Week 12: Risk Pt. 4, SDGs, Circular Economy Flashcards
What are the 3 R’s. and which two R’s are most important according to the Circular Economy?
- Reduce: only take what you need, limit packaging materials.
Reuse: purchase reusable products; find new uses for things you would otherwise throw away.
Recycle: Can’t reuse? Think “recycle” first (paper, plastic, glass, metal).
- Reduce, Reuse
What are some ways we could reduce GHGs in mining?
- CO2 sequestration using mine waste
- Soil carbon and ocean sequestration
- CH4 and CO2 capture
- Improved recovery processes (retrieve as much mineral as possible)
- Ore sorting
What is an example of businesses applying a cyclical economic structure?
- Companies could improve the quality of their products to last hundreds of years and have customers rent them regularly for use (rather than building shit products that they’re just gonna throw away).
- Michelin’s Tyre as a Service: customers rent tires and pay based on the distance they drive.
- Apple using recycled aluminum in its computers and phones.
- Patagonia Worn Wear events: helping customers repair their gear.
- Netflix, Uber and Airbnb (shared technological backgrounds)
What is a ‘Circular Economy’?
An economic structure more feasible than the traditional ‘linear economy’, that:
- Redefines growth
- Focuses on society-wide benefits
- Gradually decouples economic activity from consumption of finite resources
- Exhibits biomimicry
What is an example of a circular process?
- Nitrogen Cycle
- Water Cycle
- Carbon Cycle (in nature)
What are the 10 R’s to the Circular Economy?
- Refuse: initially dismiss the product
- Rethink: make product use more intensive
- REDUCE
- REUSE
- Repair: repair and maintain OG product/
- Refurbish: restore, bring up to date
- Remanufacture: use discarded parts to build anew
- Repurpose: use discarded parts to create new functionality
- RECYCLE
- Recover: incineration of material, E recover
What is an example of the Circular Economy applied in mining?
Mount Morgan Mine (Queensland, Australia)
(1882-1982) Significant environmental damage due to poor practice. Large amount of mineral found in tailings.
(1982 - 1990) Sandstone Gully Re-processing Project, proceeded to examine tailings for gold, but energy-intensive and expensive, so mine was abandoned.
(Currently) Carbine resources project rethinks and re-examines the tailings as if it was a new deposit.
Name 5 of the SDGs
- No poverty
- Zero hunger
- Good health/well-being
- Quality education
- Gender equality
- Clean water/sanitation
- Affordable clean energy
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry, innovation, infrastructure
- Reduced inequalities
- Sustainable cities/communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life below water
- Life on land
- Peace, justice, strong institutions
- Partnership’s for these goals!
Why is gender equality important in industry?
Most authoritative job titles that include ‘chief’ (senior, leader) are white-male dominated. People making very critical decisions about the company and the progresses.
We need to make sure that the people making decisions are representative of the people they’re making decisions for.
What is the difference between the SDG’s ad the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
SDGs are broader, more complex and integrated than a singular objective of the MDGs. (Ex. MDGs are 8 goals to reduce extreme poverty).
What are some ways mining can help to achieve the SDGs?
- Prevention of adverse effects to land/waterways (6, 15)
- Reduce energy consumption, contribute raw materials to reduce dependence on fossil fuels (7, 13)
- New econ. opportunities for local communities (8)
- [In]Direct econ. benefits through construction of new infrastructure, materials for renewable tech, minimize waste, reuse and recycle (Circular!) (9, 12)
- Generates significant revenues, take inclusive approach, strengthen influence of marginalized groups (1, 5 10)
- Prevent company-community conflict, respect human rights, transparent report of revenue flows (16)
Which mineral is associated with mining processes that cause the most adverse impacts on the SDGs?
Copper.
Why look at the risks associated with mining through a cultural lens?
- Extractive procedures can endanger remote regions where Agrarian and Indigenous peoples reside
- Can’t ignore culturally-determined values and communities
What is intercultural competence? Name three skills essential to effective intercultural communication.
- Respect
- Self-awareness
- Appreciation of similarity and differences in perception
- Dialogue skills
- Humility
- Open-mindedness
