mine. But as the economy grows, the environment suffers.
The air and water is contaminated with uranium from the mines. Cattle are now producing
deformed babies. Cattle are living beings! How cruel is this to the mothers, producing a two-
headed calf! How can these people survive? With so much radiation in our resources, will humans
mutate too?
Mining not only harms crops and animals, it also drains away water. This means even less
water is around for the people.
Many people refuse to admit the cost of mining. Some even say the water in the Gobi
naturally contains traces of arsenic, selenium and even uranium. Watching the huge trucks
moving the treasures away, I can’t help wonder, to the people of the Gobi, is this the blessing or
the curse?
Bibliography
The Telegraph, The Gobi: Mongolia’s Desert Playground, Nigel Richardson
Asia LIFE Magazine Edition: October 2009
Earth Island Journal, Mongolia’s Gobi Desert Increased Mining Raises Pollution Fears
Encyclopedia Britannica High for Kids
