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Dave
Mountain climber
the ANTI-fresno
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Nov 13, 2011 - 11:21am PT
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How much did one of the Mars missions cost to get a little tiny robot there?
How much does a continuous miner weigh? (Hint - a sh#t-ton more).
How much does a pound of Platinum sell for? (Hint - a lot less than the cost of space flight).
Mining is not about the ability to do it. Mining is about the ability to pay for it.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Nov 13, 2011 - 01:57pm PT
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Yes, I know the mining industry definition of an "ore."
The point is we do have the technology to do so right now (go to Mars and mine the Asteroid Belt) and more than likely at a profit. See the links above.
But TPTB do not want to upset their own apple cart. There is incredible inertia to keep things the way they are, lots of profit and $$$$$$ to be made by holding down all of mankind. They will hide away this technology for their own selfish purposes to be used as only they wish and only when they wish. That's how the dark evil sinister world of black-ops and the NWO operates.
The entire energy industry operates this way more or less. They really only care about profits and the corporate bottom line.
Hey, don't get me wrong. Mining and the Energy industry are necessary, we need resources, without which we have nothing, but there are right and moral ways of doing things and doing business.
The Mining and Energy industry does not have to behave as a fictitious company did that extracted "Unobtainium" in a well known Hollywood movie.
Just got this email from Amnesty International:
1. Shell and other oil companies are abusing the human rights of hundreds of thousands of people in Nigeria
Energy companies have been extracting oil from the Niger Delta, a resource-rich area in southern Nigeria, for decades. Oil spills, dumping, and gas flaring by companies like Shell Oil have devastated the region - destroying the livelihoods of residents, reducing access to clean water and food, and causing health problems.
2. Shell has squandered multiple opportunities to clean up its act
Shell, which reported profits of $7.2 billion for July-September 2011, initially offered just a few thousand dollars and 50 bags of rice, beans, sugar and tomatoes as relief for the disaster. A recent UN report makes it clear that Shell is failing to adequately clean up the devastation and pollution its operations have caused.
3. Amnesty is working to defend the human rights of the people in the Niger Delta
Amnesty International has spent years gathering irrefutable evidence, through efforts like geospatial technology and extensive local interviews, to get an accurate picture of the human rights abuses occurring in the Niger Delta. We have urged the Nigerian government to enforce and strengthen existing regulation. And now, we are demanding that Shell establish a $1 billion cleanup fund to help restore the Niger Delta. We will continue this work until Shell takes real action.
Support our work to uncover and stop human rights abuses. Become a member of Amnesty today.
Shell will not comprehensively address the impact of the spills without significant, sustained pressure. Amnesty has the tools to compel Shell to put people before profits -- will you stand with us?
Donate today.
Sincerely,
Tanuka Loha
Director, Demand Dignity Campaign
Amnesty International USA
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Dave
Mountain climber
the ANTI-fresno
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Nov 13, 2011 - 04:09pm PT
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The world runs on money. Your own post proves it.
Donate today.
Sorry, but until the cost of space flight drops by orders of magnitude and/or the cost of minerals inflates by orders of magnitude we won't be mining from asteroids.
Just because we can doesn't mean we will.
I can mine from 5,000 to 6,000 feet underground for mere dollars per ton / per pound of metal. If it costs me hundreds of thousands of dollars per POUND to get equipment to an asteroid and the same to get a mineral back, why would I do that? There is no economic reason to do so.
I actually thank NGO's like Amnesty for forcing companies to act responsibly. It levels the playing field for those that already are doing the right thing. Funny, you don't see news articles about companies like that.
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Nov 13, 2011 - 04:30pm PT
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So long as there is capitalism, there will be people at the fringes who will behave badly to make a buck, get used to it.
Change "capitalism" to "humans" and I think you nailed it. It doesn't matter which "ism" you want to use, it holds true.
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Hilt
Social climber
Utah
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Nov 14, 2011 - 09:00pm PT
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No Pyro... Seriously what would happen if they didn't fix your wrists? Would you be able to type, climb, drive? I bet getting them fixed saved you from being handicapped for the rest of your life. Was it worth the money or would you have been better off not having the use of them? Wake up dude, you literally got your money's worth.
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Hilt
Social climber
Utah
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Nov 14, 2011 - 09:04pm PT
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As for the world running on money, well no sh#t dude... How many of us will clean a yard, fix up another person's house without getting paid? I bet one in a thousand might help a brother out without getting paid. The rest of 999 of us will only get busy for money and it better be a descent amount or we would rather watch T.V.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Nov 14, 2011 - 10:20pm PT
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So long as there is capitalism, there will be people at the fringes who will behave badly to make a buck, get used to it.
