New Eden Project book shows what can be done with disused mines

June 5, 2009

An Eden Project author is taking the Cornish attraction’s example of post-mining regeneration to a worldwide audience with her new book 101 Things to do with a Hole in the Ground.

Georgina Pearman shows how many innovative projects have been built in disused mines – including a football stadium, film set, mushroom farm, sauna, wine cellar and airport - demonstrating that the impacts of mining can be converted from liability to opportunity and benefit for communities.

Bold, colour illustrations and descriptions of each of the projects take the reader on a world tour of heritage and tourism attractions, wildlife habitats, educational, sport and leisure facilities and dozens of industrial uses.

Georgina works on a number of responsible mining initiatives based at the Eden Project in Cornwall – itself a disused china clay quarry.

One such initiative is the Post-Mining Alliance, an expert team largely based at the Eden Project that works with partners and grass-root community groups to develop better solutions to the problems of mining legacy and mine closure. 101 Things to do with a Hole in the Ground is the Alliance’s signature book.

Georgina says: “It has been a fascinating journey researching this book. I have met some wonderful characters who are rightly proud of their contribution to the post-mining world and who were keen to share their story. One of my favourites is the 36 kilometres of wine cellars in a disused limestone mine in Moldova. I have a feeling that this is only just the beginning, though – there are bound to be uses we haven’t heard of yet.”

101 Things to do with a Hole in the Ground is sponsored by the European association of mining industries, Euromines, and the Rio Tinto-Eden Project partnership, which focuses on jointly developing initiatives to drive better performance by the mining industry.

101 Things to do with a Hole in the Ground is out now, price £9.99, and is available from bookshops, the Eden Project Shop and online at www.edenproject.com/shop/101.