Why is conventionally mined gold a problem?

1. One part of the problem is, where natural allocation of gold is found. In Brazil, it is in the amazonian area. The area is for centuries the home of more than 70 tribes of indigenous people. On of them is the Yanomami tribe. They live in harmony with nature and rely on an intact environment, which is in complete opposite to what gold miner want. Gold is in the soil of the ground and to get to the valuable metal they are willing to make any effort to get it. This leads to point two of the problematic of conventional gold mining...

2. Gold is rarely found in sizable nuggets, it is more commonly found in small particles in the soil. There are two ways to get the gold out of the ground. By human efforts of (misleadingly nicely called) artisanal gold mining also called Small-scale mining, where low technology and minimal machinery is used and Large-scale mining where big companies with professional machinery and big budgets are involved.

Let's have a closer look at Artisanal gold mining: An estimation of 100 million people rely on this method as their only source of income to make it trough life. The process of gold mining starts with people digging holes in the soil - in the amazonian area it is where rainforest resides. As the lush thick vegetation is not easy accessible, first, deforestation takes place. As soon as the soil including gold particle is digged out, a lot of mercury is used in the process of merging gold particles together. That's why artisanal gold mining is one of the main factors of global mercury pollution of our environment. As mercury travells long distances, as ist reached rivers and soil it ends in animals and after all in humans.

3. Poverty. As mentioned above, the reason why people do artisanal gold mining, it's mostly their only or easiest way to get money. A completely understandable action.

After all, the situation ist complex as there are many factors and diffrent interests which are included. Nevertheless, we belive in solutions, and we start by talking about the harmfull elements of conventional gold mining for our planet and for our lifes.

Picture credits to mohmed-nazeeh-unsplash