By Michaela Mace Kelly, University Communications
today
Joylyn Russell, professor and chair of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona, poses in front of a photo of Franz Josef Glacier in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.
Courtesy of Joellen Russell
Scientists have long known that a more sustainable future requires broader adoption of solar, wind, geothermal and other forms of energy that do not involve fossil fuels.
But such technology would require minerals that can only be harvested through mining.
Thursday's symposium will examine Arizona's unique role in securing zinc, manganese and other minerals needed to achieve global sustainability goals in a way that creates jobs and economic growth while protecting the natural environment.
The event is part of a partnership between global mining company South32 and the university's School of Mining and Mineral Resources, which is jointly managed by the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering. South32 aims to extract these base metals from a new mine, called the Hermosa Project, which the company is designing in the Patagonian mountains southeast of Tucson.
Among the leaders speaking out about the state's mining-related challenges and opportunities will be a renowned Arizona climatologist and oceanographer Joylyn Russell, Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the College of Science. Russell, a distinguished university professor, has deployed robots floating in the Southern Ocean to understand the ocean's role in climate and the carbon cycle in the past, present and future.
In this Q&A, Russell offers a climate scientist's perspective on sustainable mining practices, and why the university should be part of the sustainable mining discussion especially in Arizona.
Question: What interest does the climate world pay to sustainable mining practices and why do you advocate for it?
a: I'm a climate scientist who is very interested in how quickly we can transition from fossil fuels to other forms of energy. I'm a huge fan of everything from geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, wind, you name it, but in order to build that infrastructure, we need critical minerals.
If you want to achieve this major shift in the economy, and you don't want to just negotiate with other countries that may or may not be friendly to us, or with other companies that may or may not be friendly to us, then we need to develop our own resources. So I'm happy to be on a panel of people who are up to date on what to do and how to do it right.
Q: Why should sustainable mining be done in Arizona?
a: The history of mining in the West – while incredibly successful – also has a reputation for being very dirty. If we want to do this, we better do it right. Mining is part of our state's DNA and continues to be.
But at the same time, Arizona is one of the fastest warming states. Tucson and Phoenix are the third and fourth fastest warming cities in the country, and increasing carbon dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels as our energy source won't stop it. We will need to move away from that, and this shift costs critical minerals. They're really essential in a lot of growing clean energy technologies like wind turbines, power grids, electric vehicles, etc.
I'm not saying every mine should be greenlit, nor am I saying every project is the best project, but I'm saying we can do it better to serve the state and the nation.
Q: What is the university’s role in all of this?
a: At the University of Arizona, we have a long tradition of excellence in earth sciences, climate sciences, geology, and economic geology. The research we do here is why we are in a position to lead the world this way. I believe I sit on the committee as an advocate for careful, careful exploration and access to important minerals.
So, we're going to lead the research on how to do this well, and we're going to look at the evidence very carefully, so we can keep our community safe. And we have a lot of interest in this, because mining is an ongoing part of our economy here, and because we've gotten so hot. So, I see this as a win-win.
