The Chinchillas and the Gold Mine (2020)(undark.org)
undark.org
The Chinchillas and the Gold Mine (2020)
https://undark.org/2020/10/12/chinchillas-and-the-gold-mine/
15 comments
The Earth is in constant but mostly slow change with some abrupt changes which change the landscape and seascape at enormous scale -earthquakes, eruptions, plate tectonics, etc. Bugs and mammals burrow and alter the earth digging up lots of soil. Change is constant. The difference here is that it's mechanized -although there are hand mined mines in some areas of the world too.
When we look to migrate form fossil fuels to electric and need batteries for storage and transport, we necessarily will scar Earth mining for minerals. Do we stop?
When we look to migrate form fossil fuels to electric and need batteries for storage and transport, we necessarily will scar Earth mining for minerals. Do we stop?
We could collect those minerals from asteroids. We could also mine deep underground without disturbing the surface. But, open pit mining certainly is dramatically more cost effective than either of those options.
My problem with open pit gold mines in particular is that, while gold does have industrial uses, the primary function is to be a shiny thing worth money and I find this activity to be arbitrary and not clear the bar of "worth destroying and toxifying a landscape" and thus greedful.
My problem with open pit gold mines in particular is that, while gold does have industrial uses, the primary function is to be a shiny thing worth money and I find this activity to be arbitrary and not clear the bar of "worth destroying and toxifying a landscape" and thus greedful.
There are lots of things in the world we “don’t need”. We don’t need phones, we don’t need any “luxe” products, we don’t need restaurants, we don’t need video games, we don’t need youtube, we don’t need pornography, we don’t need more than two changes of clothing per season… but most have all the above.
What’s the cutoff?
What’s the cutoff?
"We could collect those minerals from asteroids."
Massively inefficient and requires huge amounts of energy beyond traditional mining.
Yeah, about half of gold is used in jewelry. About a third is electronics.
Massively inefficient and requires huge amounts of energy beyond traditional mining.
Yeah, about half of gold is used in jewelry. About a third is electronics.
Sure, asteroid mining would be expensive due to the challenges you pointed out. It would likely not be profitable any time soon. But not impossible.
I bring this up because I just can't help but feel that open pit mining isn't technically necessary to advance as a civilization - it's just a practical choice that maximizes returns for proverbial shareholders.
I feel we can do better as the apex species of our solar system.
I bring this up because I just can't help but feel that open pit mining isn't technically necessary to advance as a civilization - it's just a practical choice that maximizes returns for proverbial shareholders.
I feel we can do better as the apex species of our solar system.
Ah, rockets. Imagine all the exotic toxic materials necessary to launch as the solution to a lesser problem.
Is there really that much exotic toxic stuff necessary in a rocket? Starship is made of steel and the fuel is already abundant. (Liquid oxygen and methane) Sure the engines are made of fancy alloys and such but those are reusable. I guess I don't know what the thermal tiles are made of or where that comes from.
There's also kinetic launching - address the bootstrap problem by concentrating an amount of fancy metals and such in one giant motor that can be reused many times.
There's also kinetic launching - address the bootstrap problem by concentrating an amount of fancy metals and such in one giant motor that can be reused many times.
Also, gold content of asteroids is incredibly low. You'd be lucky to find a metallic asteroid with even 1 ppm of gold. Mines here on Earth often have grades above 4 ppm. The highest grade mines have above 20 ppm of gold. Second, let's say you find a M-type asteroid, how in the hell are you going to melt the nickel-iron and reprocess it for the valuable stuff like gold and platinum?
Overall, asteroid mining is pretty idiotic. It will not be economical within our lifetimes and certainly will not play a role in producing the resources necessary for combating climate change.
Overall, asteroid mining is pretty idiotic. It will not be economical within our lifetimes and certainly will not play a role in producing the resources necessary for combating climate change.
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"When will we stop ravaging this planet in the name of greed?"
People want to have children. Those children want a first world standard of living. The governments want population and per capita consumption to continue growing, because that's what drives our economy.
I feel we are at the point where we can't meet those needs and desires sustainably for everyone. If anything, industrialization and scale of industrial activity will continue to grow.
People want to have children. Those children want a first world standard of living. The governments want population and per capita consumption to continue growing, because that's what drives our economy.
I feel we are at the point where we can't meet those needs and desires sustainably for everyone. If anything, industrialization and scale of industrial activity will continue to grow.
If we don't get our act together soon emissions wise, a climate disaster and millions to billions of ensuing refugees may put a kink in the infinite growth economic model in the next few hundred years.
Interestingly that's similar to one hypothesis as to how the Bronze Age collapsed - climate refugees from a non-man-made disaster destabilizing a complex economy where each civilization relied on another for goods and services.
Interestingly that's similar to one hypothesis as to how the Bronze Age collapsed - climate refugees from a non-man-made disaster destabilizing a complex economy where each civilization relied on another for goods and services.
Jewelry industry is barbarism
The feeling it instills is simultaneously awe and disgust. The scale is like nothing I have ever seen. An open wound on the earth that makes 30 foot tall bulldozers look like specks of dust with a huge pool of arsenic laced fluid at the bottom.
Overall I'm on the side of the chinchillas. When will we stop ravaging this planet in the name of greed?