Introduction
An examination of the current commercial industries within Florida reveals that industrialized mining operations focusing on phosphate production within the state has an approximate annual revenue of U.S. $1.92 billion (or more) a year making it one of the largest mining operations within the United States.
It must be noted though those due to their inherent nature mining operations are inherently unsustainable in the long run given the fact that natural resources such as phosphates, limestone, clay, sand, gravel as well as various forms of minerals are non-renewable resources. Evidence of the fact that mining is an unsustainable practice in Florida shows that in previous years companies were able to effectively mine 500 to 600 acres of land a year while presently they are limited to only 15 acres a month (Kinik, 52).
The reason behind this lies with the fact that as mineral resources are mined from area to another the end result is a distinct depletion in the amount of resources that can be mined each year. Not only that water utilization in such mining practices further erodes local water tables and depletes their supply which not only causes problems for the mining process itself but also for local environments due to the constant level of water depletion (Large pump package installed on dual duty at Florida mine, 13- 14).
While various mining initiatives have attempted to mitigate the drain on local water resources through the use of water reclamation techniques the fact remains that as the mining industry continues to push northward and southward in search of new areas to mine it directly comes into conflict with various natural habitats such as the Florida Everglades which are already in danger of continued deterioration due to the continued incursion of various metropolitan projects (Satchell, 53).
What must be understood is that the Florida phosphate mining industry supplies roughly 75% of local domestic demand while it also supplies 25% of global demand as well (Constantino, 1). It is based on this that it can be seen that for an area that is roughly a quarter the size of Texas and given the rate of domestic and global demand for phosphates from Florida it can be seen that phosphate mining operations within the state are inherently unsustainable and will eventually run out in the near future.
Creating Solutions to the Problem
When examining the case of Florida and it’s rapidly dwindling supply of minerals such as phosphates it becomes obvious that the problem of enacting strategies of prolonged sustainability clash with the global and domestic demand for phosphates and other minerals.
With Florida supplying 75% of the U.S. domestic demand for phosphates and 25% of the global market for the same resource it becomes evident that demand for the product is causing the rapid decline of supply. One possible method of resolving this issue would be to either focus on supplying domestically or rely on greater foreign imports of phosphates.
Countries such as China and India are also rich in phosphates and as such supply a large percentage of the global demand. By shifting domestic demand towards obtaining international supplies rather than relying on Florida based phosphate production this could lessen the degree of resource depletion over next 10 years or so.
It must also be noted that foreign imports of phosphates are often cheaper than locally mined and produced versions thus enabling greater profits for farmers. It must be noted though that this solution does not totally resolve the issue of sustaining a limited resource but rather shifts the problem from one location to another.
Another possible solution would be to stop all exports of phosphates and concentrate more on domestic demand. This would help to lessen the burden on the local mining industry however it is still an inadequate solution to the problem of resource depletion.
Further examination of the details of the case reveals that a large percentage of phosphate production directly goes the agricultural industry with 90% of local phosphate demand going towards fertilizer with the remaining 10% going towards livestock feed and various other industries. Based on this it can be seen that in order to conserve phosphates the best method would be to lessen dependence on them as a fertilizer in agricultural production.
It has actually been noted by various studies that the continued use of phosphates in agricultural production actually has detrimental effects on the local environment due to its accumulation in various water sources after it is used as a fertilizer. While there are effective water filtration methods today, trace substances are still notable in everyday drinking water in the U.S. of which scientists are unaware of the long term effects on the nation’s health.
The use of alternative means of fertilization in the form of natural compost, animal waste and retreated sewage has been shown as an equally effective means of agricultural production and should be utilized as an alternative means to using phosphates (Shirley et al., 12).
While it may be true that such methods entail the use of new processes and are slightly more costly as compared to phosphate use the fact remains that their utilization is sustainable as compared to the use of phosphates.
It is based on this that this paper recommends that in order to safeguard phosphates as resource what need to be done is reduce domestic mining through the use of alternative/ natural means of producing fertilizer for agricultural purposes. It is expected that should such methods be employed well over 75% of phosphate mining in Florida could be stopped thus safeguarding this particular resource.
On the other hand what must be taken into consideration is the fact that with the current state of the U.S. economy it would be detrimental to both the local mining industry in Florida and for various U.S. farmers if an immediate switchover was put into effect where natural methods of fertilizer production are utilized.
Not only would this increase the costs of food production at a time when the U.S. is currently undergoing an economic slump but it would also entail several thousand people within the Florida mining industry losing their jobs which would further exacerbate the current economic problems the U.S. is now experiencing.
It is based on this that any proposed strategy of switching from mining phosphates to utilizing natural fertilizers is best done at gradual intervals so as to not shock any local markets. This would ensure a gradual workforce changeover and result in a smoother transition. It is expected that such a strategy would take at minimum 20 years to effectively complete in order ensure a proper and effective market transition that could be done with few overall problems.
Works Cited
Christopher Shirley, et al. “LAND RESTORATION.” Organic Gardening (08973792) 37.6 (1990): 12. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.
Constantino, Darren. “South Florida conflicts.” Pit & Quarry July 2008: 1. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web.
“Large pump package installed on dual duty at Florida mine.” World Pumps 2004.456 (2004): 13-14. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.
Kinik, Karina. “Digging Up Trouble.” Sierra 91.1 (2006): 52. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.
Satchell, Michael. “Sinkholes and stacks.” U.S. News & World Report 118.23 (1995): 53. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.