Analyze the effects of the quest for gold. Explain using expectations for performance. Are the costs associated with mining gold worth the end result? Explain.
The miners are cutting down the forest to make more space for the mine to be built. This is making the wild life leave the forest to find better places to live. Also it is destroying the trees that give the world fifteen percent of its oxygen. They didn’t need to cut those trees down but they are greedy and what they are doing is illegal. I think the end result is not worth the gold that is produced because after all that gold is gone the forest will still look like that when the workers leave. Also the mercury will flow into the rivers and streams and pollute the waters and the fish in them that people eat. That will have a bad side effect for the towns people because they will start getting sick and not know what it is. Even though you get at least a thousand dollars a day you are risking your life to get it. And at the end it won’t matter because you will be sick from standing around and in toxic chemicals like mercury used to separate gold. Also when you try to have kids they will be sick because the mercury will be in them too. So no to the question for the end result is not worth the cost for gold because you are destroying you and the environment with the people and animals in it.
In the Amazon people are mining for gold. The reasons they do this are different depending on the individual but the majority of it is the high amount of money that they can earn in a day compared to working normal jobs back in their hometowns. Because of this gold rush and spring of mining the environment is taking a hard hit. Thousands of trees are being cut down, severed soil erosion, and mercury pollution into the water systems nearby. This situation is quiet tricky because you have the environmental damage. But then there is the factor of the miners and why they are mining. It’s not easy work and hundreds of people die doing it. But all these people are working so they can have a chance at a happy easy life or for their children to be able to attend school and have a good future. Taking that into consideration you have to balance these two factors together. I believe as Americans we can’t take a side in this until we have lived in their shoes. Ultimately it is up to the miners themselves and the people who live in or near the Amazon to decide.
Aquil El-Amin January 26, 2012 Current Affairs and Issues Ms. Hazelwood Miners spend countless hours digging for gold. While doing so there cutting down the rainforest each time. Most of the mining that is done in the rainforest is illegal. They have environmentalists that are protesting because nobody knows there doing it. The average miner usually gets paid from $70 to $120 a day. Many miners are children and young adults. With many environmental agency’s there not really able to get enough gold without destroying the rainforest. That’s why most of miners are illegal. There are two types of machine. The first one is used to put water pressure on the digging area. This way they find where the gold is hiding. The next machine is used to suck up the water with the gold. This process is used every time by the miners in that article. They use chain saws to soften the rocks before they spray them with water. They also use them to cut the big trees that in the way. Trees that have housed many indigenous birds and animals forced to travel deeper into the forest. Trees that may have been around thousands of years are now dying in the blink of a second. Craters are now left in ground thanks to large machines digging up a useless mineral. Then in the end we it’s all over we ask ourselves was it worth it.
The cost mining has been towards the environment has been deforestation, contaminating water ways such as rivers and streams, red macaws and toucans have lost homes and many other things. The people mining there know what they are doing but they need the money for their families, so their children can go to school have good food and water. And because of this the rainforest is being destroyed. Yes, their families need to eat but can’t they find a job that doesn’t hurt the environment? Then there are four to five men dying a week. They know the risks beside the environment would be their lives. This mining in the end is not worth it especially if you die. It still isn’t worth it if your alive either because in the end they food chain could end up destroyed and the rivers contaminated with nothing living in it. The rainforests destroyed and gone. The end effects are horrible.
Stave- put off Gouged- is to chisel having a partly cylindrical blade with the bevel on either the concave or the convex side. Insatiable- incapable of being satisfied or appeased Sluice- an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate (sluice gate) at the upper end for regulating the flow Machetes- a large heavy knife used especially in Latin-American countries in cutting sugarcane and clearing underbrush and as a weapon. Cantina- a saloon; bar. Siphons- a tube or conduit bent into legs of unequal length, for use in drawing a liquid from one container into another on a lower level by placing the shorter leg into the container above and the longer leg into the one below, the liquid being forced up the shorter leg and into the longer one by the pressure of the atmosphere. Fatigue- weariness from bodily or mental exertion. Neurological disorders- the science of the nerves and the nervous system, especially of the diseases affecting them. Gelatinous- having the nature of or resembling jelly, especially in consistency; jellylike. Alloy- a substance composed of two or more metals, or of a metal or metals with a nonmetal, intimately mixed, as by fusion or electrodeposition. Amalgam- an alloy of mercury with another metal or metals. Cache- a hiding place, especially one in the ground, for ammunition, food, treasures, etc.
I would say that the end cost for mining gold is and is not worth it, it wouldn’t be because the people are destroying so much of the land over there and are using harmful substances that permanently change the rainforest if the mining itself hasn’t already permanently changed the landscape. I would also say that it is worth it because they can make a lot of money from mining just a couple of ounces of gold and the workers get paid a substantial amount of money. It is also not worth it because the workers put their lives in danger every day and about 4 people die every week and as much as 7 people can die in a week. Another reason why I think that it is worth mining is because even after expenses and after you the workers and also after you pay for your permits and everything the company makes up to $1,000 a week and some even make 40,000 to 50,000 dollars a week. In this case I believe that all of the information that I have gathered and saw after reading this article is that I would say that even though I am stating that there are good things and bad things from mining I would have to lean more on it being worth mining because most the workers are satisfied because they make more money mining than doing a regular job and the owners make a lot of money a week and they mine legally.
I think the end result is not worth the gold that is produced because after all that gold is gone the forest will still look like that when the workers leave.They are using harmful substances that permanently change the rainforest if the mining itself hasn’t already permanently changed the landscape.The cost mining has been towards the environment has been devastating, contaminating water ways such as rivers and streams, birds and other animals have lost homes and many other things. The people mining there know what they are doing but they need the money for their families, so that their children can go to school have good food to eatand clean water to drink.
The mining that is occurring in the amazon is seriously effecting the environment and has caused a wide range of deforestation. In the course of the mining it has contaminated the water ways. The water ways that were affected by the mining were the rivers and the streams. Also red macaws and toucans lost their homes because of all the mining and deforestation. The workers that had mined for gold knew what they were doing and how it was going to affect the environment and also the many animals. Even though they knew that the mining had serious health risks, and they knew that it would cause changes in the environment they still continued to mine. They continued because the workers were in serious need for money. They would use the money form the process of mining to benefit their families. Workers would also mine so that their children would be able to go to decent schools. They also mined to make sure that they had enough food and water to supply throughout their house hold. Yes, their families needed to eat, but they should have found jobs that were more appropriate and that didn’t harm the environment as much as it did. The workers and the owners knew of the risks of dying. These workers are mining for gold and dying each and every week just to provide a better life for them and their families. But they still end of leaving their families in bad conditions by mining so at the end of the day their still not benefiting from the process. Not only are they killing themselves but they are also harming the environment.
