White jade, especially the kind known as nephrite, is a beautiful and valuable stone used in jewelry and art. But getting it out of the ground can cause big problems for nature and people.
When miners dig for white jade, they often move a lot of earth. This can destroy forests, change rivers, and ruin farmland. The land around mining sites gets stripped bare or covered in piles of waste rock. Animals lose their homes, and plants that once grew there are gone.
Water pollution is another serious issue. Mining uses chemicals to clean or process the stone, and these chemicals can leak into nearby rivers or lakes. People who live close by might find their drinking water unsafe because it’s been contaminated with dangerous substances from the mine.
Dust from mining operations spreads through the air too. This dust can make people sick if they breathe it in every day—especially children who are more sensitive to pollution than adults.
Local communities often have little say about whether mining happens near them or not. Sometimes companies start digging without asking permission or explaining what will happen to the land after they leave. This lack of consultation makes people feel powerless and angry when their environment is damaged.
The effects don’t stop when mining ends either. Abandoned mines can keep polluting for years if nothing is done to clean them up properly.
White jade may be prized for its beauty but extracting it comes at a high cost—not just money but also harm to nature and health risks for local people who depend on clean air, water, and land every day.