Extraction & Pollution: The Problem Is Bigger Than Carbon

The survival of our species has been put in the hands of politicians. Over the years, carbon dioxide has become a divisive political talking point. Instead of action, we’re left with fear and concern for the wellbeing and future of our planet. 

The bigger question is, why has taking care of our planet become a political problem? Shouldn’t we all want to protect our planet? One would think.

Words like ‘climate change,’ ‘climate crisis,’ ‘global warming,’ and ‘ESG’ have become politicized. As a society, we must find a constructive way to include the other 50% of the room in the solutions that better our planet.

The Carbon Problem

At the core of the sustainability movement is carbon dioxide. CO2 levels have been rapidly increasing since the beginning of the industrial revolution. As humans release more CO2 emissions, we trap the heat in our atmosphere. This is where the term “global warming” comes from.

Carbon dioxide has become a political piece of meat in a metaphorical dog fight that will never end. The problem is, political opponents reach an impasse when the debate for the future of our planet is reduced down to carbon. Carbon is a polarizing topic where there is little to no ‘meeting in the middle.’ 

By reducing the discussion down to “carbon,” we have used reductionist thinking to try to solve a holistic (or systemic) problem. We extract and pollute this planet in ways that carbon can’t even begin to describe. Our climate is getting massacred in so many different ways, and all our society talks about is “carbon.”

If the survival of our planet is predicated on politicians agreeing on carbon, then all living things on earth are at risk.

If the debate moves beyond the scope of carbon, then policymakers can agree on viable solutions that create mutuality for our society and planet earth.

The Extraction Epidemic

If you look up synonyms for extraction, you might find words like removal, taking out, drawing out, pulling out, wrenching out, tearing out, uprooting, and withdrawal.

Of course, as you know, over many decades, we have increased our ability to extract resources from our planet. Yes, surprise! Capitalism has driven efficiency in our ability to extract earth’s resources at larger volumes and lower costs. 

The main things humans extract are minerals and fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas). 

These extracted resources become materials that make up the things we use every day:

• Concrete – buildings, roads, bridges. It’s earth’s most commonly used material. 
• Metals – to make cars, batteries, infrastructure, equipment, and expensive things.
• Plastics – to make household, commercial, industrial goods, and inexpensive things.
• Asphalt – a mixture of rubber and rocks. Used in roads and highways across the world.

The extraction of resources became popular because oil and minerals themselves are “free.” The cost of the materials is the land, licensing, and process to get them out of the ground and into a form that someone will buy.

As you can see, there’s a large benefit to figuring out how to more efficiently extract oil and minerals from the ground. 

Consumerism is increasing the need for companies to further promote a mass extraction that is quickly depleting earth’s resources. As a society, it’s our duty, responsibility, and obligation to figure out how to reduce the negative impact materials have on the environment. 

Extraction is the problem because eventually we run out of things to extract. If we wait to find alternative solutions till we run out of oil and minerals, then it will be too late. This means that, at some point, society will be forced to commercialize new forms of renewable energy and materials. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

Newton’s Third Law of physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Unfettered drilling, fracking, and mining operates under the assumption that there are no negative consequences from depleting earth’s resources. As we’ve all learned, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. 

If you were to withdraw money from your bank account and never make any deposits, eventually you wouldn’t have any more money to withdraw.

Extracting earth’s resources is making a withdrawal from our planet’s bank account. We have overdrafted. There has been too much depletion and extraction. The ripples are far and wide.

Externalities Beyond Carbon Emissions

Externalities are defined as “a side effect or consequence of an industrial or commercial activity that affects other parties without this being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved.”

By making it seem like CO2 is the ‘big bad wolf,’ we neglect to acknowledge other atrocities that are destroying our planet behind the scenes. 

Let’s look at other externalities beyond carbon emissions that are created when we extract earth’s resources. 

• Air and water pollution: Mining and drilling operations release pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, mercury, and arsenic into the air and water, harming ecosystems and human health. Would you let your child use an inhaler that had mercury in it? Would you pump arsenic in your air conditioner so they can circulate around your home? Hopefully not.

