The Mineral craze
In the digital age, technology has become a highly sought after commodity with a wide range of applications in our daily lives. The use of technology has ushered in a new age of rapid digitalization unlike anything ever seen before. With this rapid digitalization, however, has come an insatiable desire for the newest technologies. Unbeknownst to the public, the increased demand and widespread use of these technologies comes at a hefty price to our planet’s wellbeing. The manufacturing of popular digital technologies, such as iPhones, requires some of the rarest metals and minerals found on Earth. In order to source precious minerals for manufacturing, manufacturers have to hire mining companies across the globe to retrieve them.
According to Environmental Evidence “Mine exploration, construction, operation, and maintenance may result in land-use change, and may have associated negative impacts on environments, including deforestation, erosion, contamination and alteration of soil profiles, contamination of local streams and wetlands, and an increase in noise level, dust and emissions”(Environmental Evidence, 3). As our demand for a wide range of new technologies increases, we are putting intense pressure on the Earth and its fragile ecosystems. Damage to forests, soil health, and water sources can have considerable effects on the amount of greenhouse gases on Earth and has put a strain on indigenous communities in mining areas. The extensive infrastructure required for these mining projects also can disrupt animal habitats and migratory patterns by fragmenting their natural environments. In order to reduce the damages we are seeing across the globe, we must push to implement mitigation measures to ensure that we are mining for these minerals as sustainably as possible and using them for the right purposes.
Although most uses of these minerals for technology come at the price of the environment, some are working to help create greener alternatives. For example, green technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars all require use of the same precious minerals as devices such as iPhones. According to the Natural History Museum “We are expanding the amounts that we need of these materials, and there is still a question around whether we can get enough in time to implement the changes we've promised for the planet” (Your Mobile Phone, 9). In order to transition our current unsustainable technology to greener alternatives, there will be a heavy reliance on these materials. If we wish to move toward a greener infrastructure it will be necessary to divert the usage of these materials from commercial items to manufacturing of green technology. The use of precious minerals in technology is a pressing issue in the world of environmental sustainability that has yet to be formally addressed across the globe.
Haddaway, Neal R., et al. “Evidence of the Impacts of Metal Mining and the Effectiveness of Mining Mitigation Measures on Social–Ecological Systems in Arctic and Boreal Regions: a Systematic Map Protocol.” Environmental Evidence Journal, Environmental Evidence, 2019, environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-019-0152-8#citeas.
Lotzof, Kerry. “Your Mobile Phone Is Powered by Precious Metals and Minerals.” NHM, Natural History Museum , 7 Oct. 2020, www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/your-mobile-phone-is-powered-by-precious-metals-and-minerals.html.
