Faith Michal, Cassie Kent, Julia Neish
Overview
Gypsum is a sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate with origins from dried concentration of seawater. The deposits of calcium and sulfate condense over millions of years to make this soft mineral. Therefore, the locations that used to be oceans or lagoons now have large holdings of gypsum (Schaetzl 2015). The top producers of gypsum are China, the United States and Iran, which have each in their history has portions of lagoons or oceans above them (USGS 2017).
The production of gypsum is harmful in several ways. First, the extraction of gypsum itself calls for surface mining leading to many open pits created by exploding pieces of land. These pits can become quite large, increasing habitat disruption and destruction. Additionally, in mining requires a lot of water, resulting in waste and runoff. This runoff water catches some of the chemicals used in mining processes, and carries them to land and water surrounding the sites which can further disrupt neighboring habitats (MIT 2016).
One of the major uses of gypsum is for drywall in construction, which is used in the majority of US households. There is little to no recycling process for drywall after it is used and the decomposition of drywall can be deeply problematic. Other uses of gypsum include producing fertilizer, making meed, concrete, making tofu, and mushroom cultivation. According the USDA, gypsum can aid in the event of phosphorus runoffs (USDA 2015). Although there are many negative environmental impacts from mining gypsum, there are economic, social, and even some environmental benefits once it is out of the ground. This muddles the idea that mining gypsum is purely bad.
Site of Production One: Semnan, Iran
Semnan is the cultural and political capital city of Semnan Province, and is located in north central Iran. The city is 3734 ft. above sea level and relatively flat, with the Alborz Mountains to the north and boarding the Kavir Desert to the south (Wikipedia 2016). The nearby Golrudbar River and creeks supply reliable water for drinking, cooking, irrigation, etc. Semnan experiences all four seasons annually, with high rates of precipitation from December through May. Roughly 155,000 people live in Semnan, most of whom are Persian and practicing Shi’a Muslims. The city is full of cultural influence and things to do, including historic and religious sites, gardens and parks, and seasonal festivals. Semnan has a 99% literacy rate, and many people living there seek higher education at one of the many universities in town (Wikipedia 2016).
Semnan has remained an important center of commerce along the Silk Road and is a thriving market for local grains, cotton, tobacco, textiles, and minerals. “Minerals have been mined in Iran for several thousand years. While the focus of the mineral industry had shifted to the petroleum sector in the 1950s, the government has recently encouraged investment in the exploitation of metals and industrial minerals to diversify the nation’s economic dependence on oil and natural gas,” (Esmaeili 2008). Mineral production in Iran is undeveloped as it makes up a mere 0.6% of the country’s GDP, and gypsum accounts for 10% of that. While this is a miniscule addition to their total GDP, Semnan accounts for 6% of the entire global gypsum output, and 80% of Iran’s (Minews 2015). The foothills of the nearby Alborz Mountains have an especially thick gypsum bed and are home to many mines.
In addition to mines and quarries, there are many production factories in Semnan. Gypsum can be processed for many different purposes as previously mentioned. The current Iranian gypsum industry uses relatively old technology, likely limiting the quantity produced over a given period of time. “Continued investment in the energy and transportation sectors will enhance Iran’s ability to develop and market its mineral resources,” (Esmaeili 2008). While Semnan seems to be thriving with their current rates of gypsum production, there is certainly room for improvement. As mining becomes a larger part of the economy, the surrounding environment will be increasingly affected. There are costs and benefits to consider, as with all commodities, and it is ultimately up to the people of Semnan to decide what the future holds for the natural environment surrounding the city.
Site of Production Two: Shandong Province, China
China is the biggest producer of gypsum in the world, yielding roughly 129,000 metric tons per year (IndexMundi). About 65% of China’s gypsum supply is harvested from the Shandong Province (Mineral Commodity 2013). Shandong Province is situated in eastern China, and is bordered by the Bohai Sea in the northwest and the Yellow Sea in the northeast and south. Its coastline runs nearly 3,000 kilometers, with the entire province covering an area of over 153,000 square kilometers (Shandong Travel Guide). The province’s total population is the second largest of all Chinese provinces, reaching 95,793,000 people at the 2010 Census. The majority of Shandong’s residents are of Han, Hui, and Manchi descent (Wikipedia 2015). The Province is frequently affected by marine monsoons, especially during the summer months. Because of this, the average annual rainfall typically falls between 500 and 1,000mm (Shandong Travel Guide).
Consisting of a seaward orientation and indented coastline, the Shandong Peninsula can be considered entirely upland. Because of this, its residents rely on fishing, port-related activities, and mining as a main source of income (Boxer 2013). China’s gypsum board output has been on the rise, growing very quickly between 2006 and 2013. “Demand for gypsum board in 2013 was 2.57 billion square meters, predominantly contributed by nonresidential public decoration,” (PR News Wire 2017). While this is extremely beneficial to China’s economy, there are large risks associated with mining gypsum, as there are with mining any material.
