But Mr Trump is mistaken to think that championing the cause of miners and paying respect to a difficult profession will be sufficient to make mining sustainable. Some within the global mining industry have recognised that the winds are changing. Integrated assessments of subsoil assets, groundwater, and biosphere integrity would also help, as would guidelines for sustainable resource consumption. The global mining industry is on the verge of transforming itself from fossil-fuel extraction to supplying materials for a greener energy future. But this "greening" is the result of hard work, innovation, and a complex understanding of the resource nexus.

Source: Bangkok Post November 14, 2017 21:45 UTC