A common saying for geologists goes, “If you can't grow it, you have to mine it.”
Mining might invoke a picture of an old-fashioned gold miner with a grizzled beard or a person emerging from a dark cave in a hard hat and a face covered in coal dust. The mining industry has evolved a long way since then — but at its core, it’s still the basis of materials for our way of life.
"If we want the lifestyles we lead, then we have to mine,” says Andrew Martin, an assistant professor in the Department of Geoscience.
While technology and energy become more “green,” there's still a resource cost that must be considered, he says. “We’ve gone from Model T Fords to all-electric Teslas, from burning coal to solar cells and wind turbines — we’re using a much greater diversity of different metals."
The Course: Earth Resources and the Environment
Earth Resources and the Environment (GEOG 335) examines the range of Earth’s resources, such as metallic ore deposits and quarries, and explores the impacts of its mining, use, and disposal to the environment. The class also covers renewable energy resources, along with the fundamental — but frequently underappreciated — resources of soil and water. All these resources are explored through a socio-political, economic, and sustainability lens.
Why is it being taught?
“There’s a huge disconnect between society and where we think our resources come from,” explains Martin. “One side that we really focus on is the idea of the green energy transition. If everyone has an electric vehicle, where do we get all those resources from?”
The course is a core class for earth and environmental science majors to give them a holistic understanding between geology and the environmental impacts of mining.
Who’s teaching it?
Though Earth Resources and Environment is a long-standing course, this is Martin’s first year teaching the class. A native of the United Kingdom, Martin was drawn to UNLV because of the rich resources found in Nevada. “We have world-class mineral deposits in Nevada and just across the border in Arizona. I work a lot in Northern Nevada at the Carlin Trend, which is the second biggest gold mining area in the world. Really, the Silver State should be called the gold state,” says Martin.
What’s something students might be surprised to learn?
Students are often surprised to study the strong link between geology and global politics. Looking through a geopolitical lens, they see the historically strong association between energy resource-rich countries and power.
“Whoever has the primary source of energy, which used to be coal or oil, has the power," Martin says. "That’s currently changing again; now, it’s whoever has the critical minerals we use in green, low-carbon technologies.”
How does this course connect to students’ future careers?
“The link between geology and the environment will become more important over time. There’s no ifs or buts” about that, says Martin. Students who study geoscience or earth and environment science can expect to have many career opportunities in the mining industry — from mineral exploration (finding the deposits) to environmental monitoring and remediation (returning the land to the same or a better state after mining).
UNLV is growing a strong relationship with Nevada Gold Mines, allowing students to “Mine for Experience” and setting them up for research and post-graduation success.
What even lay people should know from this course?
The most sustainable thing you can do is simple: Don’t buy anything!
“Going and buying a new electric car is not necessarily the green thing to do," Martin says. "Instead of going out and buying a brand new car or buying a brand new iPhone every three years, you know the green thing to do is just to make your stuff last. Because there's no resource cost associated with that.”
The Reading List
Martin recommends the TED Talk: The blind spots of the green energy transition.
