1.3

• Environmental impacts - Ecological Impacts

  • Loss of habitat as vegetation is cleared
  • Plants do not have place to grow reducing the availability of food for animals
  • After deep mining has been worked on for many years, the habitat will be destroyed due to increased overburden above ground.
• Environmental impacts - Pollution

  • Noise pollution as a result of machinery and explosives disturbing both animals and humans
  • Water supplies may be polluted, making them unsafe to drink
  • Organisims can abosrob the toxins and retain them in their body, reaching a higher concentration than in the water. This is bioaccumulation.
  • Toxic nature of the Land after mining doesnt allow plant growth, even years after mining has been stopped
  • Dust particles settle on plant leaves not allowing sunlight to reach them. This stops photosynthesys leading to the plants death
  • Visual Pollution
• Environmental impacts - Economic Impacts

  • Provides employment and taxes for the government
  • Jobs are created to extract the minerals
  • Jobs are created to transport the minerals
  • Allows the nation to earn forgein exchange
  • Generates the country more income
• Environmental impacts - What the economics can be used for

  • Improvement of transport
  • Improvement of services like healthcare and education
  • Investing in infastructure projects