Editor's letter

Welcome to the latest issue of MINE Australia.

Breaking the ice can mean breaking new ground. As part of its imperial ambitions, Russia’s government hopes to open up new routes for shipping, enabling mining in the north of the country. Enabled by global warming, and in turn pushing it further, we look at the ships that would enable investment in the otherwise frozen north.

In another development enabled by global warming, miners are prospecting Greenland for its mineral wealth, and we look at the country’s view. Prospecting itself has come a long way, and we ask what new miners need to know about advancing technology.

Elsewhere, we look at how shortcuts around pollution are exposing hundreds of children to mercury and lead. These poisonous metals have entered the blood of Namibian citizens, who are now fighting to expose alleged wrongdoing at gold mines in the country.

All this in your edition of MINE.

Matt Farmer, editor