No Dirty Gold: Jewelry Retailers Urge End to "Dirty" Mining
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 02.13.06
Eight of the world’s top jewelry retailers have pledged to move away from “dirty” gold sales and are calling on mining corporations to ensure that gold is produced in more socially and environmentally responsible ways. The retailers, supported by the No Dirty Gold campaign, are Zale Corp., the Signet Group (the parent firm of Sterling and Kay Jewelers), Tiffany & Co., Helzberg Diamonds, Fortunoff, Cartier, Piaget, and Van Cleef & Arpels, placed a full-page ad [PDF] in today's New York Times pledging to green up their act with the help of Oxfam America and EarthWorks. Timed to coincide with the jewerly-buying rush in conjunction with Valentine's Day, the ad also calls out retailers who are lagging behind these retailers; these "laggards" include Rolex, Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer Jewelers, JCPenney, Sears/KMart, Jostens, QVC and Whitehall
Jewellers Inc.
The No Dirty Gold campaign was launched two years ago; since then, more than 30,000 consumers have signed a petition urging mining corporations to clean up their act and produce gold more responsibly. The jewelry industry “leaders” named by the No Dirty Gold campaign have endorsed human rights, environmental, and social justice principles that call for responsible practices in producing gold and precious metals. These include:
(1) Respect for basic human rights outlined in international conventions and law;
(2) Free, prior, and informed consent from affected communities;
(3) Respect for workers' rights and labor standards;
(4) Protecting parks and natural reserves from mining; and,
(5) Protecting oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams from mining wastes.
The average single gold ring, weighing in at 1/3 of an ounce, generates 20 tons of waste, and gold mining can cause a bevy of problems that run the gamut from air, water and soil pollution to human rights violations (more info on dirty gold can be found here). The No Dirty Gold campaign is not a boycott on gold, but is working to end destructive mining practices, educate consumers about gold mining’s impacts and build consumer support for industry reform. ::No Dirty Gold via ::CSRWire
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We actually talked about this today in my geology class...my professor (who happens to be an environmentalist!) said that the water they use in gold mines is actually way cleaner than local water. But why do people freak? Because when people hear the word "cyanide" they think posion! But the mining companies use only trace amounts of cyanide to retract the gold deposits from the water. The water is then filtered and cleaned and recycled to retract more deposits...so the process repeats itself. Even if there was a water leak, the time that it is actually in contact with the cyanide is very short, so the probability that any cyanide is released into the environment is extremely small! (not that it hasn't happened!) We must remember the economics at stake here also! I'm not sure what the they are trying to "clean up" here...since most of the American mining companies seem to doing a pretty good job. Maybe its the American media distorting the overall picture (ghee, they've never done that before!)
EMA, that's why this campaign is against dirty gold, which is more than just cyanide polluted water. While there are somewhat more "environmentally responsible" ways to mine gold, like recycling and cleaning wastewater, laws to protect the environment and local communities don't exist or aren't followed everywhere in the world. In many places (Romania, in 2000) streams have been polluted with cyanide and mercury, which is exceptionally toxic, killing plants, fish, and local ecosystems which would otherwise support local people. Indigenous peoples are paid unfair wages and forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions. On average, 20 tons of waste are generated in the production of one gold ring.
Campaigns like this one put pressure on the industry to follow environmentally and socially ethical procedures -- in this way, the "good" companies make money, and, hopefully, the "bad" companies lose money or respond to this postive social pressure. It's not a distortion -- check out the link to the campaign in the story for background, I think you'll be shocked.
As an investor in the Gold sector (and an Environmentalist)... I'm glad the enviromentalists are hammering the Gold companies to clean-up their acts, becuase;
(1) it'll help keep the environment clean.
(2) it'll help propel Gold prices even higher as Gold mining production becomes even more difficult, thus widening the supply deficit even further.
Just like "War diamonds" didn't quite dull demand for diamonds, "Dirty Gold" won't have a real impact on gold demand. But what pressing this issue may do is drive up the cost of mining gold and making mining where these cheaper but more damaging mining methods are currently being used no longer economical. This would then take this gold out of production until the price rises.
dear all,
I read a news of dirty gold from the bulliondesk web.
I would like to apologise to who use cyanide in gold mines.
In our country,Even Burma(Myanmar)Cyanide using in gold mine is illegel but some
are not follow up and still using cyanide in the jungle .
Animals drink water from the these mines area so many animals are died after drinking.
using cyanide in gold mine is challenge to the our earth
and eliminate to the rare animals & trees.
We ,all must object and forbid to cyanide using mines,miners.....
Save our would by do not using cyanide...
ZAW