In the Amazon there are people mining gold and they are operating illegally. There are many reasons to why people have chosen this job, varying depending on that individual and his/her own story why. Red macaws and toucans have lost their homes because of workers cutting down, trees that range in age of 1,200 years old have been cut down also, deforestation has increased and contaminating waters ways in streams and rivers is all occurring. These same workers also set fires, making way for more pits in the rainforest. Mostly all the workers have families that they may provide for financially, physically, mentally, and certainly educationally. The costs associated with mining gold are not worth it in the end. This is because for species to lose their homes, trees that we use as a resource to be cut down, increasing in deforestation and the contamination of waters to occur just to gather gold is not all worth it in the end.
Deforestation is happening is Peru’s Amazon basin because more and more people are searching for gold. This is happening not only in Peru’s Amazon basin, but it is also happening in thousands of other states in Madre de Dios. Madre de Dios is among the most biodiverse regions in the world, up until recently, that is. Illegal gold miners work standing in waist-deep muddy water while they chew cocoa leaves to prevent exhaustion and hunger from occurring to them. In order for there to be more mining, which they are hoping for and working towards, they have to cut down trees. The majority of the trees that they are cutting down may be 1,200 years old. The crews who are creating deforestation are also setting fires to make more room for more pits for the gold mine. The Amazon River basin holds about a quarter of the world’s terrestrial species. The trees in the Amazon River basin perform almost fifteen percent of the photosynthesis that is occurring on landmasses. Thousands of plants, animals, and insects have yet to be indentified – some of them never will if people continue cutting down the trees where their homes are located. At least 64,000 acres in Peru have been a victim of deforestation. By the workers setting fires to the forests, they are scrapping away the earth, perhaps even fifty feet down below the earth. Miners are also destroying rivers and streams. The mercury that separates the gold is merging into the watershed, making the water there a hazardous for the animals that live there. Gold mining brings in a lot of money. Today, gold is sold around $1,700 an ounce. That is six times more than the price that it was a decade ago. People have a high demand for luxury and goods that are made from precious metal, like gold. That is why the demand for gold has been so high lately. I also think that because Peru is becoming a bigger tourist country, the pressure for the gold miners is greater because they want the best for the tourists that visit. Peru has more hotels, restaurants, and guesthouses that it did decades ago. Through gold mining, people have found; ancient trees and fossil trees. Huaquisto said that he collects between $30,000 and $40,000 a week. Some of the costs that go into gold mining are environmental remediation, social programs, and reforestation. I do not believe that the money that is made due to gold mining is very good. I mean, yes, money is good, in its rightful place, that is. But when you create deforestation for money, then it has become an idol to you. Gold mining is destroying our earth. I think that the expanding of gold mines in the Amazon River basin should be banned. I wish that the gold miners themselves would realize how much they are hurting the earth and I wish they would stop.
Although the miners and bosses get paid very well, there are many adverse effects of the quest for gold that outweigh the one benefit. Many of the effects are environmental. To mine for gold they cut down the trees and burn the forest. Then they dig big holes all over the forest. On top of all that, they use liquid mercury which will eventually get into the water. This is all happening in the rain forest on the edge of a river. The rainforest provides oxygen for the entire Earth. Things that threaten the environmental health of the rainforest threaten the health of the whole world and every person, plant, or animal that lives here. The mining is causing irreversible damage to a forest that used to be beautiful. One man said that a nearby river used to be twelve feet wider and clear. Now it’s narrow and turbid. No amount of money even comes close to comparing with the health of an ecosystem. There are also adverse effects for the people. The mines have made opportunity for many illegal practices. People are stealing gold that they didn’t work for. The fact that the overseer watched the miners so closely shows that some miners also steal gold from their bosses. There are also many children being sold into slavery to work for the mines, and there are brothels in the some of mining camps. The miners are also put in danger. One miner said that in the 30 mines that his boss owns four men die every week. The conditions the miners work in are very dangerous and uncomfortable. They have to stand dark pits that are filled with water. Some of the miners even have to stand barefooted in liquid mercury. The gold rush is irreversibly damaging the environment, opening up opportunities for illegal things, and putting thousands of people in danger. The costs associated with mining gold are not worth the end result.
In the Amazon there is mining going on. They are working hard to discover gold in the Amazon rain forest. There are trees being cut, and habitats being lost. The miners that are doing this are making lots of money each day while finding the gold. There is 15% of photosynthesis occurring on land. They state in the article that almost 64,000 acres have been ravaged. The miners that are working don't get a good home cooked meal. They get plates delivered to the working site. Enrique Ortiz stated that “it’s easy to get a permit to explore for gold”. Most days while searching for gold they find a lot of gold. I know that people like gold or whatever, but I think that that shouldn’t really matter as much as animals losing homes, and deforestation. What’s the point of taking up space to dig for gold? I think the rain forest means as much as gold. The big chunk of change the workers are getting isn’t really worth it if you ask me. But it’s not my decision as to what they want to do. Whoever is in the range of the Amazon should make this decision. Not the ones that organized this. I understand workers are getting hundreds and thousands of dollars, but it’s destroying the environment daily.
Every day, land in the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed and one major reason why is because of the countless people mining for gold. Many times there are trees cut down that are 1,200 years old. The article states “Not only are gold miners burning down the forest, they are stripping away the surface of the earth, perhaps 50 feet down”. Although this task is destroying the rainforest each day, people still proceed with mining for gold because the average person receives about 70 to 120 dollars a day, according to one of the workers. Most people in their hometown make about half as much as the average miner in a month. Some of the workers mining for the gold are even there illegally. In my opinion, it is not right to deliberately cut down hundreds of thousands of trees and lose 64,000 acres of land in the Amazon rainforest to mine for gold. Many people think that destroying the Rainforest is a horrible thing, but they are not willing to do anything to stop it because the demand for gold is very high. People want their gold so they are willing to pay the price. The Amazon Rainforest contains countless numbers of species and they depend on the millions of trees for their survival. By cutting down the trees to mine, the species that live in the rainforest either die or have to find another place to live. I think the price to pay for the loss of that much rainforest is not worth it at the level they are mining the gold. I feel as if they should not mine as much because I know it would be asking too much to completely stop the mining for gold, but if there was a way to completely stop the mining for gold process in the rainforest, I would be all for it. Also, the conditions the workers have to deal with are horrible. For example, there are many accidents that occur at the mining sites; approximately 4 men die each week. Ask yourself, is it really worth the devastating loss of the diverse ecosystems located within the rainforest and the thousands of species who make their homes there, and the lives of innocent people for your gold?
