Consuming With Care: World Environment Day 2015

Precious metals often have the worst environmental report cards. Gold mining in Peru in particular has had devastating impacts on the Peruvian Amazon, where thousands of subsistence farmers have turned into gold miners, trying to take advantage of the recent high price in gold. Current gold mining techniques in Peru involve stripping away plants and the first layer of soil, and using mercury to collect the gold, which then drains into local waterways when mixed with mud. Gold mining also uses cyanide, which can be toxic to humans and animals, and generates large amounts of toxic waste.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosaly-byrd/consuming-with-care-world-environment-day-2015_b_7536752.html