Lifestyle | A better economy | Saving water
Water
Water is one of the basic requirements of life. For humans, it's also vital that that water is relatively clean. Mining helps to ensure that vast areas of water catchment are contaminated and detrimental to both humans and the rest of the ecosystem.- Any creeks or waterways passing though mine sites are completely destroyed by the mines, and no amount of engineered re-habilitation can return them to their natural state. This is due to a number of factors including topology and soil structure. Ecosystems relying on these watercourses are usually destroyed along with them.
- Rivers and ground water are polluted by mines. Wells and pumps used for irrigation pass on these pollutants to the farms in the local area, which in turn pass them on, through food and livestock.
- Mines use ridiculous amounts of water for activities such as mineral washing and road dampening. This means there is less water for local farmers, and local ecosystems.
- To top it all off, coal mining and burning directly contribute to climate change. This means more frequent and/or intense drought in Australia and elsewhere, further exaccerbating existing water problems.
