Modern industrial gold mining relies on a technique called open pit mining, in which companies use heavy machinery to dig giant pits in the earth. Open pit gold mining generates more than 20 tons of rock and rubble for every gold ring that is produced. The practice leaves permanent scars on the landscape and creates holes so deep that some are visible from space. Mining companies also usually construct tailings dams to hold cyanide-laden toxic waste. When the dams break or overflow, the environmental damage can be catastrophic.
Defenders of open pit gold mining argue that these environmental effects can be managed and restricted. That may be true in some cases, especially when a gold mine is placed in a remote location, like a desert. The problem is that gold is often found in vital ecosystems – and in these cases, the effects can suddenly go from local to global........................
But another type of gold mining known as artisanal gold mining is responsible for the biggest link between gold mining and fish. Artisanal gold mining is the kind of gold mining in which individuals use simple methods like panning in streams or digging make-shift mine shafts. Most artisanal gold miners are people in developing countries who live in conditions of extreme poverty. They generally rely on mercury, a toxic substance, to separate gold from unwanted rock and ore.
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