• Other gasses besides CO2: Methane (CH4), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Carbon Monoxide (CO). These are just some of the other gasses released during mining and drilling. Would you want to be in a closed room that has carbon monoxide in it? Hopefully not.

• Disruption of ecosystems: Many mining and drilling operations disrupt fragile ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity and endangering species. Do you want to wait till we pollute the last river, and poison the last animal, to stop the destruction? Hopefully not. 

• Social and Economic Instability: Resource extraction can lead to conflicts over land rights, displacement of indigenous communities, and exploitation of labor. Dependency on finite resources can lead to economic instability as prices fluctuate and supplies diminish.

• Environmental degradation: Deforestation, habitat destruction, soil erosion, water pollution, desertification, and loss of arable land for agriculture can result from resource extraction activities.  

When we zoom out, it doesn’t matter if you believe that “carbon” is a problem. 

Do you believe that arsenic in our air and water is a problem? How about mercury? 

Do you believe that carbon monoxide is good for humans or other animals? How about sulfur dioxide? 

Do you believe that putting animals on the endangered species list is a problem? Do you believe that poisoning our air, water, and land is a problem? 

Outside of carbon dioxide, are there any signs that extraction negatively impacts planet earth? 

Great, then we agree that extraction is a problem. 

The Pollution Epidemic

The extraction of Earth’s resources creates pollution which has various negative impacts on human health, well-being, and livelihoods. 

Some of these impacts include:

• Health Hazards: Exposure to pollutants generated during extraction processes, such as heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and particulate matter, can lead to respiratory problems  including asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and other health issues.

• Water Contamination: Leakage from mines, spills during transportation, and improper disposal of waste can contaminate water sources with harmful chemicals and heavy metals. This can lead to various health issues, including gastrointestinal illnesses, neurological problems, and even certain cancers.

• Loss of Life: Extraction activities may result in the depletion of natural resources, such as fish stocks, forests, or agricultural land, undermining the livelihoods of communities dependent on these resources for food, income, and cultural practices. 

• Environmental Disasters: Accidents and failures in extraction operations, such as oil spills, toxic waste leaks, and tailings dam failures, can cause widespread environmental damage, loss of biodiversity, and long-term contamination of ecosystems.

• Conflict and Violence: Competition for resources, unequal distribution of benefits, and environmental damage associated with extraction can contribute to social unrest, conflict, and even violence within and between communities. Have you ever heard of a war started over oil or rare earth minerals? What a novel concept.

Externalities That Negatively Impact Humans

Here are just a few of the health concerns that humans have faced as a result of specific materials derived from oil and mineral extraction:

• The mineral talc has been caught up in lawsuits for years because it contains asbestos fibers in it (known to cause ovarian cancer,  mesothelioma, and other health conditions).

• Glyphosate-based herbicides (like Roundup) have a history of non hodgkin’s lymphoma lawsuits, as well as negative impacts to the nervous system, liver, cardiovascular disease, and other health complications. This doesn’t include the thousands of other pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides that have been shown harmful to humans.

• Phthalates have been shown to increase the likelihood of asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity, type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development, and male fertility issues.

• PFAS, (and 10,000+ other fluorinated carbons used for moisture and oil barrier layers) create an increased risk of some cancers, (including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers), Reduced ability to fight infections, slowed metabolism, fertility issues, cholesterol problems, changes in the immune system, changes in child development, liver damage, increased risk of thyroid disease, reduced fetal growth, and other health complications.

We could go on and on. This is just scratching the surface of chemicals and minerals that are destroying our planet. 

If we look at one of the big externalities in the mineral industry, maybe we should look at the labor practices.

What would happen if we checked out the mica mine in India? How about the coal mine in China? How do you think the cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) looks? 

Do you think these operations are flowing with responsibly sourced materials? Probably not. It’s more likely that there are serious labor issues (forced labor, child labor, etc). 

Would people show up in the world differently if they had a picture on their dashboard of the 4 year old kid with a pickaxe in the DRC making sure there was an abundant supply of cheap cobalt for their electric vehicle battery?

Hopefully.

Clean Land, Air, & Water

By now you must realize that even if you don’t believe that “carbon” is a meaningful metric to quantify negative impacts from mining and drilling, there are many other points of destruction.

