Environment : Displaying 276-295 of 315
Water Depletion Water depletion is a major negative consequence of gold mining. The large amount of water required to run a gold mining operation exacerbates its impact on local communities, many of which are already experiencing drought. |
Acid Mine Drainage Open pit mining creates great waste for a small yield. On average, it takes 79 tons of waste to extract one ounce of gold, according to a conservative estimate by the No Dirty Gold campaign, a project of EarthWorks and Oxfam. The process involves grinding up ore, and then exposing it to cyanide in order to extract the gold. Sulfides in the crushed rocks interact with air and water to create sulfuric acid, which in turn creates acid mine drainage (AMD). In and of itself, AMD is harmful to ecosystems because it makes water too acidic to support life. Additionally, the sulfuric acid in AMD leaches out other substances from the waste ore, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, which can have disastrous health effects, and can contaminate both air and water. Gold mining has been linked to 96 percent of the world�s arsenic emissions. |
Cyanide Cyanide is the chemical-of-choice for mining companies to extract gold from crushed ore, despite the fact that leaks or spills of this chemical are extremely toxic to fish, plant life and human beings. Cyanide is a deadly chemical, used in the gas chambers of the Second World War and on death row in the United States between 1930-1980. The chemical has caused havoc in water systems across the world with over 30 spills in the last five years. |
International Indigenous leaders attend Barrick Gold's Shareholder's meeting May 6th, 2008 Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the United States traveled to Canada this week to attend the shareholders� meeting of Barrick Gold. Here, they will make statements about Barrick's operations on their lands. |
7th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Agenda Item 5 on human rights: dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people and other special rapporteurs
I April 29th, 2008 ntervention of Friends of the Earth International by Mooka and Kalara United Families within the Wiradjuri Nation, Murray Darling Basin, Central New South Wales, Australia |
7th United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, United Nations, New York
Agenda Item 4: Pacific/Human Rights
Joint submission by Friends of the Earth International on behalf of Akali Tange Association Inc. Pogera Enga Province, Papua New Guinea in a joint intervention with Lake Cowal Mooka and Kalara United Families within the Wiradjuri Nation, Murray Darling Basin, Central new South Wales, Australia Western Shoshone Defence Project, Nevada, USA Laura Calm Wind, Kitchenuhmay Koosib Inninuwug, Canada Indigenous Peoples Links Centre for Organization Research and Education (CORE) Land is Life, Indigenous Environment Network (IEN) |
7th United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, United Nations, New York
Agenda Item 4.2: Pacific/Sustainable Development
Joint submission by Friends of the Earth International on behalf of Mooka and Kalara United Families within the Wiradjuri Nation,Murray Darling Basin, Central New South Wales, Australia in a joint intervention with New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council Akali Tange Association Inc. Pogera Enga Province, Papua New Guinea Agence Kanak de Developpement Western Shoshone Defence Project, Nevada, USA Laura Calm Wind, Kitchenuhmay Koosib Inninuwug, Canada Comision Juridica para el Autodesarrollo de los Pueblos Originarios Andinos (CAPAJ), Andes Indigenous Peoples Links Centre for Organization Research and Education (CORE) First Indigenous Nations Civic Association of South Africa (FINCASA) Indigenous Environment Network (IEN) |
Jethro Tulin: Testimony at 7th United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues by Jethro Tulin, Akali Tange Association, PNG April 23rd, 2008 |
Paradise Lost The mining company Barrick Gold made millions of dollars by mining copper, silver, and gold on the tropical paradise island of Marinduque in the Philippines. The poverty-stricken local population was left with an environmental and health catastrophe. The canadian company is now fighting in the courts to avoid having to clean up. |
The Gold Link A visual story of water, landscape, and people at the source of virgin gold on the border of Argentina and Chile |
Wiradjuri Elder exposes mine pit collapse at Lake Cowal Wiradjuri Traditional Owner, Neville 'Chappy' Williams, exposes a massive collapse at Barrick�s Cowal Gold Project in Lake Cowal, 45 km north-west of West Wyalong, central western NSW. |
