Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the issues surrounding the environmental and social impacts of mineral use.

Overview: Mineral resources make modern life possible. Minerals are non-renewable, however, so our use of them must be responsible and sustainable. This lesson highlights the ethical principle of justice in deciding who benefits from mineral use and who bears the brunt of the environmental and social impacts associated with mining and processing.

Objectives: Students will be able to describe the ways in which mineral resources contribute to our modern lifestyles. Students will be able to explain some of the environmental and social complexities inherent in the mining and processing of mineral resources, and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using non-renewable resources.

Key Concepts:
• Mineral resources, which are non-renewable, are critical to supporting
our modern lifestyle.
• It is important to use non-renewable resources in a sustainable way to ensure that the benefit of using those resources now is balanced with the importance of saving resources for future generations.
• The ethical principle of justice requires weighing the benefits that accrue from the use of mineral resources against the negative impacts that may disproportionately affect local communities and cultures, particularly the poor and disadvantaged.

Video Segments:

Jonathon Solomon, Sarah James, and Norma Kassi, 2002
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge provides one of the best-known backdrops for controversies related to the use and conservation of mineral resources. The debate over drilling for oil in northeast Alaska has raged for decades. Many argue that the small amount of petroleum resources available does not justify the great environmental and social impacts that will disproportionately affect the local wildlife and Native American tribes. Solomon, James, and Kassi are native Gwich’in activists, who are working to ensure that their homeland is protected for generations to come.
Learn more

Atherton Martin, Dominica, 1998
Atherton Martin protested the building of a copper mine on the small, eastern Caribbean island of Dominica. Through convincing arguments about the visible and invisible social and environmental costs, he was able to persuade the mining company, as well as the local community, to more realistically consider the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed project. Martin continues to develop projects that provide economic benefits to the island’s residents, while also conserving resources and protecting the environment.
Learn more

Jacqui Katona and Yvonne Margarula, Australia, 1999
When a uranium mine threatened Kakadu National Park—one of only 20 World Heritage Sites with cultural and natural significance—Katona and Margarula leapt into action. These Aboriginal women mounted a massive opposition campaign to prevent development of the mine, which would severely impact upon their traditional lands and destroy the fragile ecosystem. Katona and Margarula have raised public awareness on this issue and, through leveraging intense protest and anti-mining sentiment, have succeeded in delaying the building of the mine.
Learn more