What is the “true” cost of Gold? Mayisha Dalmacy Miriam Negasi Chichi Ogoke September 25 th, 2010 Honors Environmental Science 12

INTERESTING FACTS! Did you know that oceans are the GREAT reservoir of gold? …Thing is, extracting gold from the depths of the ocean costs more than it’s actually worth  I doubt you knew the oldest gold jewelry used by man is dated back to 3500 BC! …That was a LONG time ago. I doubt you knew the oldest gold jewelry used by man is dated back to 3500 BC! …That was a LONG time ago. Only thought gold came in ONE color? Nope! Gold can come in pink, green, purple, blue, and black too! Actually, white gold has become more fashionable than the traditional yellow gold these days. Only thought gold came in ONE color? Nope! Gold can come in pink, green, purple, blue, and black too! Actually, white gold has become more fashionable than the traditional yellow gold these days.

Why Do We “Need” Gold? expensive jewelry. the industry because of its’ excellence in conducting electricity. Gold Gold is used in… TV & computers. (the cables that connect your TV & DVD player are gold coated to guarantee well conduction & a clear signal.) Dentistry because of it’s malleability & resistance to corrosion & tarnishing. Medical industry. (precision lasers have gold coating to regulate the beam’s focus.) telephones. (to help alter vocal vibrations into electric currents.) Gold Gold is also non toxic to the body.

Environmental Consequences In order to find gold, you must mine for it ! Mining is very destructive:  makes waste rock disposal problems.  involves harmful chemicals. All mining operations cause environmental problems. Several types of mining operations:  creates problems for surrounding local landscapes.  loss of soil. (open pit mining & tunnel type mining)

Cultural Consequences Can dislocate communities - Large, open-pit mines can displace farmers Can dislocate communities - Large, open-pit mines can displace farmers Contaminate drinking water – Dirty drinking water can create long-term public health problems for the citizens of the community. Contaminate drinking water – Dirty drinking water can create long-term public health problems for the citizens of the community. Hurts workers – Fallen rocks, collapsed tunnels, fires, heat exhaustion, and other dangers claim the lives of over 15,000 miners each year. Hurts workers – Fallen rocks, collapsed tunnels, fires, heat exhaustion, and other dangers claim the lives of over 15,000 miners each year. It can destroy untouched environments by building large mines. It can destroy untouched environments by building large mines. Open-pit mines produce a lot of dust, and the liquid waste in tailings dams, when dried in the atmosphere, can also be a source of dust for people living nearby. (air pollution) Open-pit mines produce a lot of dust, and the liquid waste in tailings dams, when dried in the atmosphere, can also be a source of dust for people living nearby. (air pollution)

Gold Industry The most important risk from use of cyanide solutions in gold mining is possible leakage into the soil and groundwater. The cyanide is recycled so in order to reduce the impact, the gold industry owners allow it to degrade naturally in sunlight and through hydrolysis and oxidation, among other natural processes.

How To Address the Problems of Gold? The world should look for different resources which can replace Gold and be cheaper to use and safer for the environment. The world should look for different resources which can replace Gold and be cheaper to use and safer for the environment. By looking into different resources to lower the use of or replace gold, we can save issues like contaminations of water, waste dumping, destruction of biodiversity, and less genocides. By looking into different resources to lower the use of or replace gold, we can save issues like contaminations of water, waste dumping, destruction of biodiversity, and less genocides. Other natural resources can be used to make jewelry which will save the environment, animals, and people. Other natural resources can be used to make jewelry which will save the environment, animals, and people.

Work Cited (; ! ► corps/Fools_Gold.html corps/Fools_Gold.html corps/Fools_Gold.html ► ml ml ml ► ► market.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-gold-used- for.html market.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-gold-used- for.html market.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-gold-used- for.html ► gold-mining-environment.html gold-mining-environment.html gold-mining-environment.html