the%20copper,to%20510%2C000%
20tonnes%20in%202027 .