| One of the most serious considerations in mining | | | | off. They did. My father took the rifle and walked |
| or collection of raw materials is the transporting | | | | me back to the house lecturing me with the |
| of these resources to processing or market. | | | | biggest grin on his face. When my mom and dad |
| Same for oil, natural gas or mining materials; costs | | | | were discussing the situation, I snuck out, hopped |
| of transportation are important in mining. Most | | | | on my bicycle and went after them (of course, I |
| mines still in business today are in very close | | | | was gun less by this time). They were on the |
| proximity to major rail lines, even with all the | | | | highway a few miles away and I decided to do |
| regulations and rules that exist some mining still | | | | the domino effect. I got neighbors to get other |
| exists in the United States. An example is the | | | | neighbors and we all hit the highway with me still |
| Borax Mine near Dagget, CA. The Borax mine | | | | on my bicycle leading the troops. We went around |
| was moved from the Harmony Borax Works | | | | the corner and the bastards had decided to turn |
| mine in Death Valley, the second hottest place on | | | | around and come back. All vehicles stopped and |
| Earth with temps up to 134 degrees, In the | | | | everyone got out and stood across the road with |
| 1880's, the famous 20 mule team borax trains | | | | me. All were packing with their guns at their sides. |
| hauled their loads a grueling 165 miles to the | | | | The neighbors went to my parent's house after |
| railroad in Mojave. This is an illustration of why the | | | | this to tell them what we'd done. Someone got |
| transportation factor is critical in the efficiency of | | | | the law and the attorney and it was probably the |
| mining to keep costs down for the factories, | | | | first time I saw the gapping holes in our legal |
| which use the raw material or natural resources. | | | | system." ------ Interesting how we deal with things |
| you look at the above ground mines in North | | | | in this country. And mine you this is a true story, |
| America, those with rail service right to the site | | | | certainly 30 years ago, but it is real. Truth, Justice |
| can compete if the economies of scale and | | | | and The American way are an ideal to work |
| market prices remain stable. Having raw materials | | | | towards, it is questionable if they ever have |
| in the middle of nowhere often makes such | | | | actually existed in our country as per those |
| findings of little value until the infrastructure is in | | | | wonderful text books in grade school.However |
| place to remove the material and transport it for | | | | with that now known and with the truth of Santa |
| processing. Think about it.Lance Winslow - Discuss | | | | Clause also revealed to us, we do have duty in |
| Thought Provoking Concepts, Controversies and | | | | this country to fight for that ideal. Having read |
| Major Social, Economic, Political, Science and | | | | about this in many novels and non-fiction books |
| Technology Issues That Impact Our Planet At | | | | and having now experienced these things |
| The World Think Tank: Geniuses Wanted. Join our | | | | personally; , I believe we can have those ideals |
| free forums to develop the genius in you or | | | | and still provide business opportunities for those |
| share your unique perspectives.There are many | | | | who wish to control various industries, by finding |
| other factors to consider also, for instance if your | | | | win-win solutions that expand the pie for all and |
| other countries do not have the same rules for | | | | serve the needs of the people, not the sheep. If |
| environmental controls they can often sell those | | | | you read about the Oil Barons in this country and |
| raw materials to other countries who in turn can | | | | understand the politics, the law and the DOJ, you |
| sell their finished products, such a specialty alloys, | | | | can see there is more to it than simply digging up |
| steel, etc. at lower prices than your companies | | | | a raw material or resource, collecting it, refining it |
| can produce them. Which would appear to be | | | | and selling it; is not good or bad, it just is. And "IT" |
| dumping; selling their products for less it costs | | | | affects every single aspect of our lives. Everyone |
| them to produce them. Many countries prop up | | | | should read Ayn Rand before they judge the |
| such industries with huge tax incentives or | | | | producers, wild caters, entrepreneurs and risk |
| subsidizing those industries and/or companies. | | | | takers that built all we are and all we know. |
| There are many reasons for this, sometimes it is | | | | Perhaps I am not the only one upset about the |
| merely to insure that those companies are in | | | | government's ability to disrupt the flow of things. |
| business to sell products to the Countries | | | | Perhaps we are not the first to be attacked or |
| government agencies for infrastructure projects. | | | | the last. I recommend "The Business End of |
| Other times it is to appease labor and provide | | | | Government" By Smoot. Here is one family that |
