Is it possible to mine copper without using fossil fuels?

copper mining is no different than any other industrial operation. Primary mining equipment uses diesel fuel (haul trucks and excavators) and/or electricity (shovels and processing equipment--pumps, crushers, mills, conveyor belts, electrowinning). Many newer operations tend to no longer employ smelting, though smelting is still an important part of the global copper balance as a source of sulfuric acid required for heap leaching and general copper processing (copper sulfate). Some very clean and modernized legacy operations (Kennecott in Salt Lake) are great examples of a modern smelter--operated on a continuous basis for high efficiency (meaning CLEAN).