Pub. 6 2016 Issue 3

7 MINING FOCUS Mark Compton, President PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE T he temperaturesaredropping and winter driving conditions are here, so stay warm and be careful. I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmastime festivities, including all the wonderful foods and traditions that go with it. And, I hope you are able to spend time with your family, even if you must travel to do so. We have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is being able to do all those things. The purpose of the Mining Focus magazine is to further the understanding of how mining makes our modern life possible; how it raises our standard of living. Similar to past issues in which we demonstrate the connection between mining and communications, energy, health care or transportation to name a few, this issue is dedicated to how mining makes our holiday celebrations possible. Certainly that is not something that is at the forefront of most people’s minds. We go about our everyday lives not giving a thought to what it takes to make our comfortable existence possible. But, if you are a regular reader of the Mining Focus I hope you do sometimes give it a second thought. I hope you think about the thousands of miners right here in Utah who work every day to make all of our lives better. Because you see, mining is not just another industry. It is the foundation upon which our civilization is built. The diversity of materials mined in Utah touches every aspect of our lives. From the copper, gold, and silver in our homes, cars and electronics, to the stone, sand and gravel used to build roads and lay foundations for homes and buildings, to the coal and uranium used to generate more than half the nation’s electricity, to the potash and phosphate used to grow our nation’s food supply, our economy and way of life depend on the vital resources provided by mining. It is my sincere hope that you have a safe and happy holiday season. As you celebrate with your families during this season of giving thanks, as you travel by planes, trains and automobiles, as you enjoy holiday meals in the comfort and security of your homes, take a moment to be thankful there are men and women out there making that very thing possible. Be thankful there are miners. X I hope you think about the thousands of miners right here in Utah who work every day to make all of our lives better. Because you see, mining is not just another industry. It is the foundation upon which our civilization is built.