| jobs. Sometimes it is in retaliation for a perceived | | | | was attacked who still to this day has many |
| or actual trade war from another trading partner | | | | things to say? Such as what is the role of |
| country, which is propping up one of it's other | | | | Government? another who has given more |
| industries. The dynamics of World Trade on; | | | | money to humanity than any other couple in the |
| industry, peace, quality of life of populations, | | | | history of mankind; us to continue to mine our |
| money flow, raw materials and natural resources; | | | | own natural resources we need to sustain our |
| are quite extensive, as you might have guessed; | | | | factories and manufacturing facilities we need a |
| you look at the above ground Coal mines in; | | | | new hands off approach to the inane regulations |
| Gillette, WY; you can see a perfect example of | | | | that plague the industry. We are not saying a |
| how mining works when everything is just right. | | | | complete lack of regard for the environment, but |
| Hundreds and hundreds of complete train loads | | | | a better approach to the streamlining the |
| leaving weekly for coal fired energy plants across | | | | bureaucracy and more reality based lawmaking |
| the country. economies of scale in such mines are | | | | and regulations. Not simply laws to make laws or |
| incredible, fun to watch and very serious, every | | | | appease the poppers in the peanut gallery and |
| single second is accounted for, it is now a pure | | | | Sierra Club Fringe with the squeakiest of wheels in |
| science in efficiency; you ever get the chance we | | | | a little red wagon full of academia reports |
| recommend you take the Gillette, WY tour; will be | | | | containing junk science. What we need is a reality |
| blown away to see where we have come in the | | | | check that will not produce more "Out to Save |
| past few centuries. The deepest Coal Mine in the | | | | the World, by making Everyone and Everything |
| world is over 5000 feet below the ground in the | | | | Equal" college kids taught by the most liberal of |
| UK. Many in the United States are over 1200 feet | | | | professors. I must say I about puked when the |
| deep, most of those are closed and now few are | | | | Green Party Candidate for the Governorship of |
| remaining. There is a mine in Alabama, which is | | | | California suggested that people who have never |
| the deepest vertical shaft coalmine in North | | | | had to make a paycheck be placed on the board |
| America, with operations at 2,140 feet beneath | | | | of al the major corporations? What is very |
| the surface. It is hard for the coalmines in | | | | revealing about this is that he was serious and |
| Washington State, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and | | | | there are people who think like this scattered |
| Alabama to compete with the incredible | | | | throughout our higher educational system. |
| economies of scale of the Gillette WY above | | | | Unfortunately this in non-reality based thinking, it is |
| ground mine. Below ground coalmines can be quite | | | | based on the Utopia theory, which we have not |
| dangerous. There are gases underground and coal | | | | earned yet. One, which cannot exist until all the |
| dust and if a fire breaks out it steals all the | | | | systems are fixed and the flow of everything we |
| oxygen. Learn more about the serious nature of | | | | know is running like a Rolex Watch.In this country |
| these mine safety you may wish to visit this site; | | | | we have Salt Mines, Uranium Mines, Zinc, Lead, |
| the rescue of the coalminers in PA caught the | | | | Molybdenum, Iron Ore, Copper, Silver, Gold, |
| attention of the whole world as rescue workers | | | | Aluminum, etc. Some of what we ought to be |
| and heads-up rescuees, worked non-stop to stay | | | | mining is old computers, refuse and disposed of |
| alive until every man got out. Mining is dangerous | | | | automobiles. Gosh you drive through the South |
| business and safety is essential and comes at a | | | | and every Jerry Springer future guest star has |
| high cost in productivity. Above ground machinery | | | | five cars sitting out front with the high grass |
| and robotics have made many mining efforts in | | | | camouflaging them. Europeans have an interesting |
| the United States profitable and much safer. Also | | | | idea; about all those tires? We should be mining |
| at issue as we have discussed are the | | | | those too. We should be finding ways to mine |
| environmental issues. One coalminer ancestor we | | | | better and when we can figure out ways to |
| interviewed had been in touch with relatives in the | | | | re-use and mine old vehicles, which is the best for |
| UK, she told us of the problems with pollution: "My | | | | all concerned. We must keep our mines running, it |
| grandmothers were born in this country, but my | | | | employs lots of people and provides local raw |
| grandfathers weren't so I am only a third | | | | materials, thus saving the expense of overseas |
| generation American. My mining ancestors came | | | | shipping and if we are careful to mitigate the |
