Social And Environmental Impacts Of Mining Projects

When asked to think of coal mining, what comes to mind? A mountain with a hole cut into the side of it with a set of railroad tracks disappearing into it? Maybe an old mine car or two full of some rocks or coal, with a pickaxe and shovel leaning against it. A few guys with hard hats covered in a black powder coming walking out of the mine pushing a car or two full of coal. The technology has advanced but the process is basically still the same as well as the outcome. Coal is retrieved from underground and taken to factories to be burnt to create electricity or to fuel the steel mills.

Assess the potential environmental impact of a proposed construction project on the local natural environment.

Because corporations are established to profit and shareholders invest money with expectations of a greater return, managers cannot be given a directive to be “socially responsible” without providing specific criteria of checks and balances to which needs to adhere. Therefore, it is imperative to the success of a corporation for managers to not act solely but rather to act within the policies of the shareholders.

Sibelco sand mining company was founded in 1872 and have become a multinational business. They use raw materials from the environment to “provide solutions for society and support the cradle to cradle loop” (Sibelco, 2018). “Cradle to cradle is a sustainable business strategy that mimics the regenerative cycle of nature in which waste is reused” (Winston, n.d.). Sibelco utilises the cradle to cradle loop in order to maintain environmental mindfulness whilst working closely with local authorities and optimising their operational performance, ensuring the smallest amount of disruption (Sibelco,

In 1992, the Rio Earth Summit declared “The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations” and in order to create sustainable development the mindset of the individual would need to be changed (Jick & Peiperl, p. 473). When organizations are open to new ideas and welcome transformation it enables them to meet the demands of the current and future environment, (Abbas, 2014). Thus, in 1998, before the merger of PwC and Coopers and Lybrand an opportunity was given to two alums of AIESEC, Middelburg and Shaw to deliver the following initiatives.

Moreover, Canada should know their environmental responsibilities as companies need space for land and lots of water for dumping waste. This increases risks for injuries to occur as employees enter harsh environments. Workers end up exposed to coal dust and silica for long periods which causes serious health problems. In areas of mining companies exists pollution at an increased rate that makes the soil and water enriched with heavy metals and livestock. Globally, businesses corporate social responsibilities that are essential as they consist of four strategies: the shareholder strategy, the alustric strategy, the reciprocal strategy, and the citizen strategy. The shareholder strategy is where the corporate social responsibility is looking for an overall profit and the same to reach threshold. Secondly, the alustric strategy is where the company declares themselves unaccountable for society and allows for responsibility to fall towards the person leading the firm - the manager. Next, the reciprocal strategy has an individual who looks for the flaws in both economic and social perspectives. Lastly, the citizen strategy is where there is a business analysis that includes individuals who have different expectations and interests for continuing the company’s goals. NGOs also pressure companies to fix remedies to help the victims of the violations.

In the era of capitalism and fierce corporate rivalries, the agenda for any major corporation is likely to prioritize profits over social problems such as environmental degradation. An example that sheds light on the conflict between human interests and environmental responsibility is the controversial approval of the oil drilling in the Northern Slope region of Alaska and the drilling that has already

Canada, which is the headquarters of Barrick Gold Corporation, runs 60 percent of the world’s mining corporations across the globe. Notwithstanding the fact that even though it is the forerunner in this industry, Canada has not taken the lead on mediating or taking responsibility for the behavior of their corporations abroad. The consequence of this carelessness is, Canada has drawn criticisms from around the world, first from the environmental, religious and human rights organizations, and now increasingly from international institutions, such as the United Nations.

Mining is one of Canada’s primary industries and involves the extraction, refining, and/or processing of economically valuable rocks and minerals. Mineral products – including gold, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel – are critical to modern industrial society. Although mining has been key to Canadian settlement and development, in recent decades the industry has also been criticized for its environmental and social impacts. Canada remains one of the world’s leading mining countries and has become a centre of global mining finance and expertise.

At the turn of the Industrial Revolution the push for coal brought a sense of hope and prosperity that allowed the world and modern civilization to become the wonder it is today. However, that same thing that once brought hope to the common people of the world is now being seen for the dirty, destructive force that it truly can be. The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference is evidence that the protection and preservation of the earth is on the mind of world leaders. A documentary from the Center for Investigative Reporting, entitled Dirty Business, brings interesting insight on the world of the coal industry. Director Alex Gibney uncovers the hidden secrets that the general public is not aware of and creates a sense of urgency to take

Copper is an inexpensive metal that transpires in abundance in communities where copper mining occurs, such as Queenstown, Tasmania. Copper resists corrosion and an effective conductor of heat and electricity, which makes it an ideal material. However, copper mining is a factor that influences acid rain on a large scale through the use and release of a variety of detrimental chemicals.

This exception, codified in IRC § 1031, allows taxpayers to defer the recognition of gains resulting from the exchange of one property for another property of similar characteristics. For an exchange to qualify, IRC § 1031 states the following tests must be met.

Canada is home to some of the largest mining corporations in the world. In fact, seventy-five percent of the world’s mining companies are based in Canada (Dean, 2013). These companies are involved in the extraction of numerous resources, including silver, petroleum, bitumen and coal. Canadian mining operations also have a particular focus in gold, as twenty-one of the country’s top forty mining companies are involved in gold extraction. With billion dollar annual revenues and interests in almost every continent, these multinational companies are making a large impact around the globe (Canadian Mining Journal, 2014). However, these impacts are not necessarily positive. Canadian mining corporations have failed to implement CSR policies and

Corporate social responsibility has been one the key business buzz words of the 21st century. Consumers' discontent with the corporation has forced it to try and rectify its negative image by associating its name with good deeds. Social responsibility has become one of the corporation's most pressing issues, each company striving to outdo the next with its philanthropic image. People feel that the corporation has done great harm to both the environment and to society and that with all of its wealth and power, it should be leading the fight to save the Earth, to combat poverty and illness and etc. "Corporations are now expected to deliver the good, not just the goods; to pursue

Exxon-Mobil is the world’s largest privately owned multi-national oil and gas company (Skjaerseth 2003). For companies as large as ExxonMobil, which possess considerable capital resources and are able to exert considerable power and influence, society is increasingly demanding that they behave in a socially responsible manner (Diara, Alilo, and McGuire 2004). There is a growing expectation that companies will adopt a business approach that illustrates responsibility to society above and beyond the economic function and legal performance of the firm (Gibbs 2009). This expectation can be understood as an implicit social contract. One of the underlying