Why We Mine

It’s no secret the mining sector has experienced some recruitment challenges over the years. Things like public perception and a lack of trust, which we’ve explored in previous episodes, certainly deserve some of the blame. But if we’re going to ensure we have the materials we need for the green energy transition, the industry needs an influx of fresh talent.  In this season finale episode of...

What is the role of Indigenous Peoples in the global race to secure the critical minerals we need for the green energy transition? And how can the mining industry and Indigenous communities work together to forge an equitable future? In this episode of Why We Mine, presented by Teck, host Robin Stickley speaks with two people with an intimate understanding of the nuanced relationship between Indig...

It’s one of the first metals human beings ever mined, and the first to be smelted, cast into molds, and alloyed with another metal. And today, copper has become just as important to humankind as it was to those early Sumerian, Egyptian, and Roman civilizations. But why is it so critical, and why do we need so much of it? In this episode of Why We Mine, presented by Teck, host Robin Stickley explor...

The term “critical minerals” has been getting tossed around a lot lately. Most people know that certain elements are essential to many modern conveniences and technologies we take for granted, like our smartphones and electric cars. But which metals are we talking about exactly, why are they so important to the green energy transition, how much of them do we need, and what’s the mining industry’s...

When it comes to how industries are portrayed in pop culture, mining companies probably wouldn't make the Top 5 list of the villains everyone loves to hate - but they might make the Top 10. From science fiction tentpoles like Dune, Avatar, and Star Wars, to TV shows like The Expanse and True Detective, and even fantasy franchises like The Lord of the Rings, characters and companies that mine are o...

What is trust? How do you measure it? And more importantly, how do you earn it back once you’ve lost it? Those three questions are at the root of a growing conversation within the mining industry. In this episode of Why We Mine, presented by Teck, host Robin Stickley sits down with Rohitesh Dhawan, the President and CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals, who delivered some straight...

What are critical minerals and why are they so important to the green energy transition? How can the mining industry work with communities, including Indigenous Peoples, to foster trust and further Reconciliation? And why does mining always seem to get a bad rap in movies and TV shows? Those are just a few of the big questions at the heart of season two of Why We Mine as host Robin Stickley explor...

What happens after a mine site closes? We all know mining disrupts land, so proper land reclamation is a critical part of the process. Modern mining companies aren’t just cleaning up after themselves. The goal is to leave an area better, stronger, and more diverse than they found it. We talk to Carleigh Whitman, Director of Environment at Teck Resources, about how the industry prepares a site for...

The world is a collection of global communities, which begs the question: How do mining companies give back and invest in the places they operate? The process of investing in these communities has changed, but how? To answer that question, we'll speak to Amparo Cornejo, Vice President, South America at Teck about programs and initiatives at work in Chile and Herman Urrejola, Social Management and...

Water. It's an essential resource for people, communities, and the environment, and it’s also critical to the mining process. We talk to Laura Volden, Hydrogeochemist from SRK Consulting, about the science behind water's role in mining and Chris Kennedy, Director of Water at Teck, about how sustainable mining practices are elevating the conversation. It's more complex, intricate, and nuanced than...

Copper has long been used in cooking, roofing, and making beautiful jewelry. It’s also a key component in the transition to an electrified future, and its antimicrobial superpower is the focus of scientific study. As copper works behind the scenes to stop the spread of germs, what will it mean for public health over the next hundred years? We talk to Dr. Marthe Charles, Head Of Division Medical Mi...

The future is here. It's emerging faster than we can keep up with. We talk to Chris Adachi, Director of Climate Change at Teck, about the demand for more resources to power the exploding electric vehicles sector, and the challenges with charging everything from cars to fleets of buses. We also talk to Mark Rabin, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at Portable Electric, about the green future and...

When was the last time you stopped to think about all of the components that make up every single product you use each day? From the device you’re reading an email on to your favorite kitchen appliance, mining touches every aspect of your life. And yet, so often we don’t connect the importance of the products of mining to our modern existence. Is it time to rethink our attitude towards mining? We...

Join our host and journalist Robin Stickley as she digs into some fascinating conversations about what, how, and Why We Mine. Think about it - practically everything around you that isn’t born or grown is mined. The toothpaste you brush with every morning, the vehicle you use to get around, even the screen you’re reading this on right now contain minerals extracted from the earth. As the climate w...