Shandong forests have been over-harvested for fuel and timber for centuries, making natural regeneration extremely difficult. Since 1949, aggressive reforestation efforts and closer regulation of timber harvesting have resulted in extensive growth, although the high demand for mined gypsum from this area doesn’t help the barren, mountainous zones
(China Province). In order to extract this mineral, miners must use explosives to reach the necessary depths best suited for gypsum extraction. These explosives leave scars on Earth’s surface that may never heal, as discussed earlier.
In addition to the dangers that mining poses to the Earth’s surface, miners are also put at risk every single day they go to work. In 2015, a gypsum mine in Shandong Province collapsed, trapping Yurong Trade Company employees 220 meters below the surface. This accident resulted in at least one death, and nine workers remained unaccounted for. As a result of this accident, the owner of the mining company, Ma Congbo, committed suicide (Ap, Tiffany and Lu, Shen 2015). While mining for gypsum can greatly benefit China’s economy, there are serious dangers associated with mining.
Site of Production Three: Plaster City, United States
Plaster City is located in Imperial County in Southern California, almost right along the Mexico and United States border. Plaster City is an unincorporated city due to the fact that no one actually lives within Plaster City. It does not have any gas stations, restaurants, parks, police or libraries. The only part that makes up the city is the gypsum quarry and processing plant. The US Gypsum Company not only owns the quarry and the plant, but the town as well. This makes for a location of non-space. A space is where people are, stay and seek but a non-space is one where people move through to get from space to space. Plaster City is a non-space in the sense that no one stays there but rather moves in and out only for the sole purpose of work. This place was only created and sought out by the means of exploiting the gypsum reserves.
As stated above in the introduction, gypsum is created through a process of evaporation of usually a lagoon or ocean, something with high calcium and sulfate. These elements combine and condense into what is known as gypsum (Schaetzl 2015). Thus, the nature portion of this report is found in the history of the land. Back millions of years ago there must have been a semi large body of water that evaporated to create the gypsum that in here today. The gypsum deposit found in Plaster City is 2 square miles and at an average 125 feet long. The environmental impact of mining is comes in the form of habitat disruption and water usage.
As far as social relations go, it is difficult to say since no one actually lives in Plaster City. Since no one lives there, it is safe to assume that everyone commutes to work and comes from the surrounding county. Imperial County, the county Plaster City resides in, is made up of 177,026 people. The majority of its residents are white, which represent 68.25% of the total population. The average household income of the country is $41,772 (USA 2017). It is interesting to note that although Plaster City and Imperial Country almost buffer the US and Mexico border, the majority of the residents are white. It was hard to find data on the racial makeup of the workers at the quarry and processing plant, but it would be interesting to see how many of the workers comprise of legal citizens. It could be possible that the plant exploits illegal immigrants, but it is not public knowledge and hard to find any evidence on the fact.
The meaning of Plaster City arises from the intersection of nature and social relations. In terms of nature, it is easy to see that mining creates a literal scar in the landscape. Scars last a lifetime and take a long process to heal, thus, the landscape may or may not recover fully from the extraction of gypsum. In terms of people, the plant and quarry offer jobs and livelihood to the people of Imperial County. Thus, the meaning is both good and bad. Good for those who benefit and can put food on the tables of their families, but bad for the scar has been created.
Comparison and Conclusion
When looking more closely at the places gypsum is mined, it becomes clear that there is no defined line that says mining gypsum is bad or good. In each of the pieces about Iran, the United States, and China, there are mixed messages of the harm mining causes and the positively spurred economics. The common factor in all these places is that no people actually live directly near the mines or processing plants. The communities are distanced from the production zones, allowing the environmental degradation to be obscured from the communities, which is problematic because while there are beneficial economic incentives to continue mining, the environmental degradation is detrimental to the health of the planet. What we can take away from these three places is that in order to truly start caring about our environment, we need to stop hiding the destruction we are causing.
For the most part, consumers are unaware of where the gypsum in their products is coming from. Many may not even know that that gypsum is an ingredient (especially in food products like tofu and meed), contributing to the ignorance. Environmental externalities should be clearly labeled on products, so that consumers have the opportunity to consciously support those industries or not. If more people knew what the excavation process entailed, the demand for gypsum may decline as consumers buy products that are more environmentally friendly. Many things rely on gypsum: people are employed by the industry, and it is a component of common manufacturing and agricultural products. While it is unrealistic to move away from gypsum mining and production entirely, awareness regarding the excavation process could lead to a shift for more sustainable practices. At the very least, it would increase appreciation for the land and labor that allow for gypsum production.
References
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