Environmental Impact Flashcards
Ores are … Resources.
Finite.
Why is mining ores good?
Produces useful products.
Provides jobs and brings money into the area to improve transport and health.
Why is mining bad for the environment ?
Uses lots of energy.
Scars the landscape.
Destroys habitats.
Noise, dust, and pollution are caused by an increase in traffic.
Deep mine shafts are dangerous a long time after the mine has been abandoned.
What can fossil fuel burning contribute to?
Acid rain.
Global dimming.
Climate change.
Why is recycling metals a better alternative?
This uses a fraction of the energy needed to mine and extract new metals.
Energy isn’t cheap so recycling saves money.
Recycling conserves limited resources.
Recycling cuts down on rubbish sent to the landfill, which takes up space and pollutes surroundings.
Describe a lifecycle of aluminium.
Mining requires energy and makes a mess of landscape.
The ore is transported and aluminium extracted which uses electricity and releases carbon dioxide.
Used aluminium is then sent to the landfill. Not recycling also uses up finite resources and produces more CO2 and more forests are destroyed.
For every kilo gram of aluminium recycled, 95% of energy is saved alongside 4kg of aluminium ore and lots of waste.
Aluminium is the most … Effective metal to recycle.
Cost.
What is an issue when ores run out?
New metals will need to take their place.
Describe two economic factors of mining.
- More money in economy.
- Creates new jobs in the area.
Describe two social benefits to mining.
- Health care can improve.
- Services - better transport.
(Influx of people may strain services though).
Describe two environmental factors of mining.
This scars the landscape.
Deep mine shafts remain dangerous after they are abandoned.