Miners in the amazon are cutting down and burning at least 64,000 acres of trees in the amazon all for gold. Gold is worth 1,700 dollars an ounce for this precious metal but is the cost worth the end result? No it is not. Miners are creating huge and deep cavities within the ground and destroying lots of topsoil. The land the miners use is destroyed and it will take years for the forest to grow back in that spot. Miners in Lamal use mercury a toxic substance that causes neurological disorders to help sift out gold within the muddy waters of holes miners dig. The mercury is left in the silt and dumped into the river thus contaminating the amazon with mercury. The amazon goes across most of Brazil and gives water to thousands of organism. Since mercury is now in the water system people in the amazon could now have a risk of getting a neurological disorder from the contaminated water. These Gold mines are not safe, a miner named Abel says that at his mine about four men die each week and on occasion seven have died in a single week, that’s a death a day. Deforestation is now rising in the amazon because of this gold rush. Along the river of the amazon instead of seeing luscious jungle and beautiful animals you may see giant holes and bare land where trees once stood and now dredge barges moored on the shore harvesting gold. Some of the miners are not even mining legally. Enrique Ortiz, an authority on rainforest management, estimates 90 or 98 percent of the miners in Madre de Dios state are illegally mining. Illegal miners don’t abide by rules of legal miners. Legal miners have to have a plan on how to refurbish the desecrated forest while illegal miners don’t. Based off information from the article miners get paid at least 70 dollars a day. But is your life, the survival of the rainforest and the lives of others worth risking for 70 dollars a day? No it is not because the amazon rainforest supplies 1/3 of the world’s oxygen and there are over 100 species of animals and plants in the rain forest. Plus people lives are at serious risk; about four people die in week in Lamals mines. The cost is too great for just an ounce of gold.
No, the costs associated with mining gold aren’t worth the end results. In order to mine, they have to cut down lots of trees and ruin forests in the process. At least 64,000 acres have been ravaged in Peru alone. Gold miners burn the forest and they are stripping perhaps 50 feet down in the earth. When the guys are doing the mining, the destruction inside the mine is never ending the two hours they are mining. Also, mercury is getting into rivers and streams.
• Chasm: A deep fissure in the earth, rock, or another surface. • Siphons: A pipe or tube used to convey liquid upward from a container and then down to a lower level by gravity, the liquid being made to enter. • Stihl: Andreas Stihl AG & Company is a manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment including trimmers and blowers. • Pristine: In its original condition; unspoiled. • Acreage: An area of land, typically when used for agricultural purposes, but not necessarily measured in acres: "a 35% increase in net acreage". • Insatiable: (of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy: "an insatiable hunger". • Cuzco: A city in the Andes in southern Peru; pop. 275,000; ancient capital of the Inca empire. • Juliaca: Juliaca is a city in the Puno Region, Peru. It is the region's largest city and capital of the San Roman province. • Circumvent: Find a way around (an obstacle). • Ecotourism: Tourism in exotic, often threatened, natural environments, esp. to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife. • Sluice: A sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water, esp. one in a lock gate. • Remuneration: Money paid for work or a service. • Inebriated: Make drunk; intoxicate. • Corrugated: (of a material, surface, or structure) Shaped into alternate ridges and grooves. • Assayed: Determine the content or quality of (a metal or ore). • Obliterated: Destroy utterly; wipe out. In the Amazon Rainforest, habitats are being destroyed to make room for mines. This is a very dangerous task, especially since 90-98 percent of these mines are illegal. Miners aren’t thinking about the habitats they are destroying or why these mines are illegal in the first place. In the end, some of our species could go extinct and the Amazon Rainforest will be destroyed. All of this drastic mining isn’t worth the end result. Because, once all of the gold is gone they’ll be left with pits of what used to be. Not only are the specie’s habitats being destroyed, but the mining is releasing toxins into the fresh water. The mercury being let into the water are killing aquatic life and contaminating the water. This would negatively affect the natives and the people who drink from that water to survive. Aside from the fact that this task is destroying the land and organisms, it’s also greatly impacting the workers. Mining is a very difficult task that could possibly result in death. They are risking the environment along with their lives.
Being a gold miner can be a very good job for some people because it brings in a lot of money to people and their families. The cost of gold can be as high as $1,700 an ounce. Currently in the amazon, there are gold miners digging for gold each and every day. In order to mine for gold, the miners need to cut down trees and burn many acres of land so that they can have an area for a mining pit. The cutting down of these trees, and the burning of land are causing habitat loss for the many different species that live in the amazon, forcing them to find another place to live. Gold miners use a toxic chemical called mercury to retrieve gold from rivers. The mercury is dumped into the river which contaminates the water which can cause sickness in the people who drink or eat things from the river. There is an average of about 4 deaths a week from mining gold. The end result in mining for gold isn’t worth it because many animal species are being affected by the gold mining which causes them find a new habitat when their habitat is burned or cut down. It is also not worth it because many people can die from the contaminated water. The last reason that it isn’t worth it is because there are an average of 4 deaths a week from mining for gold.
Currently in Peru’s Amazon basin, the rainforest is being destroyed by gold miners and the demand for Gold. This treasure of $1,700.00 an ounce is responsible for the damage of this beautiful biome. Gold Miners are cutting down trees that could be over 1,000 years old and fleeing now-homeless animals away. The earth is being torn into by chainsaws, water cannons, and fires just to get to the gold. Illegal miners come to make their living off of the findings of gold. This destruction in return is slowly killing all of the rainforest and endangering many lives of both people and animals. Miners take great risks to find the gold. Many die, few live during a normal week. “As many as seven die in a week” stated Abel, a Peruvian gold miner. Not only is this demand for gold destroying the habitat, it is destroying society. Many slaves are put to work in the hazardous gold mines as young as 11 years old. The costs associated with gold mining are not worth the end result. Yes, being a gold miner is a very high-paying job, but in the end when we have no more rainforest and all the indigenous animals are extinct, then, we will suffer. The cost of gold is at an all-time high, but does the rainforest have to pay price?
