Let us start with the process that is at the centre of all this commotion: copper smelting. Copper smelting is the process by which the metal (copper) is extracted from the concentrated ore, which has copper combined with sulphur and oxygen. The smelting process also uses water—in cooling, processing and washing, and also to convert the sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid. It takes both capital investment and running costs to minimize the adverse environmental impact of copper smelting. Climate change and shrinking water and other environmental resources mean only one thing: Mainstreaming sustainability is not a choice.

Source: Mint May 31, 2018 03:00 UTC