Historical Context of Sustainability - Assignment Example

Historical Context of Sustainability Executive summary The exploration of natural resources from the earth surface has remained a vital industry that supports and employs million across the globe. One of the key minerals that has been extracted over the years is limestone, a carbon based compound that is used in the manufacture of other chemicals and products. Despite the continued exploitation of limestone, the percentage of the mineral in the soil has remained relatively stable, making about 10% of the total sedimentary rocks on the earth surface. The demand for limestone can be attributed to the numerous uses that have emerged including the manufacture of building materials such as cement (Amin, Khidir & Taher, 2014). The exploitation of limestone has had numerous impacts on human and animal welfare that live close to the mines due to its environmental impact. The processing and manufacture of the industrial products using limestone consume water and energy and this has caused massive worries due to the declining water levels in different parts of the globe. Environmental influences during the exploration remains the major concern that affects the continued mining of limestone. The mining process affects the earth surface and creates gaping holes, which are an eye sore and degrade the environment (Naja, Rivero, Davis & Lent, 2011). Key words Limestone, limestone exploration, cement manufacturing, environmental degradation, renewable energy, calcium Overview of the topic Limestone is a useful mineral resource that supports various parts of the economy including construction, manufacturing and health. As a result, a number of environmental impacts of limestone quarrying must be addressed before the economic activity can be continued. However, the mineral has numerous applications in modern world, the impacts it has on human welfare and health and the level of energy consumption it takes during exploration affects its continued use. The discovery of limestone deposit in a certain location marks the beginning of a long episode in the life of the locals. Pollution is considered the main deterrent that makes such place inhabitable and risky for human settlement at any given point. The dusts occupy the atmosphere, making the air unsafe for living organisms around the area where limestone quarrying is undertaken (Brune, 2010). Limestone produces highly alkaline and reactive dusts which can cause numerous skins cancers and lung complications to human and animals around the area where quarrying is conducted. Consequentially, respiratory diseases are common among human population that inhabits areas where open site quarrying of limestone is conducted. Chemical effects of the dusts blown also affect the morphological features of the plants due to gene mutation that occurs, a situation that increase health risk to animals that feed on such plants (Brune, 2010). Apart from the air pollution, noise pollution is a major nuisance associated with open site quarrying of limestone as a significant amount of noise arises due to the heavy machines used. Blasting is conducted to break down the limestone sediment to smaller particles that can grinded using machines. This produces significant amount of noise that is of considerable nuisance to the public. Apart from noise pollution, mining of limestone cause considerable damage to biodiversity, a situation that alters the ecological balance and push some organisms to extinction. Animals and birds that originally occupied current mining sites migrate to safe places, leaving the land barren and deserted. Post quarrying sites cannot support the life of animals, plants or even birds due to lack of proper vegetation and the poisonous air that emerged from the activities (Smartz, Laker & Van Dam, 2013). Quarrying also consume considerable amount of energy and produce tons of waste materials which must be broken down based on the environmental policies established. The energy consumed during the breakdown of these waste is high and this makes quarrying an energy inefficient process that harms the environment considerably. Such wastewater is later pumped to the nearby water bodies, further degrading the environment and affecting the stability of the aquatic fauna and flora (Biswas & Cooling, 2013). Development of idea and justification of recommendation The exploration and use of limestone for various industrial and healthcare uses in the United Kingdom can be attributed to the early centuries when the presence of the precious stone was discovered. Today limestone and its products are used in various key industries in the country to manufacture building and construction materials and other healthcare and industrial products. The demand for the product in the United Kingdom can be attributed to the high number of mining sites spread throughout Britain and Ireland. Limestone is mined in the country through open quarrying though a number of environmental friendly approaches have been introduced to reduce the negative impacts it has on the people (Rankin, 2011). Despite the numerous uses of the stone, the challenges that have been identified affect its universal application as an industrial product without the fear associated with its impact on the environment. Limestone mining and use has therefore continued to cause massive destruction and harm to the environment as the benefits it confers to the society. However, this does not mean that limestone mining should be stopped as its role in the manufacturing and