Gold Mining

The sad story of gold mining plays out on many levels. In large scale mechanized mining, there is often little regard for the environment. The danger to biodiversity begins when roads are built for purposes of exploration and as land is cleared for settlement. The ongoing operations of large scale mechanized mining are also terribly destructive both to the land and to adjacent aquatic ecosystems. And all too often, the spoils of the process continue to poison the environment long after commercial operations have ceased. In short, mining without an awareness of issues related to the environment can result in drastic and permanent changes in the mining areas.

Mining does not, however, become ecological simply through the elimination of large mining machines. Many artisanal (manual) and small scale miners around the world use excavation and extraction techniques which are harmful both to themselves and to the environment. One example is the use of cyanide and mercury to separate gold from rock. The cyanide and mercury are frequently dispersed into the environment, and the toxic mercury is very often inhaled by the miners. Clearly, a simple switch from large mechanized to small scale alluvial mining is not sufficient. Even those smaller miners need to adopt techniques to protect themselves and the environment in which they work.

New Ideas for a Better World

There are groups actively working on both large scale and artisanal mining issues. greenKarat has taken a particular interest in projects aimed at artisanal miners, because those miners have few alternatives. These projects share some common features. They strive to:

1. Stop the use of mercury in mining,
2. Start the process of recovering damaged land,
3. Help miners learn to operate with ecological awareness, and
4. Transition to the miners to sustainable livelihoods.

Following are synopses of three intriguing projects:

The Basel Action Network (BAN)

BAN, named for the Basel Convention (a multilateral environmental agreement), generally works to prevent globalization of the toxic waste. Among their initiatives is a project to end the use of mercury in artisanal mining. Mercury dispersed into the environment bio-accumulates in the food chain, becoming increasingly concentrated. Because mercury is an element, it does not break down. Once released, it is a continuing problem. Mercury is already at critical levels, yet we fail to address the causes.

Click to learn more about the dangers of mercury and about some alternatives. This discussion is courtesy of BAN.

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Phyto-Reclamation

Dr. Christopher Anderson, of Massey University, is pursuing a project to use common crops to soak up contaminants from soil at abandoned gold mining sites, and to return the land to safe agricultural use. The gold harvested during an operation covers the cost of clean-up and provides revenue for the education and training of the communities to create sustainable incomes from farming the land.

Click to learn more about the phyto-reclamation project. This piece is furnished courtesy of Dr. Anderson. This project is worthy of note because it contains aspects which may appeal to social investors. The prospect of effecting environmental repair through a sustainable economic engine is intriguing.

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Ecological Mining to Forest Gardening

Dr. Ranil Senanayake is working to develop a program which teaches artisanal miners to extract gold in a more environmentally friendly manner. The program features techniques with a lower environmental impact, restoration of already damaged areas, and a transition to a sustainable livelihood through Forest Gardens. Forest Gardens are tree dominated plots which include vines, shrubs, vegetables, and herbs that produce valuable foods and other natural products, both for subsistence use and for sale. A mature Forest Garden approximates a natural forest in structure, functions, and complexity and generates a substantial range of products and benefits to the local farmer. Click on the image to the right to open a new browser window (at another site) more fully describing this project.
		Dr. Ranil Senanayake Senior Scientist Counterpart International