Unfortunately, the Amazon is deteriorating due to the gold rush and the illegal gold miners. Individuals are mining for gold and tearing down trees that could be as old as twelve-hundred years old. Future generations will not be able to see the wonders of the Amazon or the Peruvian Rain Forest due to the denuding of the rainforests. The wages are excellent compared to most average workers, some workers make what other individuals make in a month or year in just one day. The hours are long, but the payoff is great. They estimate between three and seven workers die each week. Beautiful and exotic animals have to flee for their lives from a place that was once solely their habitat. Most of the gold miners are operating illegally, and they operate by using what is available and made by licensed and permitted gold mine operators. Since the price of gold is higher than ever at a staggering $1,700 per ounce, the mine operators make between $30,000 and $40,000 per work. A once lush and beautiful rainforest teeming with life and abundance is now becoming bare and empty. It is not worth the money that nets in every single week; because once animals are extinct and the trees have died out they are irreplaceable. The people who operate “ethically” with the government, workers, and land will suck the land until it is barren and then move on to the next space accessible to bring in large sums of money. It is not fair to the workers who risk their lives, it is not fair to the animals that die and lose their homes daily, and it is not fair to the generations who should be able to see such a glorious and lush place. They have destroyed and denatured a place that takes several decades or even centuries to repair, the end result will never recompense for the destruction and lives taken.
In the Amazon, there are many people mining for gold, whether it is legal or illegal. I find this very devastating towards the rain forest; to mine for gold they cut down many trees as well as burn many acres of the forest. I do not think that the costs associated with mining for gold are worth the end result. Throughout the mining process, there are limits that are being pushed just to get a few ounces of gold. There are also many dangers with working in a gold mine, including death. There are many deaths that are reported, few miners get far in the mining career, only to lose their lives. There are staggering amounts of workers that lose their lives each week. There is also the fact that there are many illegal miners that work. There may be as many as 30,000 illegal miners that work in the mines. This could potentially hurt the economy as well as the government. Even though the cost of gold is at an all-time high, doesn’t mean that anyone should have the right to destroy a very well-developed habitat. Even though mining is a very high paying job, it is not worth the risk of potentially killing off many species, and potentially hurting us in the future.
The Amazon Rainforest is currently being destroyed because of the all the gold mines that are set up and currently operating. And in order for the mines to be set up they must clear acres of land. In the end they are clearing away animals from their habitats and destroying the tresses that are there too. The Amazon is where we get at least twenty percent of our oxygen why waste all these trees for gold. No matter how valuable gold might be and mean for people they should try and find some other place to mine for it away from people and animals. Because in the end the costs that are resulted with mining for gold is devastating to both animals and people. It harmful to people because most of these mines are operating illegally meaning they haven’t been checked to see if their safe in enough for people to work at. Why put yourself and the environment at risk for money? To me it doesn’t make since to why you would go to such extremes to find pieces of gold and sometimes even none. You don’t miss something as much until you’ve lost it!
This is an opinion I think because some people may think that it is horrible that miners are destroying the rain forest. Other people think that it is worth it because of all the gold that they find, gold a once right now is 1,700 dollars. Especially if miners are poor and can hardly survive, but then they find a mine and get rich. I think that it can go both ways cause after the miners get done mining the area they can re-plant the trees and the plants, hopefully the animals that used to live there would come back. The effects of gold mining could be very costly in any point of view. People die every day because of the gold frenzy that is going on, not just in the Rain forest in Alaska and all over the world. I don’t think that is right though how people mine illegally. Maybe it just because they need the money and can’t get the right permits. Some other effects of the gold rush that is happening in the Rain forest is the Government not using their resources that they have. They need to enforce the laws of gold mining because people are destroying the rain forest to fast and it can’t re-grow at the rate of what we are destroying it.
As I was analyzing the article we read in class, I began to think that the whole rush-for-gold issue happening in the Amazon Basin in Peru is not so worth it after all. First of all, the miners are working illegally. The fact that they have not gotten authorities involved in this should light up a bulb; this is wrong. A Peruvian biologist stated that “it’s easy to explore for gold”. But if you were to find a mining site, then you need to have permits and a whole bunch of protection programs. Do these people have them? I think not. Second, and I clearly recall from the article, as the miners cut down trees “red macaws and brilliant-feathered toucans take off. The chain saw screws also set fires, making way for more pits.” Obviously, this is harming the natural resources in the forest. It’s ruining the animals’ habitats. I’m not sure about everyone else, but I know that I’d personally be upset if someone came and destroyed my house. Mercury is another thing that would totally pollute the water. I understand that there is a need for money in Peru, but I don’t think the correct way to earning money is done illegally. I’m pretty sure most of these miners go to work every day with that fear of “getting caught”. It’s much better to earn your daily needs in a decent way. Besides, the conditions in those mining site are clearly not suitable. In the end, I definitely say the quest for gold is not worth it.
Is gold really worth hurting the environment and taking away all of the trees? Gold miners in the Amazon believe it is. They have been in the Peruvian rainforest making pits (or craters) in the Earth and they have been cutting down the trees just so they can look for gold and make some money. They are hurting the environment because after they take a tree down it stays down and won’t grow back. As it states in the article, trees are the engine of perhaps 15 percent of photosynthesis occurring on land mass and the gold miners are taking, what we need to breathe. They are putting themselves in danger just so they can make money. On average, four people die each week. Some of the people have set up sites and others go illegally into people’s spots and the mine. There are a lot children being sold into slavery to work for the mines. The gold rush is damaging our environment. Mining is expensive and it is not worth the end result.
In the end, I think that the gold mining is not worth it. There are many difficulties that come with the Amazon gold mining. First off, they are ruining more and more of the rainforest each day. Often times these mine workers starve themselves until they get done with the day’s job. The work of a miner is very life threating. One man said “there are a lot of accidents. The sides of the hole can fall away, which crushes you”. Four men die each week! That is crazy. On occasion, seven have died in a single week. One man said they make about $70 to $120 a day but it depends. In one month most people in their hometown make about half of what the miners make. There are many harmful toxins that are also involved with the miner jobs. They cut down multiples of the rainforest trees. This is not good for their environment at all. The mine workers believe it is all worth it because of the money they make. Miners also work long stressful hours; one man said he usually works 18 hours a day. But when it comes to mining, it changes from day to day. One day you can do really great but then the next you cannot do well at all. The cost of mining can get expensive. You have to pay for the land, taxes, get the permits, and all of the equipment. I think the costs of mining is not worth it in the end result but I am sure miners believe it is because they cannot find a job that pays like mining does. On the other hand its life threating and bad for the environment.
