Ok, picture a gun pointed in your face or youself laying under hundreds tonns of rock with tempture dropping and air running out...and now ask youself, do you really would feel that help is nearby? I don't think so...you are missing a point tho, you as and perhaps even more likely to die in hundreds other jobs,meanwhile your a getting paid less and respected less. You family won't get huge compensations if you die, and you won't be elevated to be a national hero.
And i don't think you know much about mining, do ya? And i am not talking about U.S. only, look at the death rates in 3rd word countries(and % of health problems). Also regarding earth being endless supply of food...ever saw those commercials with little kids in africa?