Told from a longtime insider's knowledgeable perspective, It's a Minefield turns a jaundiced eye on the history, ethics, and practices of big mining, exposing deeply unsettling truths. Mining is one of the very few human activities that are indispensable for the survival of everyone on earth. But it is a very dangerous business. Thousands of people die every year in mining accidents, some of which are uniquely horrible. Environmental damage is inescapable, human exploitation rampant, and any of us who has ever driven a car, lived in a house, or used anything from a farm implement to a cell phone is unwittingly complicit in it. The stock market has a malign influence because money is its only measure of value. The exploitation of minerals is managed not for the long term benefit of the country that owns them but for the short term benefit of shareholders. In this passionate yet frequently hilarious exposé of big mining's dark and dangerous secrets, author Robert Horn presents a powerful argument for legislative change and for a greater understanding of the human cost of producing the minerals, metals, fuels and fertilisers that we all use.
