While reading about minerals I began thinking about how many of them are mined from the earth.  In researching further about mining I learned about all of the destruction it causes.  First and foremost, the Amazon rain forest is known widely for its alluvial gold deposits which is found in river channels and at the banks after flooding.  Hydraulic mining techniques are used for mining gold.  The method involves blasting at the banks of the river.  This has caused irreversible damage to trees, birds and animals.  While separating the sediment and mercury from the gold-yielding gravel deposits, small-scale miners who are less equipped than industrial miners, may ignore release of some mercury into the river.  This mercury enters the food chain through aquatic animals and their predators.  Highly poisonous compound 'cyanide' is also used to separate gold from sediment and rock.  In spite of all precautionary measures, it sometimes escapes into the surrounding environment.  Those who eat fish are at greater risk of ingesting such toxins.

In order to get at the land, miners must first clear it of trees.  This leads to large areas of deforestation which in turn takes land away from the wild life.  The animals are forced out of their homes.  Some die and others retreat deeper into the forests.

Chemicals like mercury, cyanide, sulfuric acid, arsenic and methyl mercury are used in various stages of mining.  These chemicals leak into the surrounding land and water changing its composition.  Plant life along with animal life dies. 

Furthermore, sometimes the liquid waste that is generated after the metals or minerals have been extracted is disposed of in a mining pit. As the pit gets filled up by the mining wastes, they become a stagnant pool of water. This becomes the breeding ground for water-borne diseases causing insects and organisms like mosquitoes to flourish.

Although mining is great for economics and providing jobs, these are very important parts to the whole story which should not be ignored.