Impacts of extracting metals L.O: To understand that the process of metal extraction has negative environmental impacts and these must be balanced against the social and economic benefits that extracting metal brings. Thursday, 08 November 2018

Starter What are the different methods of extracting copper? Give an advantage of each Give a disadvantage of each Shortly explain which method you think is best and why… Advantages Disadvantages

Impacts of extracting metals People have to balance the social, economic and environmental effects of mining metal ores. Most of the issues are exactly the same as those to do with quarrying limestone

Positive Impacts Mining metal ores is good because it means that useful products can be made. It also provides local people with jobs and brings money into the area. This means services such as transport and health can be improved.

Negative impacts Mining ores is bad for the environment. It causes noise and increased levels of traffic due to lorries visiting the mine. Mining destroys habitats, scars the landscape and leaves deep mine shafts that can be dangerous for a long time after the mine has been abandoned. The process of mining produces lots of solid waste (such as bits of rock that aren't ores) which can be an eyesore. Mining and extracting metals also takes lots of energy, most of which comes from burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels releases gases such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere which contribute to acid rain and climate change

In summary… Mining for metals has its benefits and drawbacks. It's likely that not many people would be against the jobs and other economic benefits that a mine brings, but these positives have got to be weighed up against the negative aspects of mining, such as increased pollution and habitat destruction.

The advantages of …. Recycling metals

Recycling Metals Recycling metals only uses a small fraction of the energy needed to mine and extract new metal. For example, recycling copper takes 15% of the energy that's needed to mine and extract new copper.

Recycling metals This is good for the environment because using energy usually has negative environmental impacts.

Recycling metals Using less energy also helps to conserve fossil fuels — this is important as they are a non-renewable resource which is running out.

Recycling metals Energy doesn't come cheap, so recycling saves money too.

Recycling Metals There's a finite amount of each metal in the Earth. Recycling conserves these resources.

Recycling metals Recycling metal cuts down on the amount of rubbish that gets sent to landfill. Landfill takes up space and pollutes the surroundings. If all the aluminium cans in the UK were recycled, there'd be 14 million fewer dustbins to empty each year.

Questions – Fact Recall Give one social or economic benefit of mining for metals. Give two environmental impacts of mining. Explain how mining can contribute to acid rain, global dimming and climate change. How does recycling metal save energy? State three other benefits of recycling metals. 4.

Questions - Application This table shows the amount of metal a council sent to landfill in two separate years. It costs the council £115 for every tonne of waste they send to landfill. Work out the cost of sending the waste metal to landfill each year. How much money did the council save from year 1 to year 2 by reducing the amount of metal they sent to landfill? Suggest one way the council could have reduced the amount of waste metal that was sent to landfill. a.

Answers – Fact recall E.g. Mining metal provides materials to make useful products. / Mining provides local people with jobs. / Mining brings money into the area which means services such as transport and health can be improved. E.g. Mining causes noise / scarring of the landscape / loss of habitats / release of gases such as CO2 and SO2 / contribution to acid rain, global dimming and climate change. E.g. Mining requires energy, which usually comes from burning fossil fuels. This releases carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which contribute to acid rain and climate change. Recycling metal saves energy because it only uses a small fraction of the energy needed to mine and extract new metal. Any three from: e.g. conserves fossil fuels / saves money (on energy costs) / conserves metal resources / reduces the amount of rubbish being sent to landfill.

Answers – Application E.g. by recycling more metal. The council saved £1 725 000 - £1 380 000 = £345 000. E.g. by recycling more metal.