Politics of mining : what they don't teach you in school

The mining industry presents many challenges such as the necessity of working in remote locations with unfamilliar cultures; the business of permitting, environmental protection, and sustainable development; the existence and persistence of negative stereotypes about the business; and the sometimes-tricky mechanics of training and transferring technology. Engineer schooling rarely prepares you for these issues, but The Politics of Mining does. The mining industry presents many unique challenges including working in remote locations with unfamiliar cultures, the business of permitting, environmental protection, sustainable development, the persistence of negative stereotypes about the business, and the sometimes tricky mechanics of training and transferring technology. In addition, tension can spring up among the various disciplines involved as engineers, attorneys, accountants, and environmentalists, to name a few, encounter difficulty in finding a common language. And finally, as in any large and multifaceted industry, politics abound both inside and outside a given mining organization. The logically trained engineering mind may find these financial, social, cultural, and environmental considerations--the so-called nontechnical issues--can overrule the logical decision-making process, resulting in decisions that seem counterintuitive to solid logic. The papers in this compilation cover what is rarely covered in engineering school Content: Section 1. Mining company business issues -- section 2. Company politics -- section 3. Social/community/cultural issues -- section 4. Training and technology.