"The Price of Gold" by Susan Kingsley

The process of profitably extracting gold uses cyanide to leach the metal from crushed rock. When and if the cyanide leaks into the ground, there is no known way to get rid of it. Because there are few environmental standards in place, the results can (and often are) catastrophic for the areas around the mines. Migratory animals that visit the ponds of cyanide-laced water are killed and leaking cyanide and heavy metals kill wildlife, damage ecosystems, ruin the drinking water supply, and destroy local economies and societies. Prior to cyanide, mercury was frequently used. Mercury produces toxic fumes that severely damage the central nervous system of childbearing women and children.

Because the mining industry is such a powerful political lobby, there are still no environmental standards in place for hard rock mining to protect surface and ground water from toxic waste.

“Not only is gold not money, it is not a necessary commodity. It doesn't produce heat, or power, or transport. It doesn't provide clothing, or shelter, or supply us with food. Although approximately 12% of the gold demand every year is used in industrial application dentistry, medicine, and electronics that number is less than the 15% of total demand met by recycling. Every year, at least 85% of the gold produced is made into jewelry.”

“The vast discrepancy between the happy, carefree, gold wearing women pictured in the ads and the realities of gold in today's world must be addressed. Gold bears an invisible tarnish of misery and devastation. It is a stain that cannot be polished away. While the market price for gold may decline, the human and environmental costs keep rising: dead rivers, polluted watersheds, exploited native communities, abused miners, hoarding, and profiteering are dragging us into the ditch. All for the love of gold, the most beautiful and valued of the Earth's many gifts.”

This woman doesn't look like she has a care in the world, wearing her beautiful gold bracelet...



...meanwhile, these are the goldmining conditions in Ghana:





these last 2 photos are from an article I found on the web called "Ghana's gold inflicts heavy price"
by James Haselip