Sven Zacek / 'Piusa Caves', man-made sand mines. Southern Estonia, Europe, April.

Pete Oxford / Aerial view of Alluvial Gold Mine in the rainforest, Guyana , December 2009

Pete Oxford / Aerial view of Alluvial Gold Mine in the rainforest, Guyana, December 2009

Angelo Gandolfi / Las Medulas, Cordillera Cantabrica, Castilla y Leon, Spain. The landscape, now a natural reserve, is man-made: the rock formations are the result of iron mining since Roman times and the wood is culti...

Jose B. Ruiz / Fig leaf in water from the Ro Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured deep red by iron dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Hue...

Jose B. Ruiz / Ro Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured deep red by iron dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain .

Jose B. Ruiz / Water from the Ro Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured by minerals dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain

Andrew Cooper / Aerial view of Foxtrot Mire and tin works. Devon, UK.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Land mine warning, as result of war activity, Velebit Nature Park, Rewilding Europe area, Velebit mountains, Croatia June 2012

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Land mine warnings, as result of Bosnian war, Velebit Nature Park, Rewilding Europe area, Velebit mountains, Croatia June 2012

Mark Taylor / Men working the sulphur mine at Kawah Ijen, Java, Indonesia.

Mark Taylor / People working at sulphur mine at Kawah Ijen, Java, Indonesia.

Mark Taylor / Sulphur mine at Kawah Ijen, Java, Indonesia.

Alex Hyde / Disused iron wellhead, lift mechanism and mine works. Magpie Mine, a disused lead mine, Peak District National Park, UK, March 2008.

Roy Mangersnes / Water polluted by mercury from gold mining processes joins clean water of the Mapiri River, part of the upper reaches of the Amazon, Bolivia, November

Bert Willaert / Open gold mine at the border of the Atewa Forest Reserve. Ghana, September.

Ross Hoddinott / Abandoned tin mineshafts above rugged coastal rocks. Botallack Head, near St Just, Cornwall, UK, March 2011.

Simon Colmer / Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner mines on Horse chestnut leaf caused by larvae of (Cameraria ohridella) Sussex, UK, July

Simon Colmer / Leaf mines on (Leucanthemum sp) leaf caused by the larvae of some lepidoptera species, probably a bucculatricid leaf-miner, UK, July

John Cancalosi / Bingham canyon mine, one of the biggest open pit copper mines in the world. The pit can be seen from space. Also mined for gold, silver and molybdenum. Utah, USA, August 2010

Charlie Summers / Aerial view of the Big Hole diamond mine at Kimberley, South Africa

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Truck being loaded with coal at Kotuy Mine, the most northerly coal mine on Russian mainland. Taymyr, Northern Siberia, Russia, 2004.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Giant digger loading ore into back of truck at an open mine near Norilsk. Western Siberia, Russia, 2000.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Workers in a lift at the end of their shift at the October Mine near Norilsk. Western Siberia, Russia, 2000.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Driver in the cab of an underground train in the October Mine near Norilsk. Western Siberia, Russia, 2000.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Gold mine near the town of Bilibino. Chukotka, Siberia, Russia, 1994.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Digger being used for gold mining near Bilibino. Chukotka, Siberia, Russia, 1994.

Gerrit Vyn / Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) large flock infected with white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease which causes a distinctive ring of fungal growth around the muzzles and on the wings of cave bats. Ulster C...

Nick Garbutt / Derelict remains of an old mineral mining hut and rail wagon stock, Shorline, Northern Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Arctic Norway, June 2009

Ross Hoddinott / Chimney stack of old abandonned tin mine on Cape Cornwall, nr St Just, Cornwall, UK. June 2009.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Cerro del Hierro (Iron hill), site of ancient roman iron mines, Parque Natural Sierra Norte, Sierra Morena, Andalucia, Spain, February 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Cerro del Hierro (Iron hill), site of roman ancient iron mines, Parque Natural Sierra Norte, Sierra Morena, Andalucia, Spain, February 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Cerro del Hierro (Iron hill), site of ancient roman iron mines, Parque Natural Sierra Norte, Sierra Morena, Andalucia, Spain, February 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Cerro del Hierro (Iron hill), site of roman ancient iron mines, Parque Natural Sierra Norte, Sierra Morena, Andalucia, Spain, February 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Cerro del Hierro (Iron hill), site of ancient roman iron mines, Parque Natural Sierra Norte, Sierra Morena, Andalucia, Spain, February 2008

Doc White / Japanese Anti Ship Mine, Marshall Islands, Micronesia.

