Fruits of the earth

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Fruits of the earth?

Extracted from The Star, 11^th April 2000

The truth is, the metals and minerals contained in the Earth enrich our lives in many ways. The problem is, the only way to extract these materials is either to quarry or mine them – and consequences for the environment.

The following structures and items comprise a short list of things that depend on the product of quarries.

Crushed limestone is used as aggregates for roads as well as railways (as track ballast). Larger pieces are also used for structures such as breakwaters, bridges and jetties.

Ground limestone has a wide range of applications. In agriculture, lime is used to neutralise the acidity of certain soils. For industrial processes, lime is used to treat acidic discharges, including desulphurisation of flue gas.

In steel manufacturing, limestone is used to remove impurities that are present in iron ore. And, along with silica and feldspar, limestone is an essential ingredient in glass manufacturing.

Plastics and paper also have a limestone connection. In manufacturing plastics, limestone is used as a binding agent; in paper, limestone prevents printing ink from running or “bleeding”.

Ground limestone also has an “in-your-face” application: it is used in some cosmetics and toothpaste.

But, of course, the one most important use of limestone is in cement manufacturing: 70% of cement is limestone.

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