ABSTRACT
Many of the materials used in developing human civilization are mined from deposits in the Earth where they were accumulated by the slow geological processes of the past. Major mining in Florida includes the phosphate deposits, mineral sands containing titanium, peat deposits, and quarries for limestone and sand. Phosphate mining accounts for nearly 5000 acres of strip-mining per year. Florida now has laws requiring the reclamation of mined lands. Small groups of oil wells are located in Sunniland wells in southwest Florida around the Big Cypress swamp, but most of the wells have exhausted the supply. The values of the mined product need to be compared with the loss of productivity of the years of interrupted land productivity during mining and the 50 years sometimes required for soil restoration. Florida could generate more wealth by using its phosphates to boost its own soil fertility than by selling it for cash.
