What we learned about mining from 4 expert speakers

Last night, Friends of the Earth Scotland hosted a webinar about resource use and how to make it fair for communities around the world.

Our international group of speakers discussed their experiences and understanding of resource justice. From different angles, the spoke about how our demand for materials, and the way in which they are mined, is harming people and the planet.

Here are some key pieces of information we learnt from them about mining and fighting for resource justice.

Dwi Sawung from Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WAHLI)

• Sawung spoke about communities affected by transition mineral mining and processing in Indonesia.
• Nearly half the world’s nickel comes from Indonesia. Many other important minerals are mined here too and there has been a steep rise in mineral exports in recent years.
• There are many damaging impacts of mineral mining and processing on communities in Indonesia, from climate induced flooding to water and air pollution from steel processing plants.
• Communities are calling for companies to stop land grabbing and polluting the local environment, to compensate communities for the damage they have done and to stop mining. 
  
  You can look at Sawung’s presentation here.

Joy Reyes from Friends of the Earth Philippines 

• Joy spoke about the need for all governments to do more to implement resource justice but that governments in wealthier counties, whose power today is rooted in their colonial history, have the greatest responsibility and capacity to act. However, global north politicians continually downplay their power to act.
• If energy transition plans are modelled on capitalist systems of economic growth, then they risk risks becoming the very evil it seeks to overcome.
• The Philippines and Scotland are used as examples to demonstrate the difference in power and responsibility around transition mineral policies. Transition minerals are those resources required for the energy transition away from fossil fuels, such as lithium, nickel and copper.
• Communities are the key to resistance. We must work together to create a future where resource justice becomes a reality, and where human dignity is upheld.
• You can access the paper this presentation was based on here. 
  
  You can see Joy’s presentation here.

Tamsin Wake from Edinburgh University

• Tamsin discussed her research interviewing people in Scottish communities affected by transition mineral mining exploration.  
• If people are kept in the dark about what is happening in their local area, they cannot effectively respond to calls for consultation.
• People do not believe that local mining projects will benefit them. The wealth generated goes to the mining companies and landowners.
• Scottish communities felt let down by their political representatives at all levels of government.
• You can access the report on Tamsin’s research here.
  
  You can see Tamsin’s presentation here.

Fidelma O’Kane from the Save Our Sperrins campaign

• Fidelma spoke about her involvement in the Save Our Sperrins campaign, a campaign against a gold mining development in the north of Ireland.
• The impacts of mining include removal of peat, which turns a carbon sink to a carbon source, and health impacts from the release of radon gas, heavy metals, and fumes.
• The company involved, Dalradian Gold, have used tactics of intimidation, community division and criminalisation of protectors.
• The community has used a range of tactics to resist, including public meetings, pickets and protests, a judicial review and electing an independent councillor.
• They have linked to other groups opposing mining in Ireland and internationally.
  
  You can see Fidelma’s presentation here.

Resource justice is an international issue, and hearing from speakers from different parts of the world is essential to understand how the system works, and how it needs to be changed.