Tap manufacture (credit: Triflow Concepts, courtesy of CDA UK)
Copper has been hitting the news recently for two main reasons. Firstly, that its bullion price is going through the roof and investments in copper, and demand for the material, has been higher than ever before. Secondly, and related to the first, is because copper and other base metals have become a target for opportunistic and serious organised crime. Therefore the list of people and organisations that have an interest in copper expands to criminals, crime agencies, investors and brokers and the owners of large quantities of working copper such as Network Rail (in the UK) and British Telecom (who is responsible for the cable that delivers telephone and internet across the UK). However copper crime is not just a UK concern. It is also increasing in other countries, as illustrated by the single-handed ‘granny’ who was scrumping for copper and brought down Armenia’s entire access to the internet (although it apparently turned out to be fibre optic).
An un-named 75 year old grandmother in Georgia it to appear in court after she brought down the entire internet for the country of Armenia with nothing more technical than a spade.
In February this year copper crime had reached the national headlines and has been declared the second biggest threat to society after terrorism. Copper theft is also having a direct impact on heritage as illustrated by the story from March this year when the theft of overhead copper cable from the Manx Electric Railway was declared:
A crime against the Island’s heritage
It is with this kind of example that we see how closely past, present and future are connected by copper. Preserving and learning about copper’s heritage is not just about saving derelict industrial buildings but it is about understanding how vital this metal is in our lives today and how much they would change if our access to it was seriously threatened or damaged.
