mining

By Adam Keller - The Valley Labor Report, May 26, 2023

By Nicole González, et. al. - Green New Deal Media, May 7, 2024

By Daniel Letwin, Union Jake, and Adam Keller - Valley Labor Report, March 1, 2024

By Preston Arrow-Weed, Christian Torres, Jared Naimark, Daniela Flores, and Dustin Mulvaney - Earthworks, February 15, 2024

By Matthew Paterson - The Ecologist, February 12, 2024

Britain’s climate 'leadership' is based on the profoundly unjust and violent transition that was the defeat of the 1980s miners' strike.

Margaret Thatcher is often taken as an early pioneer in climate change among leading politicians. Her speech to the Royal Society in September 1988 helped propel climate change onto the political agenda not just in Britain but around the world. 

But her government was much more important in shaping the course of Britain’s actions on climate change a good deal earlier in her period of office. 

Her decisive intervention was rather in the assault on the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), with the strike of 1984-5 as the decisive event.

By Ann S. Maest - Earthworks, January 9, 2024

In this report, Earthworks, Transport and Environment, and Earthjustice highlight the potential of remining to help meet the increasing demand for transition minerals. However, further study and stronger regulations are necessary before this new innovation can support a safe, just, and sustainable clean energy transition.

• Press Release
• Watch: US Remining Webinar
• Watch: EU Remining Webinar
• Frequently Asked Questions

Developed to assist policy makers and technical experts in initiating discussions with environmental and human rights leaders, as well as representatives of impacted communities, “Remining for the Energy Transition” dissects what is known and unknown about remining today: how renewable energy minerals can be recovered from mine waste deposits, its possible benefits and dangers, and practices that best reinforce gains and mitigate risks.

Remining mine waste is touted as an alternative to virgin extraction for its promise to deliver better community, conservation, and climate outcomes.

But is remining the silver bullet many deem it to be? 

This report highlights its potential to meet some of the demand for transition minerals. Remined cobalt, for example, could power more than 185,000 electric vehicles. However, more work is still needed to ensure remining is safe and sustainable for people, communities, and our planet.

Download a copy of this publication here (PDF).

By Jan Morril and Brytnee Laurette - Earthworks, December 11, 2023

January 25, 2024, will mark the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic tailings dam failure at Vale’s mine in Brumadinho, Brazil, where 272 people, including two pregnant women, died. Vale, who knew about the dam’s stability concerns, failed to protect its workers and residents in nearby downstream communities. Today, company representatives are facing homicide charges for their role in the tragedy.

As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) winds down in Dubai, several of the world’s biggest mining companies, like Vale and Rio Tinto, have attempted to influence climate conversations over the last two weeks with representatives of governments, negotiators, businesses, and civil society groups. 

Meanwhile, communities, NGOs, and trade unions–who have seen firsthand the abuses of these companies–continue to bring attention to the need for higher standards on human rights and responsible solutions to mining’s environmental risks, such as mining waste. They also call for stricter adherence to the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Despite many promises to the contrary, mining corporations continue to ignore these demands.

In the years since, Vale has invested in improving its image in Brazil and abroad. “Our commitment is to prioritize people, repair, and guarantee a safe operation,” Vale states in its promotional materials. However, people living near Vale’s mines continue to experience human rights violations, environmental degradation, and trauma. Vale’s actions reveal that it still does not prioritize people. Instead, it remains focused on its bottom line and saving its reputation. 

By Jennifer Kamau - Berliner Gazette, October 16, 2023

Jennifer Kamau · Climate Proletariat from Berliner Gazette on Vimeo.

By Svjetlana Nedimović - Berliner Gazette, October 16, 2023

Svjetlana Nedimović · Resisting Green Capital from Berliner Gazette on Vimeo.

By Union Jake and Adam Keller - Valley Labor Report, September 19, 2023