‘In this day and age of fake news, it’s clear that our deeply-held biases (damn the facts!) are the fertile soil in which fake news take root.’
EVERY time I attend a public forum where mining is one item to be discussed, it is almost inevitable that I come face to face with how mining has become a bugaboo to many people, even intelligent ones.
Oh, and I’ve met many of the latter, those who have never been to a mine in their life but who have set their impressions about mining as an industry that is so bad we need to have it stopped somehow because, for the most part, it is damaging to our environment and it is making the miners rich while the mining communities turn poor.
This latter is such a no-fail angle of attack on a country that loves to dwell on rich versus poor scenarios, especially on radio and TV soaps.
The obvious thing to do, or so it may seem, is to simply do what one can to inform and educate those who have a misconception about mining so that they can understand what’s true and what’s false in their “beliefs.” And in my 11 going on 12 years in the industry I’ve had my success stories, almost a 100% batting average – but only went it comes to people who are really interested in separating fact from fiction.
For let’s face it, we humans each have issues that are so “sacred” to us that no matter what is said it won’t change what we think or feel about an issue.
Like the immaculate conception for example.
Or responsible mining.
On issues like these, there are people who are set in their beliefs and will remain that way even till after Hell freezes over, as the saying goes.
And so, I have learned just to sit there and listen. Listen to lectures on how the mining industry must do better in environmental rehabilitation, never mind that under the Mining Act large-scale mining operations have to plant 100 trees for every tree they cut. And while listening, I see in my mind the map of the Philippines changing from 1900 to 2000 showing how our forest cover has been depleted over the century-plus years, not because of mining, mind you, but because of the urban expansion of a population that has doubled in the last 50 years. It’s a map that shows how central Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Cebu have lost forest cover over the years as forest areas and agricultural land got converted into subdivisions, municipalities and cities.
And yet the same map shows mining areas (Benguet, Palawan, Surigao) remaining green.
For some people, I’ve learned to accept, facts are never meant to replace bias. And so, the industry that operates in less than 1% of the total land area of the country is crucified for the loss of forests in over 80% of the country.
Just turn a blind eye to urban expansion over the years.
In this day and age of fake news, it’s clear that our deeply-held biases (damn the facts!) are the fertile soil in which fake news takes root.
Hence the mining bugaboo.
