These days it seems as though just about every enterprise, from the corner store to multinational investment firms, is pursuing sustainability. Exactly what that means varies, but definitions seem to more or less be about meeting current needs (and wants) in a way that doesn’t compromise the ability of future generations to do the same. One area where there is much debate around our ability to do so is in mineral extraction, which by its nature involves using nonrenewable natural resources. Can mining be done sustainably? Saleem H. Ali, director of the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University of Queensland, Australia, and Jamie Kneen, communications and outreach coordinator for MiningWatch Canada, provide two perspectives on that perplexing question.
See http://ensia.com/articles/mine-over-matter/.