Pete Oxford / Sheep dog beside fence protecting people and livestock from an area that has mines in it, Port Howard, Northern end of West Falkland, Falkland Islands

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Young men holding their torches in their mouth while digging 10 meters underground in the coltan mines of Muhanga, Rwanda. This mineral is radioactive and these young miners are killing their lungs by...

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miner with hands full of coltan metallic ore, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miner with hands full of coltan metallic ore, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miner with hands full of coltan metallic ore, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Eric Baccega / Miners working in an artisanal coltan open-pit mine, Muhanga coltan mines, Rwanda, Africa, March 2009

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Dan Burton / China Clay pits near Newquay and St Austell, Cornwall, UK May 2009.

Ross Hoddinott / Towanroath Engine House from the old tin mines, Wheal Coates, near St Agnes, Cornwall, UK. July 2008.

Ross Hoddinott / Towanroath Engine House from the old tin mines, Wheal Coates, near St Agnes, Cornwall, UK. July 2008.

Eric Baccega / Aerial view of the ice road in the tundra connecting the gold mines to the city of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Eric Baccega / Truck on the ice road transporting fuel to the mines, Northwest Territories, Canada

Eric Baccega / Truck on the ice road transporting fuel to the mines, Northwest Territories, Canada

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Aerial view of destruction of bodies of water and rainforest caused by diamond mining, on the shore of Madeira River, Western Rondônia State, Western Brazil.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Aerial view of deforestation caused by diamond prospecting / mining in the Amazon upland rainforest, Northwestern Mato Grosso State, Western Brazil.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Aerial view of deforestation caused by diamond prospectors mining at the Roosevelt Indian Area of the Cinta-larga Indians, Rondônia State, Western Brazil.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Aerial view of deforestation caused by diamond prospectors mining at the Roosevelt Indian Area of the Cinta-larga Indians, Rondônia State, Western Brazil.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Aerial view of gold mine at Borda Sierra, Mato Groso State, Brazil.

Peter Lewis / The Crowns, old Tin mine towers on the coast, Botallack, Cornwall, UK

Roy Mangersnes / Buidling remains from mining activities in northern Norway, Troms. July

Roy Mangersnes / Daubenton's Bat (Myotis daubentonii) hibernating in an old mine in Rogaland, Norway. February

Philippe Clement / Tourists visiting the old ochre mines at Roussillon, Provence, France. June 2008.

Philippe Clement / Tourists visiting the old ochre mines at Roussillon, Provence, France. June 2008.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Salt mines of Fuencaliente on La Palma, Canary Islands

Juan Manuel Borrero / Salt mines of Marroig in the Marine Reserve of Freus d´Eivissa i Formentera. Formentera Island, Balearic Islands

Jose B. Ruiz / Bridge over the Riotinto river, mineral rich soil mined for iron which seeps into and discolours the river water, Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Aerial view of Riotinto River with iron deposits from local mines, Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Bridge over the Riotinto river, mineral rich soil mined for iron which seeps into and discolours the river water, Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Aerial view of Riotinto River with mineral deposits from local mines, Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Aerial view of Riotinto River with mineral deposits from local mines, Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Mineral deposits in Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured by minerals dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain...

Jose B. Ruiz / Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured deep red by iron dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain .

Jose B. Ruiz / Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured deep red by iron dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Leaf in water from the Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured deep red by iron dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelv...

Jose B. Ruiz / Aerial view of the Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured by minerals dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain.

Jose B. Ruiz / Aerial view of the Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured by minerals dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental problems. Huelva, Spain.

Jose B. Ruiz / Deposits of minerals in water from the Río Tinto, or Red River, very acidic and coloured by minerals dissolved in the water that drains from the local Riotinto mines causing severe environmental prob...

Albert Lleal / Salt crystal stalactites in the salt mines of Cardona, Barcelona, Spain

Theo Allofs / Gold mines during rainy season, Pantanal, Brazil

Juan Manuel Borrero / Salt mine terraces, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Salt mines, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Indian men and woman working at the salt pools, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Indian woman working on salt pool, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Indian boys working on salt pool, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Aerial view of salt mines, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Man walking along wall in salt mines, Maras, Peru 2006.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Aerial view of salt mines, Maras, Peru 2006.