“The threat is greater than we thought”

Experts are warning that Africa’s great apes could be at serious risk amid a global push to find and obtain viable sources of clean, affordable energy. Mongabay reports that “strong conservation measures” will be integral to protecting this endangered animal population if mining activities are to take place in the area as part of a transition to renewable energy.

What’s going on?

Many people are working to move away from our current energy standard of burning coal, oil, and gas for fuel, which releases toxic pollutants into the environment, harming our health, economy, land, water, and more. The goal: Get rid of dirty energy while still powering the world.

That’s where alternative energy comes in. To build critical infrastructure—wind turbines, solar panels, batteries for electric vehicles—manufacturers need metals and minerals like aluminum and cobalt, the International Energy Agency explains. Because many of these key minerals are found in Africa, Mongabay reports, “African mining is expected to boom as the clean energy transition gains momentum.”

But if the mining isn’t approached with caution and vigilance, there could be serious downsides, the researchers warn: “Taking these minerals out of the Earth could have pretty serious consequences and cause these (great ape) habitats to disappear,” researcher Jessica Junker, lead author of a recent study on the subject, told Mongabay — adding that for great apes, “the threat is bigger than we thought.”

Why is this important?

As detailed in the Junker study, mining activities have significant impacts on the region through noise exposure, light pollution, the spread of disease and habitat destruction.

“Transition metal mining is a difficult balance between protecting biodiversity and climate action, both of which are pressing concerns,” Mongabay commented.

While the transition to sustainable energy is crucial, so is preserving biodiversity, whose benefits to us are widespread and essential, notes a University of Minnesota paper: “from medical breakthroughs to improved mental well-being and even a stronger economy,” as well as food security, disease protection and flood mitigation, according to the National Park Service.

What actions are being taken to protect great ape populations?

To mitigate damage to wildlife habitat, Mongabay listed some of the researchers’ possible considerations for mining initiatives. They included improved data sharing, increased regulation “to allow for great ape populations to disperse and relocate” early in the project’s exploration process, recognition of inherent threats to biodiversity, and a plan to avoid or change the issue through means of “fair compensation … (and) rehabilitation and restoration.”

The most important thing in progressing towards an alternative energy transition is to ensure that natural ecosystems and habitats are protected while harvesting and generating sustainable energy. We hope that these disturbing findings will lead to innovative solutions.

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