Consulting opportunities in global warming & mining

The most interesting question asked of me regarding global warming is:  As a consultant, how can I make money providing advice to the mining industry relevant to global warming?   Here is my simple mining answer.

First work with your existing clients to help them reduce water consumption.  I suspect that water use will get more and more contentious.  Any act that reduces water consumption will be good engineering and good politics in the warmed globe.  In addition, I suspect that at most mines, a reduction of water consumption will result in a reduction of costs.  Maybe only a reduction of NPV (net present value) but still an overall cost savings.  Save money and save the environment—that is a deal that your community relations folk will love.  And it’s true. 

Next work with your existing clients to deal with reduction of gas emissions.  I am not an expert in that area so I say no more, but this seems like such an obvious opportunity.

A third opportunity as a consultant to the mining industry to make money out of global warming, is sequestration of carbon.  I know that the chemistry of freshly crushed rock is such that it loves to absorb atmospheric carbon.  The tailings impoundment is a huge source of freshly crushed rock at most mines.  Just imagine what the mine could do to reduce green house gas emissions for its own emissions.  And just imagine if your client could get into selling gas credits on the open market.  Maybe there is still “gold” in them thar tailings after all.

I heard the other day of tapping into the  heat in old mines shafts and underground workings as a source of energy.   Difficult as it is to believe that this way of tapping into the earth’s energy will be a significant source of cheap energy, it nevertheless is another opportunity for consulting services to the mining industry.

A more difficult consulting “opportunity” lies in keeping open the access ice-roads to the mines of northern Canada.  Then of course if these ice road melt entirely, many a consultant will be needed to devise alternative ways to transport goods to the many mines now in the north and certain to be opened up in the warming north.  

If you have other ideas, please share them with us in the comment box below.  And note that the generation of such ideas does not commit you to believing in global warming.  We are simply talking here of opportunities in a free market economy.