| from Wales and Scotland where the mines were | | | | issues of environment along with the need for |
| very polluted and people equated them with | | | | efficiencies, we should be able to slow the flow of |
| working in hell. I understand that relatives there | | | | the growing deficit. There are many mines around |
| still work in the mines."Things in the mining | | | | the world, which are owned by the new global |
| industry have significantly changed in the United | | | | citizen who considers no country their home. |
| States in the past 25 years the only question is; | | | | Literally a world-class jet set of entrepreneurs. |
| did they change too fast? The reason we won | | | | They are unconcerned with where on Earth that |
| the Second world War was because of our | | | | they do business, they take their business to |
| industrial output, we had the raw materials and | | | | which ever country they can make a deal with |
| the will and we were able to do it all here, are we | | | | and make the quickest ROI and the greatest |
| positive we wish to lose such capability in the | | | | profit. This is not good or bad, this is the reality of |
| future, after all it is still a cruel world, the human | | | | opportunity, capitalism and risk-reward |
| race is surely not done killing our own species yet, | | | | scenarios.The United States can compete, if we |
| there will be more wars. The key issue in mining is | | | | will drop the attitude and the delays caused by |
| the competition between third world countries | | | | frivolous lawsuits, bad law making and bogus |
| trashing the environment and our environmental | | | | regulations which are said to help people when in |
| regulations in place here. Today in the United | | | | actuality they serve no free man. If you read the |
| States, we have new innovations to protect the | | | | Ayn Rand books, you can get a sense of this. |
| environment without slowing the process. These | | | | Different places in the world have all the same |
| new methods are costly on original capitalization | | | | minerals we have here. All in all we need to |
| of a project, but usually once started are | | | | change our attitude on al issues of mining, there |
| amortized over a significant period. Many colleges | | | | are some brilliant entrepreneurs out their, state of |
| are putting out environmental engineers specializing | | | | the art equipment, brilliant industry consultants |
| in mining. doing this the job of doing mining | | | | who can and will get the job done without |
| correctly is feasible, but environmental laws are | | | | polluting, without hurting the environment and still |
| not the only regulations that mining operations | | | | turn a considerable profit. Who wins? We do, |
| have to deal with, once you let those bastard | | | | because the world prices of raw materials and |
| regulators on the property they are only | | | | resources dictate the cost and the efficiency of |
| interested in finding something wrong to pay for | | | | having it here in country before we start to |
| their trip. Many older coal miners of the past few | | | | make something out of these resources and |
| generations met these US Regulators at the | | | | materials is good for America. We should allow |
| gates with shotguns. This is due to the | | | | these brilliant problem solvers in the name of |
| outrageous, self-righteous attitude. Here is one | | | | profits help us figure out how to do it right, |
| story for the daughter of an old coalmine that | | | | presently we are over regulating and not listening |
| was eventually forced to be shut down. Was it | | | | to these new technologies and the thinking of |
| competition that prompted this? Was it the | | | | those in the know. Nothing happens until some |
| environment? Organized labor? Why the attacks | | | | one considers some of these other options, we |
| on a coalminer family? ------ "There is so much | | | | have discussed. Think about it, if you are having |
| political bullshit in the energy field it isn't even | | | | problem with that click here; hope you have |
| funny. When I was 11 or 12, I walked down to | | | | enjoyed some of these observations of an |
| the mine yard where I witnessed two Federal | | | | Industry in severe stress in our country, one we |
| mine inspectors shoving my father around. They | | | | cannot afford to lose. I suppose an |
| were provoking him to try to get him to fight | | | | environmentalist would have a different set of |
| them. He just stood there like the gentle soul he | | | | ideas and therefore maybe this post may evoke |
| was. I went back to the house, picked up the rifle | | | | emotion as well as thought, which is also a good |
| and shells and fired a warning shot over their | | | | thing, for healthy debate of what do we do now? |
| heads. Lord, was my father ever mortified! The | | | | If you have comments on Raw Materials, please |
| Feds backed up with their hands in the air and I | | | | help us with your brain power we need and desire |
| told them exactly how to get in their vehicle and | | | | your input.Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank |
| drive away before I decided to blow their heads | | | | forum board. |