Related Posts
Peru’s killer gold rush
Gold rushes in developing countries mean riches for a few and crumbs, death and ecocide for the poor...
The environmental gold standard: Rising prices bring ecological disaster
In several gold producing countries, recent increases in the value of the mineral have resulted in disastrous environmental...
Venezuela’s gold rush is an ecological and human disaster
As international gold prices rise, demand for the precious metal increases and prospectors in search of fortune –...
Nigeria: Children die from lead poisoning due to gold mining
Poor agricultural yields associated with climate change have forced some villagers in northern Nigeria to turn to other...
Gold and mercury poisoningThe use of mercury in gold mining and gilding (covering something in a thin layer of gold) has...
Get your Eco Starter Kit
Create an account and start harvesting Carbon Credits! Exchange your Carbon Credits for green goodies, like the Eco-Hatchery Starter Kit!
-
Green network users
2,990 Users - Show All
Green Directory
Tip of the Day
Keep eggs out of the fridge to save energy when cooking them
Poverty and the environment: Illegal gold mining in Peru
photo by feeb (Flickr Creative Commons)
As gold prices climb, the poor of Peru flock to the country’s rainforest in search of wealth.
Check out the below video report from Al Jazeera English on Peru’s illegal gold mining and how it is impacting both the rainforest and the poor of this South American nation.
Along with the unregulated digging comes a trail of deforestation and chemical contamination that is damaging one of the most biodiverse regions on earth.
–Al Jazeera English
Peru poverty drives illegal mining
Graham Land
Additional resources:
Peru: President Garcia will not negotiate with wildcat miners unless they stop protests.
Tags: chemical, gold, illegal, mining, Peru, poor, poverty, rainforest
Other Greenfudge.org posts
Recycling bins with microchips
The City of Cleveland is spending $2.5M to equip recycling bins with microchips in an attempt to become more green. The municipality is going to give each household two different garbage cans: one for rubbish, one for recyclables. Each will have a micro-chip inside. This is all part of a new automated trash collection system. Micro-chips will be placed in both your recycling bin and your waste bin. Each chip generates a report that tells the city how efficient their waste collection services are....
Animal Extinction: Another One Bites The Dust
Yesterday, conservations confirmed the extinction of the Alaotra Grebe: a bird that was only found in the lakes of Madagascar. The announcement comes 25 years after the last confirmed sighting of the bird, also known as the Rusty Grebe and Delacour's Little Grebe. The decline and ultimate extinction of this little bird can be contributed to habitat destruction, numerous accidental captures in nylon gill-nets, and the introduction of a predator: the Snakehead Murrel. This is a fish that can grow...
Long-Term Exposure to Traffic Air Pollution Particles may Increase Blood Pressure
Do you get to face the joy of getting stuck in traffic every day? Whether you’re going to work, coming home from shopping, or running errands, traffic has always been an annoyance to many commuters. It moves too slowly, people get cut off, and let’s not forget all the pile-ups and noise pollution it causes. Bumper to bumper traffic can be really frustrating to deal with day in and day out, and for some it may even cause a rise...
Is China the key to success at Copenhagen?
'In short, China has gone from a slow-growing, insular country to the world's second-largest economy and largest exporter in a single generation Commensurate with China's economic growth has been its growth in CO2 emissions.' –Kurt Zenz House, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Kurt Zenz House is a fellow at MIT, where he 'studies and develops methods for large-scale capture and storage of human-made carbon dioxide'. He has a bachelor's in physics from the Claremont Colleges and a PhD in geoscience from...
Vote for the New 7 Wonders of Nature!
Throughout your life, you may have heard of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. A number of lists have come out on this topic and have included The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, and The Great Barrier Reef (among many other places). Those lists are all about to change, and you can help make the final decision! It all started with the founding of New7Wonders. You may remember a few years ago, there was a similar vote held to create the...
Compare Your Country’s Emissions Target to Others via Sandbag
In the past few months leading up to COP15 (and even in the past several years) you may have heard or seen mentioning of different countries and their proposed target emissions. Some countries’ CO2 emissions have skyrocketed, while others have kept themselves on the greener side of the fence. If you are wondering how your own country measures up when compared to others, you can find out. How? Well, head over to Sandbag and check out their Carbon Emissions Target...
Eco Sign: Digital Manhole Covers Lead the Way
Imagine you’re on vacation, visiting one of the great cities of the world, perhaps London or Rome. You wish to use their public transportation, but are so unfamiliar with the area that you have no idea which way to go. There are so many maps and signs pointing in so many directions, it will make your head spin. Oh, if only it would rain a little, you could find your way in no time! Yes, rain can actually help you during...
America’s polluted harbors: Swimming in filth?
It's gross, but sewers overflowing with ordinary rainwater can cause massive amounts of human and animal excrement to flow into the sea. Such is the case in the city of Newport in the state of Rhode Island, U.S.A., where the sewer system is old and vulnerable to heavy rains, which can cause sewage to overflow into the city's harbor. What's more is that ordinary storm drains, like the ones attached to your roof to drain away rainwater, carry animal excrement,...
The Critically Endangered Siberian Crane Needs Your Help
Have you ever seen a Siberian Crane? It’s an absolutely beautiful bird. Unfortunately, it’s also a critically endangered bird. The Siberian Crane is a migratory bird. It travels about 3,100 miles (5,000 km) every year from northern Siberia to either China or Iran. Much of the wetlands along its migration route are being drained for farming. There is also an issue with China’s Three Gorges Dam, where 98% of the remaining Siberian Cranes go for winter. Their wintering area near the...
Unusual weather pattern freezes Europe, Shifts Arctic Ice
By Andrew Freedman The cold snap in Europe that has killed more than 600 people and buried communities under record snow cover has had an entirely different impact in the Arctic, which is where you’d normally expect to find frigid weather at this time of year. In parts of the Far North, it has been unusually mild recently, and broad expanses of open water have emerged. This open water has raised questions about whether Arctic sea ice is declining even faster...
View all articles
You can also log in to post a comment.