Discussion
There are obviously both negatives and positive impacts of Mpumalanga coal mines. Positives being the economic growth they provide not only to Mpumalanga, but to South Africa as a whole. While negatives being the environmental damages they have caused and are causing presently. Mostly on the agriculture due to the land destruction and the polluting of water and air which is having a knock on effect of the communities living in Mpumalanga. In order to find out whether the positives outweighed the negatives, both sides have to be compare without any biased opinions, but instead based on facts.
Positives of coal mining in Mpumalanga
The biggest positive that coal mining has caused is the economic growth. They have provided jobs …show more content…
And because coal mining causes most of the pollution n Mpumalanga, it can be seen as a huge life threatening aspect to the country. This is because of the health effects they cause. An example of this is fifty nine year old Andries Evans (Source 4) who lives in Emalahleni (a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga). His life resembles thousands of peoples who live near mines just like him and suffer from the same effects. Andries life has been affected hugely by the coal mines, especially in terms of his health. “The dust is not good for him, he is short of breath and feels weak” (Source 4), this proves the health problems bought upon by living near a mine. He lives in an area said to have the highest air pollution levels in the world and thus is the reason for his health problems. Thick fog surrounds Emalahleni leaving the city to look how the people feel- polluted. Although health problems are what affects the people living near the mines the most, there are many other negative impacts …show more content…
"Mining, if not properly monitored, has the potential to compromise future tourism opportunities as it degrades the heritage of the province” is said in source 2 by a reporter. This proving the effect mining is having and is going to have on tourism. This effect is due to the poor monitoring of mines and the uninterested towards the rehabilitation of land.
Mpumalanga has beautiful landscapes with wildlife living in a lot of the areas. This has attracted tourist for years, especially having the Kruger National park located here. Yet as the time goes by, more and more mines are opened, and more and more land is destroyed. If this continues, it will lead to no land or clean water for wildlife to depend on, and animals will die. This will result in the decrease of tourism and a decrease in the economy. Leaving the question whether they are worth this
There are obviously both negatives and positive impacts of Mpumalanga coal mines. Positives being the economic growth they provide not only to Mpumalanga, but to South Africa as a whole. While negatives being the environmental damages they have caused and are causing presently. Mostly on the agriculture due to the land destruction and the polluting of water and air which is having a knock on effect of the communities living in Mpumalanga. In order to find out whether the positives outweighed the negatives, both sides have to be compare without any biased opinions, but instead based on facts.
Positives of coal mining in Mpumalanga
The biggest positive that coal mining has caused is the economic growth. They have provided jobs …show more content…
And because coal mining causes most of the pollution n Mpumalanga, it can be seen as a huge life threatening aspect to the country. This is because of the health effects they cause. An example of this is fifty nine year old Andries Evans (Source 4) who lives in Emalahleni (a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga). His life resembles thousands of peoples who live near mines just like him and suffer from the same effects. Andries life has been affected hugely by the coal mines, especially in terms of his health. “The dust is not good for him, he is short of breath and feels weak” (Source 4), this proves the health problems bought upon by living near a mine. He lives in an area said to have the highest air pollution levels in the world and thus is the reason for his health problems. Thick fog surrounds Emalahleni leaving the city to look how the people feel- polluted. Although health problems are what affects the people living near the mines the most, there are many other negative impacts …show more content…
"Mining, if not properly monitored, has the potential to compromise future tourism opportunities as it degrades the heritage of the province” is said in source 2 by a reporter. This proving the effect mining is having and is going to have on tourism. This effect is due to the poor monitoring of mines and the uninterested towards the rehabilitation of land.
Mpumalanga has beautiful landscapes with wildlife living in a lot of the areas. This has attracted tourist for years, especially having the Kruger National park located here. Yet as the time goes by, more and more mines are opened, and more and more land is destroyed. If this continues, it will lead to no land or clean water for wildlife to depend on, and animals will die. This will result in the decrease of tourism and a decrease in the economy. Leaving the question whether they are worth this