OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is the bridge between the present and the future that ensures a legacy of progress.
Dark Truth of the Chalk Industry
Chalk's Irreversible Environmental Impact
Traditional chalk, magnesium carbonate, is excavated through destructive mining practices, destroying the mountains we climbers love.
The inefficient supply chain and significant CO2 emissions from refining contributes to climate change.
Magnesite Pollution
Magnesium mining produces hydromagnesite, a mineral waste product that leaches into the soil and water.
These practices has been shown to reduce microbial diversity and ruin soil physicochemical properties leading to reduced agricultural productivity for land reclamation.
Effect on Human Health
The mining process drives magnesia dust airborne, leading to respiratory issues in both miners and neighboring populations. The use of chemicals in the mining process and toxins in mining tailings poses a health risk to the residents.
Heavy metals from mining could be present in traditional magnesium products.
These issues highlight the need for more sustainable practices and a greater awareness of the environmental impact of climbing.
Revolutionizing Magnesium Production
Petra produces chalk from the byproduct of solar-powered desalination plants. By adding a sodium bicarbonate solution to the brine, the carbonate ions react with the magnesium ions forming an insoluble magnesium carbonate precipitate for filtering into chalk.
Mg (aq) + CO3 (aq) → MgCO3(s)
2+
2-
Discover Our Initiatives
Explore the change Petra is making in our local communities. Join us on a movement towards a better world.
