Established by the Spaniards, Potosi was the world’s leading industrialized complex in the 1500s. It provided the extraction of silver from the Potosi region of Bolivia. The mining activities in Potosi marked the beginning of modern industrialized extraction of minerals. Mining infrastructure included water supply, lakes, and ‘urbanized’ areas where miners resided, as well as social amenities, such as churches. The same process also took place in California later in the 19th century. In early to mid-1840s, news of significant gold finds spread throughout the region, Latin America, and Hawaii. Different groups of people, such as miners and traders, moved to California from 1848. A similar case happened in Australia from 1851 due to the news of significant gold finds resulting into a gold rush. In the 20th century, Southwestern part of the United States experienced a similar rush due to uranium mining. The cases of Potosi, California, Australia, and Southwestern United States had far-reaching consequences to the nurtural and human environment. This professional project management essay writing compares and contrasts mining activities in these four places, establishing the similarities and differences between them in terms of effects on the natural environment and human population. It will also illustrate that the mining in the American Midwest was largely similar to mining activities in earlier cases, including Potosi.

In 1546, Potosi became a major mining town in the Spanish empire due to area’s richness in gold. By around 1740, the miners recovered and transported to Spain over 40,000 tons of silver making the country immensely wealthy. The mining conditions involved the usage of forced labor from locals and over 30000 African slaves. The working conditions were also poor and unsanitary leading to the death of the workers due to diseases. Additionally, there were poor safety standards that often resulted in accidents and death. The waste water and mercury used to refine silver were not discarded properly and led to the spread of pollutants in the environment. The workers left large open mines and heaps of dirt and rocks on the surface. Even after the extraction of silver ended, tin mining continued. Due to lack of support of the open cast mines, some of them collapsed leading to deaths. During almost 500 years of mining, large systems of caves have occurred and could collapse. The number of pollutants, such as ore, mercury, and other chemicals, increased in the environment causing pollution. Additionally, the large numbers of laborers built numerous slum-like settlements over the years.

In 1848, the first discovery of gold took place in the state of California, and in the following years, close to 300000 people arrived to mine. Initially, the methods used for mining were simple and included placer and pan mining. Later, gold became rarer and more complex technology was required. As a result, artisan miners could not compete effectively and therefore left. However, large corporations acquired the required technology recovering billions’ worth of gold. These corporations enriched a few people, so that by 1952, only 36000 of over 300000 people who had come during the gold rush remained in California. However, the environment had suffered from mercury used for refining gold. The mining also polluted large amounts of water used to wash gold from its ore. On the other hand, these activities led to the construction of roads, schools, and churches. Thus, mining resulted in the increase in population and trade.

Although significant gold finds had occurred in Australia in early 19th century, the authorities preferred pursuing other economic activities. However, Californian gold rush made the government of the day introduce ways of competing with California. Therefore, the authorities obtained the clearance for gold exploitation from England. Prospecting increased and more recoverable gold was found leading to new arrivals by mid to late 1851. This gold rush was unique in that it increased the number of free emigrants in convict states. These immigrants brought new skills and created reformist societies; thus, the economy expanded rapidly. Migrants and locals developed camaraderie and resisted authority. Although this rush was as damaging to the environment as those before, it led to the development of a unique national identity. Additionally, a larger number of people got rich and many migrants integrated into the society.

Since the development and the use of nuclear energy in the United States, mining of uranium has been going on in earnest. Since the 1950s, many states across the USA and especially the southwest have found and mined uranium. These include Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. In this case, the government introduced advanced safety codes for protection of miners and the environment. For this reason, the mines had to dispose the wastes from the extraction process. However, due to radioactive nature of uranium, people have been exposed to radiation even away from the mine. Still, accidents resulting from contacts with chemicals, such as HCL among others utilized in extraction, took place. On the other hand, uranium mining lead to a rush where thousands of people went to work in the mines, processing facilities, and even in the nuclear power plants.

For instance, they largely led to many people coming to these places. Additionally, nearly all lacked the proper protection of the environment and workers. Besides this, the majorly resulted in the increase in incomes for corporations and governments. This enrichment contributed to the expansion of the regional economy; however, the Potosi case enriched the Spanish empire. The difference between the cases is that the American Southwest mining happened in a period where there were well-structured safety and environment protection codes. Thus, the extraction of uranium shows some lessons were have learned from earlier mining activities