It is worth noting that environment involves all non-living and living things. Human beings use environmental resources, which include land, water and air for survival (Keller, 2007). The three major aspects of environment sustain human beings, plants and animals.On the other hand, human beings exploit environmental resources through human activities for economic and social gains. Whether or not environmental resources are used beyond limit, they create ecological disturbances. From this prospect, it is evident that human beings need environmental resources for survival and at the same time, they need to exploit these resources to enhance their continued existence.
Focusing on mining, which is defined as the extraction of metals and minerals from the earth, this activity despite ecological disturbance, is a money-making trade which supports a region’s economy. Particularly, this paper focuses on uranium mining, which is one of the global most essential energy minerals. In fact, uranium is almost wholly used for electricity generation while a small portion of it is used for production of medical isotopes. Moreover, some uranium is utilized in marine impulsion (Bruggle & Yazzie-Lewis, 2007). Therefore, uranium mining is beneficial to human beings as it increases revenue and social life but still it is very harmful to the natural environment, human beings included.
Much has been said about the Navajo Nation, a nation that has experienced environmental effects due to uranium mining, which is believed to have begun from 1950s and ended in the 20th century (Bruggle & Yazzie-Lewis, 2007). The impact of uranium mining is still felt in Navajo society even today because of polluted tailings and several abandoned mines, which were never cleaned up. Even through efforts to clean up the uranium sites have been made, major problems coming from uranium development legacy are still evident in Navajo . This presents health and environmental risks to the natural environment and the Navajo communities. In order to support the usability of uranium as an economic development tool, there have been several proposed mining resolutions which pressures the only major source of water for about 15,000 people in Eastern Navajo (Bruggle & Yazzie-Lewis, 2007) . While uranium mining is a major economic activity that enhances people’s livelihood and that of the entire society in terms of revenues, uranium mining exploits lands, air, water, cultures and people.
With reference to both long and short-term environmental effects, uranium mining is quite essential for electricity production but it is the most problematic mining activity due to ore radioactivity, which cannot be chemically prevented. Despite the stoppage of mining actions in Navajo Nation, uranium mining left a legacy of natural environmental harm that was evident in Church Rock 1979 event (Bruggle & Yazzie-Lewis, 2007). It is imperative to note that the Church Rock disaster is the prevalent accidental discharge of radioactive material in the United State’s history. This was followed by a dam burst which sent radioactive mill dissipate amounting to 1100 and 90,000,000 gallons of polluted liquid into Rio Puerco River making the water in this river inappropriate for human and animal consumption (Bruggle & Yazzie-Lewis, 2007) .
From the Navajo Nation uranium-mining incident, it is evident that there are several mines abandoned in this area, which should be cleaned up. While, the exercise requires adequate funding, the sites present more threat to the natural environment due to the radiation levels of the abandoned mines ( Smith, 2008). In fact, the abandoned mines are already a threat to the people of Navajo and so is the cleaning up exercise. This creates ethical challenges, which environmentalists must put into consideration. Either way, the Navajo people are exposed to uranium by means of polluted drinking waters and airborne dust (Smith, 2008). More importantly, it has been ascertained that exposure to uranium increases dangers of lung cancer, kidney damage and bone cancer. However, uranium mining is essential as it supports livelihood through production of electricity, medical isotopes and economic gains to both the government and people but on the other hand leads to ecological disturbances, hence threatening life.
Considering the effects of uranium mining in the Navajo Nation, a clear connection between real life applications and theoretical foundation of environmental awareness is realized. As indicated earlier, human beings depend on the environmental resources, which are water, air and land for existence. On the other hand, human beings need to exploit these resources to promote their livelihood. From this perspective, it is important that people are made to understand the implications of anthropogenic activities on the environment (Keller, 2007). While they need to exploit the natural resources to sustain their lives, human beings must use environmental resources cautiously to prevent environmental degradation, loss of and harm to life.
References
Bruggle, D., & Yazzie-Lewis, E.(2007). The Navajo people and uranium mining. Mexico: UNM Press.
Keller, D.(2007). Field research: Comparison of the environmental awareness of US-and European students. London: GRIN Verlag.
Smith, K.(2008). Climate change on the Navajo Nation lands. International Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous People and Climate Change. Retrieved from http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=what%20are%20the%20effects%20if%20cle aning%20up%20abandoned%20uranium%20mines%20in%20Navajo%20Nations&psj=1 &gs_sm=s&gs_upl=6155l47941l0l50359l119l115l1l87l4l9l2522l26458l6- 18.5.0.2l26l0&um=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=665&ie=UTF- 8&sa=N&tab=ps
