According to the Minister of Energy and Mines (MEM) of the Dominican Republic, Anthony Almontethe development of mining it is transversal to the social, economic, cultural, technological and communicational development of all humanity.
“What it is about is to see how we continue with this activity and, at the same time, preserve other fundamental aspects for life in civilization. In other words, natural resources, water, the environment, among others,” said the official.
Almonte spoke at the beginning of the Diploma on mining for journalists that takes place at the Catholic University of Santo Domingo.
“The technological revolution that the world has experienced in recent decades and also in medicine has had a lot to do with the development of mining for new materials,” he said.
He added that materials that are not new, but that were previously only used in certain activities, are now used in a very massive way in certain types of production, such as gold, silver, and nickel.
“Gold and silver are great conductors of electricity,” said the head of Energy and Mines.
He pointed out that devices that are built, that need microcircuits to circulate electricity, for certain miniature signals, gold and silver are being used a lot.
He said that the same happens in the technological transformations in the field of medicine and the development of many applications for therapy and, above all, for capturing images that allow diagnosis in which the doctor seems to be seeing the structure and the internal functionality of the organs.
“People don’t know that these images are impossible to achieve without the receivers of the signals, which could be radiation of any kind or sound waves, not having the capacity to make them. And those receptors or panels, whatever you want to call them, those receptors are made up of materials of mining origin. Without them the magnetic resonances, the computerized tomography, the new ultrasound technologies; moreover, the applications of radiation for the elimination or treatment of cancer, you would not have it without those (mining) materials”, he explained.
The first Diploma on Mining for journalists is organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines in conjunction with the Dominican College of Journalists (CDP). The training program is made up of seven modules and four field visits.
In addition, it is aimed at professionals of social communication, interested in knowing about the extractive industry and the reasons why the mining constitutes a key pillar in the energy transition.
According to MEM data, the objective is to offer academic and professional training on the extractive industry with the purpose of contributing to a greater understanding of the contributions that mining activity makes for the benefit of human, economic and social development.
“A narration is more credible if the journalist has the knowledge and specialized training of the subject he is going to write about. The mining It is one of the most important activities in the country. Although the majority of the Dominican population is almost completely unaware of how it works, what its advantages and disadvantages are,” said the president of the Dominican College of Journalists (CDP), Aurelio Henríquez.
He said that responsible mining has direct benefits on economic growth and the improvement of the population’s quality of life.
“It creates direct and indirect jobs, generates foreign currency for the State, generates infrastructure in the towns and in the communities where the mining projects are developed. However, the mining illegal or the mining uncontrolled, if we refer to socio-environmental studies, it leaves many problems in nature and in the communities, in addition to economic losses. For this reason, it is important to promote a responsible and legal culture in the miningHenriquez noted.
Among the exhibitors of the first module were Osiris De León, geological engineer, member of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic and scientific advisor to the Executive Power in Geosciences and Seismicity; Rolando Munoz, CEO of miningand Miguel Díaz, Vice Minister of Mines.