The cost of gold at an astounding $1,700 per ounce is the motivation behind gold miners that are destroying one of the most biodiverse and pristine enviroments in the world. There is as many as 30,000 miners in Madre de Dios operating illegally. The pay off of gold is excellent and is at it’s all time highest but if that means destroying hundreds of acres of the rainforest, then it is not worth it in the end. It is estimated that between three to seven workers die each week and if you get through one week, then you are lucky. They are basically putting their life in danger for the hopeful reward of gold. What if there is no gold found in the end? Then, they are basically paying hundreds of money each day to have all the machines operate and cutting down acres of forests for no reason. The use of mercury to separate the gold is doing some major contaminating to the water which is taken in by fish and is going to make it’s way into the food chain. That mercury can kill several animals that consumes the fish. The rate of deforestation is six times more than what it used to be in 2003. Gold miners are chopping down trees that are possibly over 1,000 years old. There is no doubt that this is the habitat of over hundreds of species of plants and animals and by mining, they are putting all of the plants and animals at risk. The amazon is responsible for 15% of photosynthesis on landmasses. It gives off oxygen which helps us breath and once it is gone, so is the oxygen that it provides. All the species living there can possibly become extinct and when that happens, it is permanent and cannot be reversed. The forest that is currently full of life is now becoming bare due to gold mining. In the end, the cost of gold mining in Peru’s Amazon basin is not worth losing a beautiful rainforest over.
The affects for the cause of gold are very grave and need to be taken seriously. The fact that searching for gold is taking down many trees in the Peruvian rain forest it is an example of how gold it’s affecting our future generations. The Gold miners don’t have enough money to race their families and so they get pulled to dangerous and illegal situations on which they get paid on small amounts of but much more than what they would get if they were doing a safe and honest jobs. The causes associated with mining gold are not worth the end result to our future generations because of the fact of how if this gold mining continues their will not be any trees left in the Peruvian rain forest. There also contaminating the rivers and streams as mercury that is use to separate the gold is streaming into the watersheds. This problem is not the only one because there are people relying on how the others are needy and how poverty is in large range there, they take advantage and sell and buy kids that are underage and explode them.
The quest for gold is ruining the land. Trees are being cut down and the land is being torn apart. The trees and land are often being mined illegally and some workers lose their lives in accidents mining gold. Children are often stolen from their families to work in the gold mines. Although workers can earn a lot of money, I don’t think it is worth it. By cutting down forest it is ruining wildlife homes. It is also taking away oxygen that the trees produce by destroying them. Up to seven workers can die from gold mining accidents a week and that’s definitely not worth it because in a month up to 30 people can die. The end result is definitely not worth it if kidnapping and death is involved.
Many people may think that gold mining is a good thing but it seems to me that it has more disadvantages than advantages. The main advantage of gold mining is the amount of jobs it provides for people. With that also comes money and the valuable metal itself. With that comes many more disadvantages. For one thing the mining process is quite long so as to be expected, the workers work all day. Mining is also extremely damaging to the Amazon. Mining kills the wildlife and scares away the animals. Mining is also very dangerous for the people who have to do the mining. As we all know, accidents happen and in gold mining they are probably inevitable. Some miners have been killed. These miners risk their lives on a daily basis. For 3 or 4 ounces of gold between 70 and $600 can be made. This isn't a lot for a miner who works day in and day out risking his life mining for gold he doesn't even get to keep. Some of the miners aren't even adults, just young children forced into labor. These children are taken away from their families. Another point I'd like to make is that the miners are directly exposed to mercury which is poisonous and/ or detrimental to the human body. As you can see there are a lot more disadvantages from mining than there are advantages.
In Made de Dios, Peru there are many illegal gold miners who are cutting down trees that could be around 1,000 years old. These miners are cutting down trees which give about 15 percent of photosynthesis. These miners are scaring away animals, birds and insects. Some which are yet to be discovered. No one knows for sure how many acres of land have been torn apart but these have been an estimate of 64,000 acres most likely more. The miners in Peru are polluting the river and streams as mercury enters the food chain, which it is being taken in by fish. The price of gold is $1,700 per once and it is six times more than it was about twenty years ago. It seems as if the Earth is not being thought of when mine illegally for gold. People can get a permit which allows them to look for gold but once the citizens have found a site to mine in, they are required to get the actual permit. To get the actual permit it “require engineering specs, statement of environmental protection programs, plans for protection of indigenous people and for environmental remediation” says Enrique Ortiz. The governments in Peru are taking steps toward shutting down the mines but it might be a lot more complicated because there may be as much as 30,000 illegal miners in Madre de Dios. Nico Huaquisto remembers that there was beautiful view of the Huepetuhe River and how the mining has destroyed the clear water which is now muddy. Huaquisto says that after the expenses he has to pay for he gets about $30,000 and $40,000 a week. One of the workers named Abel say that on the 30 or so pits that approximately 4 men die each week due to cave-ins and accidents. I don’t think gold is worth it, all these men dying and getting diseases. Also trees are being cut down which we need in order for us to get oxygen.
The quest for gold brings many effects, both positive and negative. From my perspective I think that the search for gold and the process of it brings more negative effects than positive effects. The destruction of cutting down trees that may be up to 1,200 years old is damaging earth. Rainforest provide oxygen which are their biggest contribution to earth. Without oxygen, we humans would not be able to get far. Not only is this an issue but, when trees are cut down many of the wild life is disturb. Many toucans and macaws take off when trees are cut down as the chain saws go roaring to action to provide space for their mining to take place. Yet there are countless of species yet to be discovered, they will not be able to be discovered if miners continue to cut down the trees. Mining also provides many jobs to those who need to provide for their families. As explained in the article that Peru alone has possibly lost more than 64,000 acres that have been razed, by gold miners burning down rainforests. Not only is burning down rainforest a major issue, gold miners are also tearing off the surface of the earth at about fifty feet down. All at once gold miners are contaminating streams, rivers as mercury is used to separate gold. The toxins that are released are being taken up by fish as it enters the food chain as mentioned in the article “The Devastating Cost of the Amazon Gold Rush”. As we all know the price of gold has tremendously increased over a short period of time, as the article explained that gold today is about 1,700 an ounce, more than six times it was ten years ago. Although the price for gold is very high this article has made me understand why it is so high, the process of gold is not any easy task the search and preparing it. When they are low in mercury and the cost of fuel rises is when the price of gold rises as it was explained in the article. There are also points where the cost of gold is not that high is just all depends on the substances needed to make gold. At the end although you do have gold the effects gold has managed to have on the environment are priceless. Like the damage it has and is still causing to the rainforest are not that easy to replace. After reading this article I have learned and realize that earth is very valuable and that we are the ones destroying the wild life, from my point of view I do not think the end results are worth it.
