Oftentimes compared to the surface of mars, the most arid desert in the world, the Atacama Desert stretches across a 600 mile plateau in Northern Chile. Scenery there is stunning, and seemingly barren, nevertheless, underneath the dehydrated soil lies riches unimaginable to most, including copper, silver, and gold. Thousands of miners eagerly arrive to this beautiful desert in hopes of harvesting this wealth. Consequently, the opportunity for jobs brings a disproportionate number of people and mining projects at once, impacting the biome notably. Excessive mining in the Atacama Desert harms the environment in a variety of ways, including using water needed for farming, releasing toxic chemicals, and damaging glaciers.
Despite the few lakes …show more content…
Since this arid Chilean desert can go without rainfall for as long as four years, farmers and miners are forced to find their water elsewhere, such as in underground reservoirs (Moskvitch). As Chile’s renowned copper mines grow to fit China’s demands (Lahrichi), the mining industry’s need for water grows (Lahrichi). People living in the Atacama consume 130 to 200 liters of water a day which only represents about 1.5 percent of the water used for mining in the desert (Cliquet). Because 70 percent of Chilean exports are copper, compared to the only 25 percent of exports of agriculture, many mining companies have turned to purchasing water from local farmers since being unable to mine would damage the economy more. Small farms are offered between $80,000 and $120,000 for a year of water rights. This large sum of money gives struggling families no choice but to accept the offer. Over 30 percent of farmers in Copiapo, a city in the Atacama region, have sold water to large mining …show more content…
In order to refine the ores harvested, the miners must allow mineral acids, including arsenic, aluminum, and sulfate to enter the rivers that supply the communities in the Atacama Desert with fresh water. As the mining industry continues to flourish, the quality of water available decreases greatly. Bringing these toxic chemicals into the desert poses an enormous threat to the already small amount of agriculture within the area, potentially wiping it out (“Canadian”). Many worry that some sort of chemical spill could contaminate the meager amount of usable water that the communities have (Ross). The process to produce high-grade copper includes smelting at temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius to remove sulphide, oxides, and other contaminants from the pure copper. Smelting the copper emits vast quantities of sulphur oxides and other harmful gases into the air. The strong winds circulate the harmful pollutants furthering the extent of the environmental damage (Lahrichi). The largest open cast mine in the world, located in Chuquicamata in the Atacama Desert, causes so much pollution that the entire town had to be relocated. According to new environmental laws, the high level of toxins released from mines caused certain areas to be deemed unsafe for human habitation. Coldeco, the firm that owns the Chuquicamata mine has spent six
Despite the few lakes …show more content…
Since this arid Chilean desert can go without rainfall for as long as four years, farmers and miners are forced to find their water elsewhere, such as in underground reservoirs (Moskvitch). As Chile’s renowned copper mines grow to fit China’s demands (Lahrichi), the mining industry’s need for water grows (Lahrichi). People living in the Atacama consume 130 to 200 liters of water a day which only represents about 1.5 percent of the water used for mining in the desert (Cliquet). Because 70 percent of Chilean exports are copper, compared to the only 25 percent of exports of agriculture, many mining companies have turned to purchasing water from local farmers since being unable to mine would damage the economy more. Small farms are offered between $80,000 and $120,000 for a year of water rights. This large sum of money gives struggling families no choice but to accept the offer. Over 30 percent of farmers in Copiapo, a city in the Atacama region, have sold water to large mining …show more content…
In order to refine the ores harvested, the miners must allow mineral acids, including arsenic, aluminum, and sulfate to enter the rivers that supply the communities in the Atacama Desert with fresh water. As the mining industry continues to flourish, the quality of water available decreases greatly. Bringing these toxic chemicals into the desert poses an enormous threat to the already small amount of agriculture within the area, potentially wiping it out (“Canadian”). Many worry that some sort of chemical spill could contaminate the meager amount of usable water that the communities have (Ross). The process to produce high-grade copper includes smelting at temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius to remove sulphide, oxides, and other contaminants from the pure copper. Smelting the copper emits vast quantities of sulphur oxides and other harmful gases into the air. The strong winds circulate the harmful pollutants furthering the extent of the environmental damage (Lahrichi). The largest open cast mine in the world, located in Chuquicamata in the Atacama Desert, causes so much pollution that the entire town had to be relocated. According to new environmental laws, the high level of toxins released from mines caused certain areas to be deemed unsafe for human habitation. Coldeco, the firm that owns the Chuquicamata mine has spent six