Africa's great apes could be under significant threat, experts cautioned, in the middle of the worldwide push to discover and obtain viable sources of clean, affordable energy. According to reporting from Mongabay, "strong conservation measures" will be integral to protecting this at-risk animal population if mining is to occur in the area as part of the renewable energy shift.
What's happening?
Right now, many people are working to leave behind the current energy standard, which is a process that involves burning coal, oil, and gas for fuel that releases toxic pollution into the environment, harming our health, economy, land, water, and more. The goal: Ditch dirty energy while still powering the world.
That's where alternative energy comes in. To build critical infrastructure — wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicle batteries — manufacturers need metals and minerals, like aluminum and cobalt, as the International Energy Agency explains. Because many of these key minerals are located in Africa, Mongabay reported, "a boom in African mining is anticipated as the clean energy transition takes hold."
However, there will be serious drawbacks if mining is not approached with care and vigilance, scientists warned: "Taking these minerals out of the Earth can have quite a severe impact and cause these [great ape] habitats to disappear," researcher Jessica Junker, the lead author of the recent study focused on the subject, stated to Mongabay — adding that, for great apes, "the threat is larger than we thought."
Why is this important?
As Junker's study detailed, mining activity significantly impacts a region with noise exposure, light pollution, disease spread, and habitat destruction.
"Mining of transition metals poses a tricky balancing act between biodiversity conservation and climate action, both of which are urgent issues," Mongabay commented.
The switch to sustainable energy is crucial, but so is preservation of biodiversity, whose benefits to us are widespread and vital, noted an article from the University of Minnesota: "ranging from medical breakthroughs to improved mental wellness and even a stronger economy" along with food security, protection against illness, and flood mitigation per the National Park Service.
What's being done to protect the great ape population?
To alleviate damage to wildlife habitats, Mongabay listed some of the researchers' possible considerations for mining initiatives. These included improved data sharing, increased regulation "to allow ape populations to disperse and relocate" early in a project's exploratory process, recognition of inherent risks to biodiversity, and a plan to either avoid or amend the issues with "fair compensation … [and] rehabilitation and restoration" measures.
Paramount in making progress toward the alternative energy switch is ensuring the protection of natural ecosystems and habitats when sourcing and generating sustainable power. These worrisome findings will hopefully bring forth innovative solutions.
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