• Look At Our Air – Our big cities have smog everywhere. Pollution is actually visible. 
• Look At Our Land – There is trash everywhere. Most of it is derived from fossil fuels.
• Look At Our Water – It’s contaminated with petrochemicals and minerals.

These are just broad strokes describing some of the pollution we have created due to extraction.

Have you ever been walking on a beautiful beach and seen an empty soda bottle? How about a cigarette but?

Have you ever been to a foreign country and driven down the road only to see trash everywhere?

Consumerism has driven humans to dispose of waste at unprecedented levels. Because most of this waste is derived from oil and minerals, the materials continue to pollute our environment for hundreds of years in the future. 

One day, large companies will create products from resources that can be regenerated. This is already happening in small silos in each market. 

Customers, investors, employees, suppliers, governments, and local communities are demanding that large companies do their part to better society. Over the coming years, reliable supply chains of sustainable materials will become necessities for brands and suppliers.

Mutually Agreeable Positive Outcomes

We have arrived. At this point, you have a basic refresher about some of the ways that humans extract resources and pollute the planet. 

This means that, instead of using CO2 reduction as a roadmap for success, we can look beyond it into ways we can reduce extraction and pollution. 

Addressing pollution and extraction problems can immediately start reversing some of the externalities that have proven destructive over decades. 

The question is, how do we reduce extraction and pollution?

Sustainable Public Policy

What we incentivize, grows. If we incentivize extraction and pollution, then we will just get more of what we don’t want. The goal is to create a structure that incentivizes using renewable inputs to attain cleaner energy, materials, and outcomes.

Through public policy, we can incentivize sustainable technologies in three main ways:

• Create new incentive structures that support clean technologies. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) did this. There have been other government programs like the SEC Climate Related Disclosures, and grants from the DOE, DOD, and DOT. We believe that the way to accelerate the materials transition is through the Sustainable Material Innovation Act.

• Hold large companies accountable for the externalities they create through extraction and pollution. If they poison the air, water, and land, there is a penalty associated with that action. Holding companies accountable is the only way to ensure that companies don’t destroy our planet just to make a quick buck. 

• Normalize subsidies. The oil industry received $7T+ of subsidies in 2022 according to the IMF. If the cleanest and greenest technologies in any given marketplace had this level of subsidies, oil wouldn’t be able to compete. The idea isn’t to get clean tech $7T+ of subsidies. The idea is to balance the scale so it’s a little more even.

These modes of public policy all aim to accomplish a clear outcome: standardize sustainable materials and technologies. 

Outside of public policy, what are ways to catalyze these outcomes? 

The New Paradigm

We have a $5T+ per year materials industry. Most of those materials require lots of resources to create. We can create as much green energy as we want, but if we don’t transition the materials and chemicals we rely on every day to cleaner alternatives, then we will continue to be increasingly dependent on extraction.

This means that we need to incentivize regeneration.

Creating and powering products from resources that can be regenerated is a straightforward way to make sure that your company isn’t extracting resources from planet earth. 

Regeneration revolves around the formation of new animal or plant tissue. This is the form of creation that expresses itself in all living things. 

The ability to regenerate resources is an expression of life and vitality. 

Extraction sits in direct opposition to regeneration. By utilizing resources that can be regenerated, we’re creating a sustainable form of living that can prosper thousands of years into the future. 

Regeneration can simply be thought of as focusing on increasing the quality of our planet (air, water, land), and living things (plants and animals).

• Enhancing Land Health – Increasing carbon and organic matter in our soils. Remediating soils. Depositing nutrients back into our soil. 
• Enhancing Air Quality – decreasing voc’s
• Enhancing Water Quality – decreasing contaminants
• Enhancing Plant Health – promoting photosynthesis
• Enhancing Human Health – reducing chemical exposure

Imagine a world where we focused on regeneration. This is the world we are trying to create. 

Right now our production and consumption models are predicated on extraction and pollution. This is leading towards ‘death by a thousand cuts.’

It’s time for change. If you are a company that is attempting to integrate sustainable solutions into traditional markets, please reach out to us now at the contact form below.