Solutions

Our country, Philippines, is a country rich with natural resources. Almost all our necessities come from the environment. As time goes by, it is gradually destroyed by a lot of factors. We all know that human activities are the common cause, yet some people still do illegal things just for their own benefit. One example is the mining in Lutopan, Toledo City, Cebu.

 

In recent  years,  the community has  experienced  massive floods, forest denudation, and  other  environmental  problems,  which  resulted  in the  disturbance  of  fragile  ecosystems  in the community. As concerned citizens of the country, what can we do about it? Are we just gonna let this issue pass by? Of course not. We came up with practical solutions for them.

 

1. Bring back what was lost. Participate and join in organizations promoting environmental awareness. Join tree-planting activities, clean-up drives, and other activities that will contribute in environment restorations.

2. Start it with yourself. Abide laws and find ways to help one another in doing so.

3. Spread the word. If you have friends or relatives planning to go on the mining industry, tell them to STOP. Tell them what you have learned and explain them the different consequences if they will do it.

4. Prevention is better than cure. Since we all know that mining can bring a lot of health problems, stay away from the dangerous areas and always remind the people around you to be aware of it.

5. Step up. If you can see that your barangay is not doing anything for the environment, make the move and tell them about what's happening. Bring other people to help you so that they will be more convinced.

 

These are just a few ways that we can do. I am sure that each one of us has our own unique way. Our environment is a very precious thing, and let us all work together to maintain its beauty. Always remember that no one will dare to do something if you won't start it with yourself. So start now and make a move.  

Mining and Biodiversity

According to wikipedia, "mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth from an orebody, lode, vein, seam, or reef, which forms the mineralized package of economic interest to the miner." Mining reaps huge profits for the companies that own them and provides employment to a large number of people. It is also a huge source of revenue for the government. But how about our environment? Our biodiversities? Despite its economic importance, the effects of mining on the environment is a pressing issue.

Effects of Mining

On Land

• Deforestation: Mining requires large areas of forest area to be cleared so that the land could be dug into by the miners. For this reason, large-scale deforestation is required to be carried out in the areas where mining has to be done. Besides clearing the mining area, vegetation in the adjoining areas also needs to be cut in order to construct roads and residential facilities for the mine workers. The human population brings along with it other activities that harm the environment. For example, various activities at coal mines release dust and gas into the air. Thus, mining is one of the major causes of deforestation and pollution.

 

• Loss of Biodiversity: The forests that are cleared for mining purposes are home to a large number of organisms. Indiscriminate clearing of the forests leads to loss of habitat of a large number of animals. This puts the survival of a large number of animal species at stake. The cutting down of trees in itself is a big threat to a number of plants, trees, birds and animals that dwell in the forests.

 

• Pollution: Despite measures being taken to release the chemical waste into the nearby rivers through pipes, a large amount of chemicals still leak out onto the land. This changes the chemical composition of the land. Besides this, since the chemicals are poisonous, they make the soil unsuitable for plants to grow. Also, the organisms that live in the soil find the polluted environment hostile for their survival.

 

On Water

• Pollution: Chemicals like mercury, cyanide, sulfuric acid, arsenic and methyl mercury are used in various stages of mining. Most of the chemicals are released into nearby water bodies, and are responsible for water pollution. In spite of tailings (pipes) being used to dispose these chemicals into the water bodies, possibilities of leakage are always there. When the leaked chemicals slowly percolate through the layers of the earth, they reach the groundwater and pollute it. Surface run-off of just soil and rock debris, although non-toxic, can be harmful for vegetation of the surrounding areas.

 

• Loss of Aquatic Life: Release of toxic chemicals into the water is obviously harmful for the flora and fauna of the water bodies. Besides the pollution, mining processes require water from nearby water sources. For example, water is used to wash impurities from the coal. The result is that the water content of the river or lake from which water is being used gets reduced. Organisms in these water bodies do not have enough water for their survival.

 

On the Atmosphere

• Mining releases greenhouse gases that can contribute to global warming. One example is methane, and as you go deeper in the mine, the more methane it generates.

• Mining could also be a reason for the spread of diseases. Sometimes the liquid waste that is generated after the metals or minerals have been extracted is disposed in a mining pit. As the pit gets filled up by the mine tailings, they become a stagnant pool of water. This becomes the breeding ground for water-borne diseases causing insects and organisms like mosquitoes to flourish.

About Lutopan

”Lutopan, officially known as DAS or Don Andres Soriano (from the name of the founder of the copper mines), is a hilly and well-populated barangay consisting of 21 sitios in Toledo City and is about 44 km from Cebu City, Philippines. In the 1960s through 1980s the place saw progress mainly through the Atlas Mining (ACMDC) operations, which closed down in 1991.” -WikiPilipinas