A gold rush that accelerated with the onset of the 2008 global recession compounds the woes of the Amazon basin, laying waste to Peruvian rain forests, spilling tons of toxic mercury into the air and water.
Encouraged by the soaring price of gold, hundreds of thousands of poorer people in Peru have been trying to strike gold in the country’s makeshift mines, operating outside the law. In addition to massive environmental devastation, the illegal mines are associated with child labor, shady international drug ring connections, sex trafficking and horrific working conditions. Peru’s government is now trying to crack down on illegal prospecting by supporting “ethical gold mines” which aim to slow down environmental damage and give miners better working conditions.
http://www.wilderutopia.com/international/earth/peru-llegal-gold-mining-versus-biodiversity-and-ecotourism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peru-llegal-gold-mining-versus-biodiversity-and-ecotourism
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