I rant and complain a bit too much, I think. I see bad things everywhere. And all the time. That’s no way to live. You have to be positive. That’s hard work for me. I’m a natural skeptic, and that’s only a step or two away from cynic. No one likes a cynic.

My mom is a very upbeat person. But she’s not one of those Pollyanna types, she’s too earthy for that. It’s actually a concerted effort on her part. Mom just prefers to look on the bright side and so she does.

I like mining.com because I’m interested in natural resources. Regardless of your outlook on the world’s future, one thing is certain: we will need massive amounts of mined materials.

If you’re a techno-optimist you obviously support the expansion of mining as the new AI-led Cryp-topia will need one hell of a lot of computers and a boatload of electricity to run them.

If you’re the eco-topia type with a goat in the backyard and solar roof tiles, you’ll need a hell of a lot of electricity and a boatload of computers. You may or may not support the expansion of mining.

Regardless, the future is here and everyone needs stuff we dig out of the ground. I came across an article on mining.com about a tire company that’s doing its best to conserve, that is, use its resources wisely. They are doing cool stuff. That makes me feel good. Capitalism has a way of turning certain humans into sociopathic swine (see Musk, Elon; Bezos, Jeff; or Zuckerberg, Mark). That makes me feel bad. Like I said, I need to be more positive.

Capitalism also has a way of stimulating innovation. It’s a huge force for good in the world because it creates wealth and lifts people out of poverty.

Kal Tire supplies tires to the mining industry. You’ve seen those gigantic tires on big trucks and tractors. I once stood next to a hauler at an open-pit mine site and the tires were taller than me. And that was a medium-sized rig. The mining industry uses a lot of tires. Big tires on big vehicles in gnarly places that wear out quickly.

These guys (they are a British Columbia company) have a pretty cool recycling program. They have a plant in Chile (the world’s largest supplier of copper) that processes old tires. They use a special furnace that heats without oxygen and they can recover a lot:

A full load, five 63-inch tires, generates 6,500 litres of alternative fuel, 4,000 kilograms of steel, 8,000 kg of carbon ash, all for reuse in new materials, plus enough synthetic gas to fuel the plant for several hours.

A lot of small-scale solutions add up to big changes. This kind of cool stuff makes me feel good. People are smart and creative. With the right incentives, people can solve a lot of problems. Governments should reward and encourage companies that reduce their environmental footprint.

I’ll write about more cool stuff when I find it.