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HAZARDS OF MINING
HAZARDS OF MINING
Have you ever wondered about the efforts the miners make in making life comfortable for you? What are the impacts of mining on the health of the miners and the environment? The dust and noxious fumes inhaled by miners make them vulnerable to pulmonary diseases. The risk of collapsing mine roofs, inundation and fires in coalmines are a constant threat to miners.
Figure 5.9: Air pollution due to the generation of dust in mining areas
The water sources in the region get contaminated due to mining. Dumping of waste and slurry leads to degradation of land, soil and an increase in stream and river pollution.
Stricter safety regulations and implementation of environmental laws are essential to prevent mining from becoming a “killer industry”.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
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CONSERVATION OF MINERALS
CONSERVATION OF MINERALS
We all appreciate the strong dependence of industry and agriculture upon mineral deposits and the substances manufactured from them. The total volume of workable mineral deposits is an insignificant fraction i.e. one percent of the earth’s crust. We are rapidly consuming mineral resources that required millions of years to be created and concentrated. The geological processes of mineral formation are so slow that the rates of replenishment are infinitely small in comparison to the present rates of consumption. Mineral resources are, therefore, finite and non-renewable. Rich mineral deposits are our country’s extremely valuable but short-lived possessions. Continued extraction of ores leads to increasing costs as mineral extraction comes from greater depths along with a decrease in quality.
A concerted effort has to be made in order to use our mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner. Improved technologies need to be constantly evolved to allow the use of low-grade ores at low costs. Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes are stepping in conserving our mineral resources for the future.
Activity:
Dig a little deeper: Make a list of items where substitutes are being used instead of minerals. Where are these substitutes obtained from
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
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ENERGY RESOURCES
ENERGY RESOURCES
Energy is required for all activities. It is needed to cook, to provide light and heat, to propel vehicles and to drive machinery in industries. Energy can be generated from fuel minerals like coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium and from electricity. Energy resources can be classified as conventional and non-conventional sources.
Conventional sources include: firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity (both hydel and thermal).
Non-conventional sources include solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and atomic energy.
Firewood and cattle dung cake are most common in rural India. According to one estimate, more than 70 percent of energy requirement in rural households is met by these two; continuation of these is increasingly becoming difficult due to decreasing forest area. Moreover, using dung cake too is being discouraged because it consumes the most valuable manure which could be used in agriculture.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK