How do you explain mining to a child?

How do you explain mining to a child?

Mining is the process of mining stuff out of the ground. Any material that cannot be grown must be mined. Mining things from the ground is called extraction. Mining can include extraction of metals and minerals, like coal, diamond, gold, silver, platinum, copper, tin and iron.

What age did children start working in mines?

Most children started work underground when they were around eight years old, but some were as young as five. They would work the same hours as adults, sometimes longer, at jobs that paid far less.

What is the average age of a coal miner?

42 years old
The average age of an employed Coal Miner is 42 years old. The most common ethnicity of Coal Miners is White (82.3\%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.4\%) and Black or African American (4.7\%).

Why is coal mining bad for the environment for kids?

Mining removes stone (like granite), minerals (like diamonds), metals (like iron or copper) oil, coal, and gas from the Earth. Mining too often poisons (pollutes) land, air, and water near the area being mined. This destroys the habitats (homes) for many living creatures including us.

How do mines work for kids?

Mining is one of the worst forms of child labor. Miners use their hands and tools to collect raw material, extract metal and sell it through informal channels. The heavy work can permanently damage a growing child’s bones and muscles. Exposure to uranium and mercury can have profound health effects.

When did coal mining start?

Anthracite coal mining started around 1775 in northeastern Pennsylvania and, by the late 1700s, coal was mined in Mount Washington, in Pittsburgh. Soon thereafter, coal mining started in Ohio, Illinois, and other states.

How old did you have to be in 1900 to work as a coal miner in Victorian England?

A haulier would guide the horses from the coal face to the mine shaft. Hauliers were generally aged 14 to 17 years of age, and size was important – to big and would not fit in the mine shafts. Boys and girls as young as 6 would open ‘trap doors’ in the tunnels whenever a cart needed to come past.

What is the lifespan of coal?

Based on U.S. coal production in 2020, of about 0.535 billion short tons, the recoverable coal reserves would last about 470 years, and recoverable reserves at producing mines would last about 25 years.

How safe is coal mining?

Coal mining is a relatively dangerous industry. Employees in coal mining are more likely to be killed or to incur a non-fatal injury or illness, and their injuries are more likely to be severe than workers in private industry as a whole, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What are the effects of mining for kids?

Some of the major issues that have been identified have included reports of (1) sexual exploitation of children; (2) children being unable to attend school; and (3) environmental degradation that directly impacts children.

How does mining impact the environment for kids?

How is mining bad for the environment for kids?

There are many difficult environmental problems when mining our Earth. Mining too often poisons (pollutes) land, air, and water near the area being mined. This destroys the habitats (homes) for many living creatures including us. However, don’t forget that mines are needed for making many products that all of us use.