THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GOLD MINING

Gold is one of the most precious elements in the world; it has been used for centuries as a status symbol of status and a medium of exchange.  As a result,  gold mining has an important place in world trade. Gold mining companies generate a huge amount of revenue and make huge profits. Generally, people who use gold in their life do not care how it is produced but the extraction of gold is a difficult process. Although many countries consider it an advantage, gold mining has many negative impacts on both humans and the environment.

The first negative effect of gold mining  concerns the generation of toxic waste. Companies generate at least 180 million tons of toxic waste  every year. Unfortunately, the toxic waste includes cyanide and various heavy metals such as mercury. These kinds of detrimental substances are dumped into rivers, seas and oceans so this situation leads to water pollution.Because of this reason, many living creatures die. This situation not only affects oceans’ ecosystem negatively but also  people’s health. When the chemicals enter the body, they directly affect people’s central nervous system and may lead to  death. Furthermore, bad mining practices can release greenhouse gasses. For example, methane is 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and it leads to black lung disease among miners and those who live nearby.

The second negative effect of gold mining is that gold mines change the lives of indigenous people who live around gold mines, and this dramatic change affects them negatively.  In many parts of the world, indigenous people still exist and they live according to their traditions. However, companies need very large areas to create gold mines so, they try to send indigenous people to different places. When indigenous people do not want to go to another place, companies who work with governments cause  people to die because governments practically kill their  own citizens. Countries where gold mines exist are often very poor and the governments can be easily bribed by gold mining corporations. Thus, the governments become directly involved in the displacement of their own citizens. Furthermore, establishing golden mines  leads to deep divisions in communities over who benefits from the mine and who does not so this situation often leads to civil unrest and social upheavals

To sum up, there are some negative impacts of gold mining. Authorities must find solutions to minimize the damage caused by gold mines. Especially the damage it gives to the environment is very harmful for the future.