Selling out - the compromising of, or the perception of compromising, integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or success -Wikipedia.org.
As an ecologist working for a mining company I get called a sell-out a lot. And while most people would not study four years of environment and conservation only to join the world of mining, I have always strongly denied being a sell-out. I have truly believed you make more difference working with mining companies that working against them (see post below: A necessary evil - my rant) but recently those words have begun to sound hollow even to me.
You see while South Africa has some of the most advanced environmental legislation in the world we are not yet ready for it Applications for authorisations can take years to finalise and understanding what activities need to be applied for under three different acts each monitored by a different department can be a minefield. In addition the application of these laws is often extremely hap-hazard and often politically motivated. Its a first world system in a country that for the most part is miles behind.
Another problem with this legislation is affordability of compliance. Proper environmental management can cost more than a given mineral asset may be worth. In this regard Junior mining companies have traditionally gotten away with murder in terms of environmental management. As such junior miners often mine the more marginal resources as the capital outlay associated with legislated environmental management measures would deem many resources unprofitable.
In my job I find myself increasingly trying to motivate measures that while supported in principal we just cannot afford. The process of environmental management, the time frames associated with applications and the cost of infrastructure mean that even the most willing companies often have to reject full compliance and best practice management measures.
At some point even the most hardened activists need to be practical and compromise on the ideal in favour of the possible. The question is at what point is the cost of compromise too much. At what point do you say enough and walk away. Its certainly easier to be idealistic when you are a student without bills to pay.
One of my favourite pieces of prose is by a lady writing as Oriah Mountain Dreamer. Its called The invitation and the author describes it as an expression of all the things she really did want to know about and share with others. The final line of this poem asks "I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments." I suppose when the answer to that question is no that is when you realise you have in fact sold out...
