Mineral Exploration

Winter 2013

Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.

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The Top 10 Reasons You Want a Mine in Your Backyard An argument to put an end to NIMBYism By Vivian Danielson P eople involved in mineral exploration and mining could cite dozens of reasons why people should want mines in their backyards, and they would all make sense. But they're often out-gunned by people who don't want mines and who conjure up memorable and emotionally charged reasons why others should join their cause. Since the late 1960s, NIMBYs (an acronym for "not in my backyard") have stalled or stopped hundreds of mines in North America, and have since expanded their numbers and efforts worldwide. One reason you want a mine in your backyard is to help reverse this trend, which, if left unchallenged, could mean the end of civilization as we know it. This reason may seem melodramatic, but is true notwithstanding. The modern world would come to an apocalyptic halt without minerals and metals. Planes, p16-19_Top10.indd 17 trains and automobiles would stop running. Stores and businesses would close. Teenagers would be helpless and alienated without their electronic appendages. The breakdown of society would be swift and more chilling than any Hollywood disaster film. None of this is likely to happen, because in true Hollywood style, a YIMBY ("yes in my backyard") movement would ultimately rise up to overpower the NIMBYs and save the world. So why wait for doomsday's eleventh hour? The time for a YIMBY movement is now. The most commonly cited reasons why British Columbians should want mines involve economics. And yes, mines do create high-paying jobs, generate taxes to pay for social programs, and provide spinoff benefits to local businesses and communities. But NIMBYs are quick to dismiss such reasons as self-serving, and counter that mines would destroy their backyards. The irony is that most NIMBYs are backyarddeficient urban-dwellers. The rich ones have small green spaces where they try to grow wheat. Others have sky-high balconies crammed with pots of organic kale. To compensate, they see rural and wilderness areas as their backyards and want them preserved for future generations. But where will these future people live and work? That brings up a good reason to want more mines. They reduce urban congestion by providing jobs and a less harried lifestyle in the hinterlands. The industry is already the largest private-sector employer of Aboriginal Canadians from northern and rural regions. Another reason is that mines help close the gap between rich and poor. Skilled miners working in rural areas often have more disposable income than professionals in urban areas. Some of w i n t e r 2 0 1 3      17 13-11-27 9:57 AM

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