Barrick skeptical on Pascua-Lama project by Reporting by Robert Melnbardis; editing by Matthew Lewis, REUTERS Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) is not convinced there will be a resolution soon of tax and permit issues delaying its proposed $2.4 billion Pascua-Lama mine in Argentina, its chief executive said on Wednesday. |
Barrick Gold Secretly Building Roads to Attack Mt. Famatina in La Rioja, Argentina by David Modersbach, Rosario, Argentina On the one-year anniversary of the road blockade in Pe�a Negra and "ouster" of Barrick Gold from the Famatina mountain range, it has been confirmed that Barrick Gold, with the complicity of the national and provincial government, has been secretly constructing a new entry road into the backside of the mountain. This new road enters through Potrero Grande near Vinchina, avoiding the widespread public resistance on the east side of the range, and links Barrick Gold�s Famatina project with the uranium projects under exploration along the southern border of the neighboring province of Catamarca. |
New report slams Buzwagi contract
THISDAY March 12th, 2008 A NEW report issued by several faith-based and civil society organisations has slammed the Buzwagi gold mine deal, saying members of parliament and the general public were hoodwinked by ex-minister for energy and minerals Nazir Karamagi into thinking that the upcoming project would pay huge taxes to the government. |
Tanzania activists and religious communities launch critical mining research by Salma Maoulidi , Pambazuka News March 10th, 2008 Salma Maoulidi looks at the mining research report, "A Golden Opportunity? How Tanzania is failing to benefit from Gold Mining� and argues that it builds a powerful case for continued activism in trade and economic justice in line with various Human rights instruments that call for a country�s wealth and natural resources to benefit primarily local communities. |
Spread of mine sparks fears by Narelle Towie, The Sunday Times Kalgoorlie's super pit may be the goose that laid the golden egg, but moves to expand Australia's biggest goldmine are being bitterly opposed by neighbours. |
Sisters take on mining giant by Michael Swan, Catholic Register February 29th, 2008 The Quebec-based teaching order Les Soeurs des Sainte-Anne, with the backing of Les Soeurs des Saints Noms de Jesus et de Marie and the union-backed pension and mutual fund company Batirente, want Barrick Gold Corp. to answer questions about the company�s $2.4-billion Pascua Lama project, an open pit gold mine the company is developing high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. |
Goldmine swallowing historic town by Kevin Andrusiak and Paige Taylor, Perth Now February 9th, 2008 IT is Australia's biggest goldmine, swallowing what is known as the world's richest square mile of dirt. |
Section of Super Pit wall collapses ABC News Online February 9th, 2008 A 50-metre stretch of the wall at one of Australia's biggest open pit gold mines has collapsed. |
KCGM in moves to reopen tailings dams by Kevin Andrusiak, The Australian THE more gold goes up, the further down the Kalgoorlie Super Pit partners want to go. Joint-venture owners Newmont Mining and Barrick Gold want to increase the heights of two controversial tailings dams, and re-open another, as part of its plans to expand Australia's biggest gold mine, the massive Super Pit operations in the West Australian goldfields capital of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. |
The Wiradjuri Fight to the Bitter End A documentary on the struggle by Wiradjuri to protect Lake Cowal from Barrick Gold's open cut goldmine in the lake bed. By Debbie Gilbert |
CHILE-ARGENTINA: Pascua Lama Mining Project on Hold by Daniela Estrada, Inter Press Service January 17th, 2008 Nearly two years after winning environmental approval from the Chilean government, the controversial Pascua Lama gold mining project of the transnational Barrick Gold Corporation remains without a launch date. |
ENVIROS DETECT HYPOCRISY IN CONAMA�S SUPPORT OF INVESTIGATION by Alex Cacciari, Santiago Times December 13th, 2007 Leaders of the Chilean environmental movement spoke out Wednesday against the National Environmental Commission�s (CONAMA) support of the government�s monitoring of environmental NGO campaigns. This comes after the Chilean daily La Tercera disclosed last Friday that Chile�s National Intelligence Agency (ANI) has increased oversight of environmental campaigns against three of the country�s most controversial environmental undertakings � the Ays�n dam, the Pascua Lama gold mine, and Celulosa Arauco�s (CELCO) proposed waste duct into the sea. |