I think you just made Occupy's point for them.
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Archie Richardson
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Nov 15, 2011 - 11:21am PT
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There are many minerals that could be produced domestically. Columbite was discovered in the US.
Edit: Deleted off-topic rant.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Nov 15, 2011 - 11:25am PT
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Mexico's problems are of its own making.
Same with the rest of the Third World.
The only reason there are *blood* commodities is some countries haven't devised a peaceful system for divvying up their goods.
Not our fault.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 15, 2011 - 01:49pm PT
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We tend to think mining is bad, and mining companies are evil. There is no doubt some environmental damage and corporate greed involved. Fact is, without mining we'd be stuck in the stone age.
Tru Dat. But the problem here is not mining companies. It's thousands of villagers working in worse than dismal conditions for these so called militias to finance their various "revolutions".
Fatty, should we send in US troops to bring peace?
Yeah, just like the peace and stability we brought to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sounds great.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 15, 2011 - 02:14pm PT
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stop buying cell phones and computers,
Either that or we start doing as the documentary said and start holding Nokia and others feet to the fire as to where they get their Coltan from.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Nov 15, 2011 - 02:38pm PT
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Why don't we expand mining in the US? We have deposits of these metals and minerals in the US. OK, maybe some of those deposits are under parks, forests and preserves. But if we really, really cared, we'd insist that the best thing for the earth would be to do our mineral, ore and hydrocarbon production on US soil, where we have strict environmental and safety guidelines.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 15, 2011 - 02:42pm PT
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It's too expensive to mine here, plain and simple.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Nov 15, 2011 - 02:52pm PT
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Of course it is, so long as there are cheaper options.... Just like with everything from manufacturing to whom we have caring for our children and tending our yards....
To hold the manufacturers who use the product accountable as to where their resources come from is very reasonable. Now in the days of insta-media via facebook, why not go to these business pages, formulate a post(include links about the issue) and ask them outright?
They very likely have a PR person who manages their consumer relations on the platform. It's very unlikely that person will ignore your post... well, maybe they'll try to ignore it, for a while. But then, when others keep posting things like "Well????" eventually they will begin dialog.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 15, 2011 - 03:26pm PT
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The "rare earths" actually aren't particularly rare, but are very important in modern electronic devices. The US formerly produced significant quantities, largely at a mine at Mountain Pass in California. Plans are to reopen the mine, given the increase in the price of the metals, and their strategic importance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Pass_rare_earth_mine
The downside to mining rare earths is that they're often found in association with radioactive elements.
The Congo has been screwed up by Europeans ever since Portuguese slavers arrived in the late 15th century CE, and especially since the Belgians, under king Leopold - he treated it as his personal fief - arrived a century ago. Enormous natural and mineral wealth, grotesque evils.
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Archie Richardson
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Nov 15, 2011 - 05:55pm PT
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Tru Dat. But the problem here is not mining companies. It's thousands of villagers working in worse than dismal conditions for these so called militias to finance their various "revolutions".
Sorry, I digressed...I edited my post.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Nov 18, 2011 - 01:37pm PT
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Either that or we start doing as the documentary said and start holding Nokia and others feet to the fire as to where they get their Coltan from.
False approach. There is demand for cell phones, not even that strong for Nokia ones these days, and if you beat one outfit down, 10 others will spring up with evne fewer scruples. HTC, Sony, Apple, Nokia, Samsung, ZTE, Huawei, RIM, etc all use similar designs. Adjusting regulations and trade laws will have more of an impact than targeting just one manufacturer within a huge sea of products.
Keck, if you want to target a manufacturer, go after the capacitor companies. Only they can really exert any control over where the raw materials come from (and it would be hard for even them to do it). Consider them the arms dealers, and Nokia just a foot soldier.
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Nov 18, 2011 - 01:41pm PT
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Just turn the damn thing off.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Nov 18, 2011 - 01:52pm PT
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The "rare earths" actually aren't particularly rare, but are very important in modern electronic devices. The US formerly produced significant quantities, largely at a mine at Mountain Pass in California. Plans are to reopen the mine, given the increase in the price of the metals, and their strategic importance.
The Molycorp mine has been open for a while and is undergoing a major expansion in ore separation facilities.
It's been good for us.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Nov 18, 2011 - 02:47pm PT
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picture taken from Mornng star mine
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