any other mineral cannot replace building sector. There is need for the development of proper regulatory mechanisms to ensure that the economic benefit of the stone is enjoyed while the environment is protected (Biswas & Cooling, 2013). First, mining companies must develop an inclusive and comprehensive mining, rehabilitation, and reclamation plan before they can be licensed to continue with their activities. For example, a mining company that intends to blast limestone in a section of Ireland must demonstrate to the local and governmental authorities that it has the right resources to protect the environment and the people within (Botin, 2009). Developing a comprehensive plan that places emphasis on the need for instant reclamation will reduce the numerous gaping holes left behind by mining activities. Prior to issuance of the licenses, the mining companies must provide a comprehensive approach that it intends to adopt in reclaiming the land and restoring environmental diversity once the minerals are exhausted. This will improve the level of responsibility among the companies and reduce the level of land destruction that is currently witnessed in the country (Feng, 2014). Waste management is also important in the regulation of limestone mining due to the impact that such waste have on the environment. Tailing water, for example, has massive health implications on the health of the locals and must be treated before disposal. The discovery of limestone in one region portends bright future to mining companies but negatively affects the local people from where the stones have been discovered. As a result, companies must demonstrate their commitment to the resettlement of people that have been displaced by their activities (Gardiner & Matthews, 2002). By providing alternative land and settlement to the original inhabitants of the area, the harmful impacts of the process on the people will be considerably reduced. A specific radius must be defined to ensure that animals and human beings within that radius are relocated to safe areas to avoid the emergence of respiratory diseases (Botin, 2009). Limestone exploration by mining companies is a highly profitable venture that has negative implications on the environment and the people. Despite the challenges, mining of limestone cannot be stopped due to its economic benefits and application. However, mining companies should embrace corporate social responsibility as a way of giving back to the communities affected by their activities. This will ensure the development of good relationship between the companies and the locals and prevent conflicts, which may affect the exploration and protection of the environment (Biswas & Cooling, 2013). Reflective analysis and conclusion Limestone has a central role in the development of any economy in the world due to its numerous applications in different sectors. It is a precious stone that has been attributed to the modern structures that emerge in different cities across the world and the smooth highways constructed daily. However, the process of extracting the resource has numerous negative implications on the environment. . Mining companies must provide a detailed approach on how the waste materials will be disposed of without further harming the environment. Air pollution also affects the fauna and flora of a region and this disturbs the ecological balance of a given region (Phillips, 2012). The dusts produced from the process of mining settles on plants and bushes around, blocking their stomata and preventing respiration and photosynthesis. This leads to the death of all plants around the quarrying plant, a situation that disturbs that primary source of energy in the ecosystem. Waste recycling plants must be constructed within the same mining location to ensure that all the waste generated are recycled and used in the reclamation process. This report has highlighted numerous recommendations that can be adopted to reduce the negative implications of the process and improve its use in the economy. References Amin, M, Khidir, M, & Taher, A., 2014, Manufacturing of bricks from soil and crushed limestone by compression, Al-Rafadain Engineering Journal, 22, 4, pp. 24-32. Biswas, W, & Cooling, D., 2013, Sustainability assessment of red sand as a substitute for virgin sand and crushed limestone’, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 17, 5, pp. 756-762 Botin, J., 2009, Sustainable management of mining operations, Littleton, Colo: Published by Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. Brune, J.F., 2010, Extracting The Science: A Century Of Mining Research, Littleton, Colo: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. Feng, Z., 2014, "Rockslides on limestone cliffs with sub horizontal bedding in the south-western calcareous area of China," Natural Hazards & Earth System Sciences 14(9), 2627-2635. Gardiner, V, & Matthews, M., 2002, The changing geography of the united kingdom, London: Routledge. Naja, G, Rivero, R, Davis, S, & Lent, T., 2011, Hydro chemical impacts of limestone rock mining, Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 217, 1-4, pp. 95-104. Phillips, J., 2012, The level and nature of sustainability for clusters of abandoned limestone quarries in the southern Palestinian West Bank, Applied Geography, 32, 2, pp. 376-392 Rankin, W., 2011, Minerals, metals and sustainability: meeting future material needs, Collingwood, Vic: CSIRO Publishing. Smartz, B, Laker, T, & Van Dam, T., 2013, Performance and sustainability, Concrete International, 35, 9, p. 39. Read More