Fools Gold
by Stephen Knight
Ten of thousands of gold miners in South America are wreaking havoc on the Amazon rainforest, and its inhabitants, because of their destructive mining techniques. Mining activities cause deforestation and irreversible damage to the ecosystem. There is also the accompanying regional pollution by mercury. Mercury has been found in unsafe quantities in the livers of Amazonian fish which are consumed by indigenous Indian populations and other people. Furthermore, the effects of gold mining threaten the survival of one of the most dominant predators in Latin America – the giant river otter. I should also mention the effect mercury pollution could be having on dolphins, the manatee, the capybara, the anaconda, caiman, river turtles and numerous species of birds. Even without considering mercury pollution, gold mining frequently encroaches on lands legally belonging to indigenous tribes, creating conflict and sometimes violence between miners and Indians. It is highly unlikely that any effective government response to the problem will occur at any time in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we have two choices: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. Please help me get this important message across to the consumer.
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