The miners cut are cutting down the forest just so that they can have enough space to build the mine. Deforestation is the word for what is occurring. Deforestation is one of the many things that are causing global warming. Without the trees to take in the carbon dioxide the greenhouse effect will continue to increase. Not only is deforestation a problem but all the animals losing their homes is also a big problem. Many of the animals in the Amazon Rain forest are going extinct and cutting down their home isn’t helping. Of course the miners will get paid money for the gold they find in the mine but at what risk. Every day miners risk their lives and the lives of others for money. If you ask me I would not risk my life or any wildlife for money.
The miners are cutting down trees in the rain forest. By cutting down the trees in the amazon the chain saws set fires to be able to make pits. The minors are contaminating streams and rivers and the toxins are taken up by the fish. The Amazon basin has a quarter of the world’s species and a lot of plants that need to be discovered. People visited the mines and see how it’s going and their hard work. The miners say that they earn to $70 to $600 some days but its hard work to get. The gold mining is not good for the Peruvian rainforest because it’s polluting it. The gold mining is ruining the rain forest and this is destroying the Amazon. The cost associated with mining is not worth the end because it’s hurting a lot of species and damaging the rain forest.
Mining gold does not seem worth it for many reasons. Mining takes away time you could have spent with your family because instead of that they have to spend their nights watching the mines. Mining also takes money and you have to pay all your workers and bills for equipment. There is also the risk of a worker losing their life which is something you cannot repay someone for. If you were to ask me if I would mine gold even I would say “no” Even though I would make a lot of money it is not worth risking my life day in and day out. To work in mining there is a lot you would have to give up and risk every day, like family, life, health, and comfort. No, for many reasons the cost of mining is not worth it.
I do not believe that the costs associated with mining gold are worth the end result. Although it is an opportunity to make a lot of money over a short duration of time, there are many negative effects that the practice has on people and the environment. An estimated three to seven workers die each week on the job from areas of the pit collapsing. The hours are very long leaving the workers with very little time for rest. In addition to this, the working conditions are very harsh. People are often in contact with deadly neurotoxins like mercury while working. A lot of the people in the mines are not even there legally. There are a number of plant and animal species that have suffered because of the mining as well. Not only is the mining tearing down the forest, it is also contaminating rivers and streams with mercury which is used to separate the gold. This toxin then becomes present in other organisms in the environment.
In the Amazon extensive mining is occurring, not only that but between 90 and 98 percent of it is illegal. The mining is a tragedy because it is ripping up trees that produce 15% of all the land produced oxygen. The mines are using mercury as separation agents for the gold and dirt. This mercury is not only causing nerve damage to the workers but it is also seeping into the rivers around the mines. This polluted water makes the mercury enter the food chain. Another really bad part of the mining is the working conditions for the miners. They have to work 18 hours in conditions that kill 3 miners every week. Not only that but they seem to not care at all.
There is illegal gold mining going on in the Amazon rainforest. Possibly 64,000 acres of forest have been cut down for room to gold mine. Many experts have stated that is very easy to get a permit to mine for gold but when you find a suitable place to mine; you will have to get the actual permits. The Peruvian government has tried to stop the illegal mining but the task is large and there are approximately 30,000 illegal gold miners. Many of these workers are men who need money to feed and provide for their family. Many gold miners are illegally mining on someone else’s mine without being workers of the owner. Even if they are mining illegally, they are getting a sufficient amount of money. A statement in the article from Nico Huaquisto “… 30 to 40 percent of what I make is taken up by petroleum and the cost of pumping all the water. Plus, of course, the workers, who I pay a lot of overtime a day. This is a very good job for a local person. “Another man’s statement from the article is that the money is good even if the job is bad. He stated that he has five children and he is raising and providing for them with the money he is making. Many of these miners realize that the job is not good but they will do anything to provide for their families.
Right this minute there are miners in Peru’s amazon basin chopping, burning, and disintegrating the impenetrable rainforest. Some do not rest nor look up from their destruction due to the need to keep the only high paying job in the area in order to support themselves or their large families. Even though they might know what they are doing is wrong they have to put aside their conscience and beliefs. Along with few legal mining being done there are also a lot of illegal mining. Illegal mining is when you don’t have the permits to mine in an area. These illegal mining is bad for the environment not that all mining isn’t but this is done without notice and there can be major consequences. When mining you use mercury in order to better identify the gold in all the sludge. Mercury is a highly toxic substance known to cause a host of ill effects. This substance is dangerous for the environment and the workers. As told in the article, “the devastating cost of the amazon gold rush”, it tells of a man who goes by Hernan that he stepped barefoot into this substance to mix and rummage for gold. That man was exposed directly to the poison and nothing was done about it because he most likely needs that job. Also tons of mercury can eventually seep into the rivers affecting everybody. Another way miners are affecting the environment is by burning and cutting down trees in order to make way for digging. After reading this article I analyzed that there is a higher expense to pay when looking for gold. I do not think mining, legal or non-legal, is worth the planet and oxygen we need in order to live for a minimum amount of metal, which might eventually be worth nothing.
I feel that mining is good to some degree. The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed and its all our fault. I don’t think that its ever alright to destroy our rainforest for our own goods. I feel that everyday our rainforest are being cut down and we do have the ability to stop it. We need to stop being so selfish and think about our environment and what will happen hundreds of years from now. Our rainforests need to be kept and we need to work hard to make that happen.
