Photographer Tom Hegen uses aerial imagery to showcase the significant environmental impacts of mining operations for critical minerals. His work, spanning six years, captures landscapes transformed by the extraction of minerals vital for modern technologies and the green energy transition.
Using aircraft and drones, Hegen documents detailed scenes of mining regions, including discolored watercourses, waste accumulation, and sediment plumes affecting coastal areas. An elevated perspective, he states, provides a powerful way to observe and understand Earth’s transformed landscapes. His images aim to encourage closer examination of these often-hidden consequences, such as the lithium mining operations in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Source: Mongabay