Current mining, refining, and manufacturing practises have large wastage factors, which lead to major ecological problems.
The mining lasers used in contemporary mining operations work by using a laser to ionize the ore and then a rotating magnetic field to pull the plasma into the mining laser’s collection bay. This magnetic field pulses to get the plasma to go up the mining beam. What is not well known is that this causes massive waste of ore. A large proportion of the ionized ore are lost into the vacuum of space. This doesn’t take into account the careless miners who let their cargo holds get full and thereby cause their mining lasers to initiate an emergency shutdown, as they no longer have sufficient space to store the ore, the excess is jettisoned into space, causing incalculable ecological harm.
Once a mining pilot has filled his cargo hold they often place the ore they mine in jettisoned canisters. The problem with these it that after an hour or so they break up and release their contents into the ether. This creates more pollution than almost any other activity in New Eden. It is also the worst single act in terms of its effects on the local environment. The main cause of this damage if the shear quantity of material that is typically released. These canisters can hold up to 27,500 m3 of ore. This much ore being released in a single burst is catastrophic for the local environment.
The mining of of ore from asteroids has flow on implications to the environment. The main ones are refining and manufacturing. The refining or ores produces minerals that are used in manufacturing items for sale in EVE. The act of refining the ore into its constituent minerals creates large drains on the power cores of stations, whether run by non player corporations or by player owned corporations. This in tern requires the mining of more ore to power the stations in a vicious cycle that is destroying the beautiful Paradise of New Eden. The refining also produces waste that must be disposed of. The wastage factor for refining a load of ore, may reach 37.5% in some cases. All of this waste must be disposed of. This is usually done by ejecting it out of the nearest airlock, again contributing the general pollution in space.
The manufacturing of items in New Eden is another major contributor to the pollution problem in New Eden. The manufacture of anything in New Eden has a large wastage factor, sometimes as high as 30%. This waste must go somewhere. As with almost everything else that is done in New Eden the waste is flushed out into space. This helps to contribute to the accretion disks seen around many stations. Like refining the manufacture of items in New Eden creates drains on the station power grid which requires fuel to be mined to power the station.
As I have outlined the industrial activities of New Eden has a serious ecological harm. The accretion disks around stations in New Eden are stark reminders that while the vastness of space provides space for everyone, we must all look after it because in space everything remains.
Proteles cristata
Co-Chairman of the Board
New Eden Conservation Society
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