Gold miners have illegally worked to mine gold in the Amazon. Workers are cutting down trees that may be about 1,200 years old. This mass destruction is only one of the thousands that take place in the state of Madre de Dios in Andres. The Amazon River basin contains a quarter of the world’s terrestrial species and its trees are responsible for 15 percent of photosynthesis that arises on landmass. Today gold is worth 1,700 ounce, more than six times the price a decade ago. The demand for gold has increased so much that about 30,000 people illegally mine. The Amazon River basin contains countless species such as plants, animals, and insects, but they will all be in danger if this issue continues. In Peru alone at least 64,000 acres have been demolished. Not only are the gold miners burning the forest, they are stripping away the surface of the earth as deep as 50 feet. Miners are contaminating rivers and streams with mercury that is ultimately the potent toxin that fishes consume. When fishes consume the mercury, the mammals that eat the fish are also affected such as humans. Mercury is very toxic and can kill humans with only on touch and is very cancerous. This gold rush has caused massive deforestation that has increased from 2003 to 2009 and effects the lives of humans and animals. Mining for gold is not worth destroying the Earth. Yes, workers get paid half of what people make in a month, but they are also putting their own lives in danger. About four men die each week and even some girls are traded as a form of human trafficking. Some parents who join the mining business do have a better chance of their kids being successful in life, but is it really a risk to take? It’s not worth it because this affects everyone in the world by destroying Earth and the species that make up a large percent of the world’s population.
The miners are cutting down the forest to make more space for the mine to be built. This is making the wild life leave the forest to find better places to live. Also it is destroying the trees that give the world fifteen percent of its oxygen. They didn’t need to cut those trees down but they are greedy and what they are doing is illegal. I think the end result is not worth the gold that is produced because after all that gold is gone the forest will still look like that when the workers leave. Also the mercury will flow into the rivers and streams and pollute the waters and the fish in them that people eat. That will have a bad side effect for the towns people because they will start getting sick and not know what it is. Even though you get at least a thousand dollars a day you are risking your life to get it. And at the end it won’t matter because you will be sick from standing around and in toxic chemicals like mercury used to separate gold. Also when you try to have kids they will be sick because the mercury will be in them too. So no to the question for the end result is not worth the cost for gold because you are destroying you and the environment with the people and animals in it.
ReplyDeleteIn the Amazon people are mining for gold. The reasons they do this are different depending on the individual but the majority of it is the high amount of money that they can earn in a day compared to working normal jobs back in their hometowns. Because of this gold rush and spring of mining the environment is taking a hard hit. Thousands of trees are being cut down, severed soil erosion, and mercury pollution into the water systems nearby. This situation is quiet tricky because you have the environmental damage. But then there is the factor of the miners and why they are mining. It’s not easy work and hundreds of people die doing it. But all these people are working so they can have a chance at a happy easy life or for their children to be able to attend school and have a good future. Taking that into consideration you have to balance these two factors together. I believe as Americans we can’t take a side in this until we have lived in their shoes. Ultimately it is up to the miners themselves and the people who live in or near the Amazon to decide.
ReplyDeleteAquil El-Amin
ReplyDeleteJanuary 26, 2012
Current Affairs and Issues
Ms. Hazelwood
Miners spend countless hours digging for gold. While doing so there cutting down the rainforest each time. Most of the mining that is done in the rainforest is illegal. They have environmentalists that are protesting because nobody knows there doing it. The average miner usually gets paid from $70 to $120 a day. Many miners are children and young adults. With many environmental agency’s there not really able to get enough gold without destroying the rainforest. That’s why most of miners are illegal. There are two types of machine. The first one is used to put water pressure on the digging area. This way they find where the gold is hiding. The next machine is used to suck up the water with the gold. This process is used every time by the miners in that article. They use chain saws to soften the rocks before they spray them with water. They also use them to cut the big trees that in the way. Trees that have housed many indigenous birds and animals forced to travel deeper into the forest. Trees that may have been around thousands of years are now dying in the blink of a second. Craters are now left in ground thanks to large machines digging up a useless mineral. Then in the end we it’s all over we ask ourselves was it worth it.
The cost mining has been towards the environment has been deforestation, contaminating water ways such as rivers and streams, red macaws and toucans have lost homes and many other things. The people mining there know what they are doing but they need the money for their families, so their children can go to school have good food and water. And because of this the rainforest is being destroyed. Yes, their families need to eat but can’t they find a job that doesn’t hurt the environment? Then there are four to five men dying a week. They know the risks beside the environment would be their lives. This mining in the end is not worth it especially if you die. It still isn’t worth it if your alive either because in the end they food chain could end up destroyed and the rivers contaminated with nothing living in it. The rainforests destroyed and gone. The end effects are horrible.
ReplyDeleteStave- put off
Gouged- is to chisel having a partly cylindrical blade with the bevel on either the concave or the convex side.
Insatiable- incapable of being satisfied or appeased
Sluice- an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate (sluice gate) at the upper end for regulating the flow
Machetes- a large heavy knife used especially in Latin-American countries in cutting sugarcane and clearing underbrush and as a weapon.
Cantina- a saloon; bar.
Siphons- a tube or conduit bent into legs of unequal length, for use in drawing a liquid from one container into another on a lower level by placing the shorter leg into the container above and the longer leg into the one below, the liquid being forced up the shorter leg and into the longer one by the pressure of the atmosphere.
Fatigue- weariness from bodily or mental exertion.
Neurological disorders- the science of the nerves and the nervous system, especially of the diseases affecting them.
Gelatinous- having the nature of or resembling jelly, especially in consistency; jellylike.
Alloy- a substance composed of two or more metals, or of a metal or metals with a nonmetal, intimately mixed, as by fusion or electrodeposition.
Amalgam- an alloy of mercury with another metal or metals.
Cache- a hiding place, especially one in the ground, for ammunition, food, treasures, etc.
I would say that the end cost for mining gold is and is not worth it, it wouldn’t be because the people are destroying so much of the land over there and are using harmful substances that permanently change the rainforest if the mining itself hasn’t already permanently changed the landscape. I would also say that it is worth it because they can make a lot of money from mining just a couple of ounces of gold and the workers get paid a substantial amount of money. It is also not worth it because the workers put their lives in danger every day and about 4 people die every week and as much as 7 people can die in a week. Another reason why I think that it is worth mining is because even after expenses and after you the workers and also after you pay for your permits and everything the company makes up to $1,000 a week and some even make 40,000 to 50,000 dollars a week. In this case I believe that all of the information that I have gathered and saw after reading this article is that I would say that even though I am stating that there are good things and bad things from mining I would have to lean more on it being worth mining because most the workers are satisfied because they make more money mining than doing a regular job and the owners make a lot of money a week and they mine legally.
ReplyDeleteI think the end result is not worth the gold that is produced because after all that gold is gone the forest will still look like that when the workers leave.They are using harmful substances that permanently change the rainforest if the mining itself hasn’t already permanently changed the landscape.The cost mining has been towards the environment has been devastating, contaminating water ways such as rivers and streams, birds and other animals have lost homes and many other things. The people mining there know what they are doing but they need the money for their families, so that their children can go to school have good food to eatand clean water to drink.
