Mineral wealth under the flowers

Rocky outcrops and hills among the open plains of Namaqualand remind of the mineral wealth that lies hidden in the ground here. Fortunately the mines have mostly been small, compared to what has scarred other regions. So the delicate diversity has here been largely protected so far.  

The lure of subterranean riches that has brought the diggers here from the early copper mining days is, however, still not gone. Human needs and interests straddle both the enjoyment of natural beauty and the materialistic side of accessing the mineral resources.

We have to learn the balance among the full range of our needs and the price involved in pursuing each. The tipping point of this balance shifts continually as the human population numbers increase.