Au contraire: mining should conserve our natural resources, not preserve it.
Hearing that, I was glued to my seat to listen … did I hear it right? Mining should not preserve our natural resources?!
Yes, indeed, mining should conserve, rather than preserve, our natural resources. That is, sound and sustainable mining practices should ensure that our natural resources are extracted with the barest minimum of disturbance to the environment. This is, indeed, a revelation that should be shared because it definitely puts mining practices in a more realistic context. After all, mining is the very core of modern civilization. Without mining, life as we know it today, with our many creature comforts (smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, even skincare potions, and medicines), will not be possible.
I have attended many public relations conferences over the years, but my first mining conference was the just-concluded MinECon 2022 organized by the Philippine Society of Mining Engineers in Legazpi, Albay. (Technically, my first mining conference was one edition of the Annual Mine Safety and Environment Conference or ANMSEC, as a speaker at their community relations conference—but I left right after my speaking engagement).
Being a newbie in the mining industry, I was observing and absorbing the nuances of this traditionally male-dominated sector as mining engineers from various corners of the country converged for the MinECon 2022, and here are more of my takeaways:
Large- and small-scale mining can coexist with the former, helping the latter with proper training on safety and environment management.
For sustainable mining to thrive, a stronger collaboration between mining companies, host communities, and government (especially law enforcement) is imperative.
Doing things right is the best defense of mining companies against anti-miners.
They say information is power. Thus, we ought to read up more on what mining is all about to truly appreciate its value in our lives. And mining companies that stay true to the credo of responsible mining are society’s partners in building a future that is sustainable—one that will be enjoyed by our children, our children’s children, and the children of our children’s children, as well.
Let’s all support #MineResponsibility.
Ma. Teresa L. Pacis,
assistant vice president,
corporate affairs and communication
Apex Mining Co., Inc.