Can We Mine Without Harming Nature?

Have you heard about the environmental impacts of mining? Mining involves obtaining minerals needed for the products we use daily. To reach these minerals, forests are logged, and excavators dig large holes. In this article, we will explain how the mining industry in the Amazon basin can compensate for its impacts and help restore ecosystems and biodiversity in nearby areas. This nature-helping strategy is called the impact mitigation hierarchy. To compensate for places destroyed by mining, much larger areas should be protected and restored by planting trees and allowing nature to grow back. We found that a mining company in the eastern Amazon, Brazil, generated habitats for plants and animals outside the mining area. By doing so, the company compensated for the environmental impacts caused by their mining activities. Keep reading to learn more about how impacts can be compensated for, to produce products we need without harming nature too much!