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HAARP Or Mining? Large Scale Logging And Mining Increasing Hurricane And Typhoon Damage Worldwide
BY Monica Davis
While many attribute the massive storm damage from global meteorological catastrophe to HAARP, part of the problem may be surface mining and logging. The two strip vital trees and natural storm breaks from the land, increasing the land’s vulnerability to storm surges.
Mining and logging companies are under global pressure to remain competitive, and are hungry to maximize their profits–even if it means stripping trees, denuding forests and natural storm breaks. All in all, mining remains a lucrative, if risky industry, as rising inflation, wage inflation and possible nationalization of mines in some countries send jitters throughout the industry.
In the US, environmentalists, regulators, energy and competing mining industries battle for supremacy. Arizona, the biggest source of potash in the nation, is in the middle of a 30 year battle between the energy and mining sector. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reportedly is trying to sort the mess out.
Meanwhile, mining has been blamed for increased vulnerability to storms and hurricanes in some parts of the world. Recent typhoon catastrophes have been amplified by mining and commercial logging in the Phillipines.
The last typhoon that hit the island was Titang in 1970 “but the extent of damages was lesser compared to Pablo,” [Julian Panalipdan} said.
He attributed Mindanao’s vulnerability to harsher storms, landslides and flash floods to decreasing forest cover caused primarily by commercial logging and large-scale mining.
Mindanao has now only 10 percent forest cover, while scientists assert that the country needs at least 56 percent of forestland to make it less vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Mining is become riskier for global operators. Threats of nationalization, higher miner pay and environmental blowback increases pressure on the industry . Environmental pressure, economic pressure from China, and other factors including western economic slowdown.
The rise of mining costs will have a more dramatic impact on 2013 industry results than in the last couple of years, global ranking agency Fitch Ratings revealed Thursday.
According to the firm’s experts, a gloomy macroeconomic outlook in western economies, and China’s growth related worries, will continue to impact commodity prices.
After initially falling in late 2011 commodities have remained weak, while mining cost inflation is likely to persist, driven by wage inflation and rising energy prices, said Fitch.
During previous periods of cost inflation, including the four-year period from 2004 to 2008 and the 2010-2011 downturn, the impact on results has been masked by rising prices.
“But in the coming year we expect higher costs to be much more evident in miners’ earnings,” said the agency. READMOREHERE
