Hmmm same questions that is repeated after each incident.

We all want to live in high tech homes, drive high tech vehicles and have all the creature comforts. Yet these same people do not want mining, pipelines, dams on rivers,.... hmmm makes you wonder how such well educated people can be so ignorant about how the real world works.

We need electricity to survive, Just ask the Nisga's. We need the oil out of the ground, or we can not have our fresh strawberries in our stores in the middle of January. We need copper, aluminum, gold so that we can have our high tech toys.

If we lost electricity and oil. Most of us will likely die of starvation, or be killed for your horde. So stop the belly aching and stop hugging trees.... that Pine trees been dead for five years.

So, I wonder if those guys down there are going to get paid overtime for the 69 days that they spent down there?

So how do you get two exit routes out when your developing the mine?????????

"So how do you get two exit routes out when your developing the mine?????????"

Easy ..... unlike buildings, roads to subdivisions, etc. they allow tunnels to be separated by no less than 30 metres in order to be consider separate compartments.

Here are the regs

[url]http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/english/Regulations/Regulations/O1-1r2.pdf[url]

As far as the development phase goes, there are special provisions. See 44(2).

Does anyone know for sure that there was no second exit in the Chilaen situation? Both could be blocked, you know.

http://bittooth.blogspot.com/2010/10/chilean-mine-rescue-continues-with-4.html

From the above blog ....

"Mining will thus remain a dangerous occupation, perhaps even more so in the future. For just as we are now seeing, as the ASPO conference last week noted, the approach of peak oil, so we are also approaching peak minerals.

As with oil, the need for future supplies means that smaller and more difficult and dangerous deposits will be worked. In order to save on cost risks will be taken, and men will be trapped and die.

It is, sadly, a price that the bulk of society seems quite willing to pay.

Fortunately in this case that price does not have to be paid, but unfortunately in too many parts of the world it is still being paid on far too often a basis. And as the need for miners and the minerals and fuels that they produce continues to grow it is hard to see that situation changing much.

The 1,500 journalists who are in the desert, without decent accommodation and amenities will soon leave, I would not be surprised, after a while, to hear that miners were back, working in much the same conditions as before.

The world need and the money that it will be willing to pay will be incentive enough"

Gus, sure you can pound out two parallel tunnels to get you escape route, but until they are interconnected, their are no two exits.

Gus, it is true that Western society, Canada, US and most of European union live in fantasyland. Where we try to imply to the rest of the world that we are the elitest and everyone needs to bow down to us..... if you want our money.

90% of the world population live their lives as if it is expendable. We are the spoiled ignorant little brats of the world, who has no idea of how the food shows up at the table, or what it takes to have running water, and sewer drain that never fills up.

Something struck my train of thought last month.

"We Canadians are the few people who has the luxury of calling depression a sickness, In most society, it is called laziness or lack of ambition."

This ought to get a few emails flying

I guess you did not read the regs "he spoke".

When Gratton says: "The very basic safety measure in B.C. is that you have to have more than one exit, it is a very basic requirement, it is required by law." he refers to the regulations I linked to. That is his interpretation.

You want to use yours? ..... it means squat!

So does my notion of what two exits means and anyone else's.

So, if Gratton wants to accuse Chile of having regs that are less safe, let him go ahead. The fact is, as 44(2) says, it comes down to what an inspector thinks is safe in the case of the development phase of a mine.

http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/english/Regulations/Regulations/O1-1r2.pdf

I think what is coming out of this exercise in Chile is that equipment that was used to drill the escape route after the fact should be available at similar types of mines for immediate use.

"We Canadians are the few people who has the luxury of calling depression a sickness, In most society, it is called laziness or lack of ambition."

What do you mean by most societies? Please do not include most of the western societies in that. I suspect Canada is quite backwards, actually, when compared to Europe.

Then there are those societies that don't have the understanding to call it either.

Let me see your hypothesis and raise you another one.

"Ambition is a two edged sword. Where ambition ends, happiness begins"

Where ambition ends, happiness begins....Wow, can you pass the roach clip.

While you mull over that one my friend, think about the USA and the words from its declaration of independence ... the sovereing rights of man ... the "pursuit of life, liberty and happiness"

Nothing about pursuing money, or being better than anyone else ...

A whole nation founded on the sanctity of life, liberty and the ability to be happy.

Gee, and I thought in here it would be more appropriate to say "pass the beer". :-)

mmmmm ... yeah man, like I believe that man. I'm kind of getting the munchies.

The USA is 23rd on the list of happy countries.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/happiest_countries/index_01.htm?chan=rss_topSlideShows_ssi_5

"the top-scoring capitalist countries also tended to have strong social services" In other words, they are more like to call depression a sickness. :-)

Also from the top list, number 8 ...

No. 8: Bhutan
Population: 2.3 million
Life Expectancy: 55 years
GDP Per Capita: $1,400

"The small Asian nation of Bhutan ranks eighth in the world, despite relatively low life expectancy, a literacy rate of just 47%, and a very low GDP per capita. Why? Researchers credit an unusually strong sense of national identity. Plus, the country has beautiful scenery and a largely unspoiled culture, thanks to strict governmental limits on tourism, development, and immigration. Pretty counterintuitive, but Bhutan seems to have found a recipe for happiness."

Number 10? ... Canada, far ahead of the USA ...

No. 10: Canada
Population: 33 million
Life Expectancy: 80 years
GDP Per Capita: $34,000

Canada may sometimes feel overshadowed by its giant neighbor to the south, but a strong sense of national identity and abundant natural beauty help make the sprawling and sparsely populated country one of the world's happiest. Canada also punches above its weight economically, with a huge $1.1 trillion GDP and per-capita that ranks among the world's highest. It also has strong health care and a low crime rate.

Of course, going by the general feeling of the posters on this site, they seem to be residing in a different Canada than I am residing in.

To quote Trudeau as he shrugs his shoulders ... "ah .. two solitudes, c'est la vie ...." :-)

Fer cry'in out loud, will both of yuh get a room??!!