CIM Plenary Session: evolutionary philosophy in mining

The CIM Edmonton conference kicked into high gear this morning with a plenary session chaired by some TV and radio announcer that everybody but me seemed to know.  He was amusing but finally threw up his hands in despair trying to summarize the many talks & questions on every aspect of human nature in mining conceivable. He noted that the speakers had covered every aspect of philosophy including the philosophy of mining. Neither insightful nor helpful as we all know that philosophers have failed for thousands of years to capture the truth - although they have spoken long and eloquently thereon.

I submit that what we heard this morning was simply evolution in action–Darwin would have been proud to see his principles so eloquently implemented in one sector of human endeavour: mining.  We start with the mining of diamonds, as the engineer from De Beers noted so that we get something to induce the ladies to love.  Then we moved through the Teck Cominco presentations to third graders on how their beds would collapse if there were no metals mined to hold up the bed posts. 

Next onto young men purchasing copper-laden cars to impress the young ladies not susceptible to diamonds to start the whole process all over again. One questioner asked if this is sustainable, pointing out that at two percent growth we would soon enough run out.  Don Lindsay of Teck Cominco answered most honestly that in his opinion it is not sustainable.  He noted the small returns from big expenditures in exploration, and said he believed that if society and miners do not in the future reduce, recycle, and reuse, we will run out of the minerals that support current life styles. 

There was a contrary opinion from Rodney Ruston of North American Energy Partners who drew a parallel with the 400 ton oil sands truck, stating that in his opinion, human ingenuity will prevail and technology will produce.  He also stated that until Alberta and Canada as a whole clears up its messing labor laws that stand in the way of productive work practices, we will get nowhere very fast - another example of evolutionary pressures to maximize personal benefit by way of union membership or whatever it takes to get the lady in the first place.

Failure to accept the reality that there is no standing still in the evolutionary race is well exemplified by the talk by Glenn Nolan, chief of the Missanabie Cree First Nation.  He waxed historically incorrect - sentimental in trying to establish that before the whites came, the native peoples had live in peaceful self-sufficiency.  He even claimed the Aztecs were nice people. Regardless he muddled along trying on the one hand to defend a no-change philosophy while on the other hand demanding more development in aboriginal area as a source of jobs and money and improved health.  I concur that there is plenty to go around if only all would do it all, if we could kill racialism for once and all, and if the politicians and aboriginals could actually sit down and talk instead of posturing about a past that is past.  I accept the historic method, but guys base it on history and evolutionary philosophy, not on idealism and environmentalism, or worse: empty platitudes about sustainable technological innovation.