Mining

Strip Mining and Shaft Mining

Part A
Strip Mining is an open mine, that runs close to ground level, and is exposed by the removal of the top layer of soil and rocks.

Pros: it is easy and cheap for the mining companies to do
         space is not restricted so trucks and mining machinery can move around freely
         workers are not exposed to explosive poison gas dangers

Cons: it removes a lot of the environment, sometimes miles wide
          leaves giant holes in the ground
          the use of acid washes on site to isolate the ore that is being mined can damage the soil                         and environment as well

Shaft mining is when a excavate a vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom.

Pros: produces very little waste and less damaging to the environment
         easier to permit, and requires a smaller mill
         more profit per ton of ore mined
       
Cons: it is very expensive to conduct
          not much ventilation for workers to breathe
          this way of mining is more hazardous to workers overall

Part B

Spouse of a miner: As a spouse of a miner I would definitely be worried about their safety when going to work in a mine. Shaft mining is dangerous for a miners health, so I would prefer strip mining because it is much safer.

Owner of a mining company: As an owner of a mining company I would want to do the cheapest type of mining, which would be strip mining. Also, I would want my employees to be safe on the job.

Environmentalist: As an environmentalist I wouldn't care about how much the mining would cost, all I would care about is the environment. So I would prefer shaft mining over strip mining.

Owner of nearby ski resorts: As an owner of nearby ski resorts I would be more concerned about the environment around the ski resort, so I would prefer shaft mining. Nobody wants to ski in an ugly landscape.

Politician: If I was a politician that cared about money, and how much things cost, then I would prefer strip mining because it is cheaper overall.

Part C

In Vanuatu there are many mineral resources including precious metals and manganese. Even though these minerals exist, it is really hard to mine them due to the lack of infrastructure make it very difficult to support a large mining industry.