This page displays a collection of online videos about mining and extraction with a focus on how mining practices can be much less damaging to the natural environment. Video topics include mine planning and development, socially responsible and green mineral exploration and extraction, mining management and operations, site closure and reclamation, tailings and mine waste containment, and clean up of abandoned mines.

Our society uses many raw materials that are extracted from the earth, such as iron, coal, uranium, diamonds, and gold. Mining often has a significant impact on the surrounding living natural environment and can adversely impact human health as well. Measures can be taken to mitigate these impacts and also to protect mine workers. Once mines are closed, it is vital to both monitor the sites and restore the surrounding lands and waters.

Towards More Sustainable Mining. Liisa Rohweder, Secretary General at WWF Finland, and Olivier Guyot, Vice President of Minerals Technology at Metso, discuss the possibilities that new, energy-efficient and water-saving technologies offer for the mining industry. About 4 minutes. Play Video >>

Sustainable Development and Mining. Dr. Lyuba Zarsky presents on her report "Can extractive industries promote sustainable development? A net benefits framework and a case study of the Marlin mine in Guatemala." And Dr. Chris Anderson shares experiences and observations about sustainable development and corporate-community relations in the mining context. About 82 minutes. Play Video >>

Sustainable Mining. Sustainable mining makes good economic sense. Companies that incorporate sustainable mining practices can reduce their environmental footprint and remediation costs. New technology and research shows how minerals can be extracted without harming the earth. In this video, Saskatchewan Research Council experts discuss the benefits of green mining. About 2 minutes. Play Video >>

Ground Rules: Mining Right for a Sustainable Future. This video follows the development of new and operating mines as geologists, engineers and mine managers tackle complex problems and draw on the experiences and achievements of other mine sites to illustrate creative and core concepts of sustainable development and social responsibility. About 23 minutes. Play Video >>

Sustainable Economic Alternatives to Open-Pit Mining. This is the story of a Wisconsin fight against open-pit mining. In 2013, public officials ignored objections when they passed a law deregulating iron mining in the state. Those who are working for a sustainable economic future and to protect their watersheds see open-pit iron mining as something that may bring short-term jobs, but will cause long-term damage to the region. About 4 minutes. Play Video >>

The Green Mining Initiative. This initiative of Natural Resources Canada aims to improve the mining sector's environmental performance and create green technology opportunities. About 8 minutes. Play Video >>

Mining For Smartphones: The Tin Mines of Bangka Island – Part 1. A three part documentary series produced by Friends of the Earth showing the environmental and social impacts of tin mining on Bangka Island. Friends of the Earth calls on major international mobile phone manufacturers to take responsibility for the local and wider environmental and social impacts of the materials used in their products. About 13 minutes. Play Video – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Faces of Prestea: Impact of Mining in Rural Communities in Ghana. This documentary focuses on the community of Prestea, and highlights the human rights violations residents are suffering from due to gold mining in the area. About 23 minutes. Play Video >>

Mountaintop Removal: An American Tragedy. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, this video shows mountaintop removal coal mining and its impacts on Appalachian mountains, drinking water and families. Mountaintop removal is a mining practice where explosives are used to blast the tops off mountains to expose the thin seams of coal beneath. Once blasted, earth and coal dust from the mountaintop are dumped into neighboring valleys and waterways.
About 2 minutes. Play Video >>

This Mine Is Yours - Part 1. This mini-documentary shows how a medium-scale mining operation in Mindanao, Philippines can make sustainable development work for indigenous people despite the regulatory, social, and cultural challenges present in its business environment. About 24 minutes. Play Video - Part 1, 2, 3.

Sustainable Mining Practices. Wings Over Canada flies into Hoidas Lake in Saskatchewan to learn about mining impacts and sustainable development. About 3 minutes. Play Video >>

End of the Rainbow. Preview for the documentary End of the Rainbow, a film about the impacts of the multinational gold mining industry on the economy, environment, and traditions of a local community in Guinea. About 2 minutes. Play Video >>