ReplyDeleteThe mining that is occurring in the amazon is seriously effecting the environment and has caused a wide range of deforestation. In the course of the mining it has contaminated the water ways. The water ways that were affected by the mining were the rivers and the streams. Also red macaws and toucans lost their homes because of all the mining and deforestation. The workers that had mined for gold knew what they were doing and how it was going to affect the environment and also the many animals. Even though they knew that the mining had serious health risks, and they knew that it would cause changes in the environment they still continued to mine. They continued because the workers were in serious need for money. They would use the money form the process of mining to benefit their families. Workers would also mine so that their children would be able to go to decent schools. They also mined to make sure that they had enough food and water to supply throughout their house hold. Yes, their families needed to eat, but they should have found jobs that were more appropriate and that didn’t harm the environment as much as it did. The workers and the owners knew of the risks of dying. These workers are mining for gold and dying each and every week just to provide a better life for them and their families. But they still end of leaving their families in bad conditions by mining so at the end of the day their still not benefiting from the process. Not only are they killing themselves but they are also harming the environment.
ReplyDeleteIn the Amazon there are people mining gold and they are operating illegally. There are many reasons to why people have chosen this job, varying depending on that individual and his/her own story why. Red macaws and toucans have lost their homes because of workers cutting down, trees that range in age of 1,200 years old have been cut down also, deforestation has increased and contaminating waters ways in streams and rivers is all occurring. These same workers also set fires, making way for more pits in the rainforest. Mostly all the workers have families that they may provide for financially, physically, mentally, and certainly educationally. The costs associated with mining gold are not worth it in the end. This is because for species to lose their homes, trees that we use as a resource to be cut down, increasing in deforestation and the contamination of waters to occur just to gather gold is not all worth it in the end.
ReplyDeleteDeforestation is happening is Peru’s Amazon basin because more and more people are searching for gold. This is happening not only in Peru’s Amazon basin, but it is also happening in thousands of other states in Madre de Dios. Madre de Dios is among the most biodiverse regions in the world, up until recently, that is. Illegal gold miners work standing in waist-deep muddy water while they chew cocoa leaves to prevent exhaustion and hunger from occurring to them. In order for there to be more mining, which they are hoping for and working towards, they have to cut down trees. The majority of the trees that they are cutting down may be 1,200 years old. The crews who are creating deforestation are also setting fires to make more room for more pits for the gold mine.
ReplyDeleteThe Amazon River basin holds about a quarter of the world’s terrestrial species. The trees in the Amazon River basin perform almost fifteen percent of the photosynthesis that is occurring on landmasses. Thousands of plants, animals, and insects have yet to be indentified – some of them never will if people continue cutting down the trees where their homes are located. At least 64,000 acres in Peru have been a victim of deforestation. By the workers setting fires to the forests, they are scrapping away the earth, perhaps even fifty feet down below the earth. Miners are also destroying rivers and streams. The mercury that separates the gold is merging into the watershed, making the water there a hazardous for the animals that live there.
Gold mining brings in a lot of money. Today, gold is sold around $1,700 an ounce. That is six times more than the price that it was a decade ago. People have a high demand for luxury and goods that are made from precious metal, like gold. That is why the demand for gold has been so high lately. I also think that because Peru is becoming a bigger tourist country, the pressure for the gold miners is greater because they want the best for the tourists that visit. Peru has more hotels, restaurants, and guesthouses that it did decades ago. Through gold mining, people have found; ancient trees and fossil trees. Huaquisto said that he collects between $30,000 and $40,000 a week. Some of the costs that go into gold mining are environmental remediation, social programs, and reforestation.
I do not believe that the money that is made due to gold mining is very good. I mean, yes, money is good, in its rightful place, that is. But when you create deforestation for money, then it has become an idol to you. Gold mining is destroying our earth. I think that the expanding of gold mines in the Amazon River basin should be banned. I wish that the gold miners themselves would realize how much they are hurting the earth and I wish they would stop.
Although the miners and bosses get paid very well, there are many adverse effects of the quest for gold that outweigh the one benefit. Many of the effects are environmental. To mine for gold they cut down the trees and burn the forest. Then they dig big holes all over the forest. On top of all that, they use liquid mercury which will eventually get into the water. This is all happening in the rain forest on the edge of a river. The rainforest provides oxygen for the entire Earth. Things that threaten the environmental health of the rainforest threaten the health of the whole world and every person, plant, or animal that lives here. The mining is causing irreversible damage to a forest that used to be beautiful. One man said that a nearby river used to be twelve feet wider and clear. Now it’s narrow and turbid. No amount of money even comes close to comparing with the health of an ecosystem. There are also adverse effects for the people. The mines have made opportunity for many illegal practices. People are stealing gold that they didn’t work for. The fact that the overseer watched the miners so closely shows that some miners also steal gold from their bosses. There are also many children being sold into slavery to work for the mines, and there are brothels in the some of mining camps. The miners are also put in danger. One miner said that in the 30 mines that his boss owns four men die every week. The conditions the miners work in are very dangerous and uncomfortable. They have to stand dark pits that are filled with water. Some of the miners even have to stand barefooted in liquid mercury. The gold rush is irreversibly damaging the environment, opening up opportunities for illegal things, and putting thousands of people in danger. The costs associated with mining gold are not worth the end result.
ReplyDeleteIn the Amazon there is mining going on. They are working hard to discover gold in the Amazon rain forest. There are trees being cut, and habitats being lost. The miners that are doing this are making lots of money each day while finding the gold. There is 15% of photosynthesis occurring on land. They state in the article that almost 64,000 acres have been ravaged. The miners that are working don't get a good home cooked meal. They get plates delivered to the working site. Enrique Ortiz stated that “it’s easy to get a permit to explore for gold”. Most days while searching for gold they find a lot of gold. I know that people like gold or whatever, but I think that that shouldn’t really matter as much as animals losing homes, and deforestation. What’s the point of taking up space to dig for gold? I think the rain forest means as much as gold. The big chunk of change the workers are getting isn’t really worth it if you ask me. But it’s not my decision as to what they want to do. Whoever is in the range of the Amazon should make this decision. Not the ones that organized this. I understand workers are getting hundreds and thousands of dollars, but it’s destroying the environment daily.
ReplyDeleteEvery day, land in the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed and one major reason why is because of the countless people mining for gold. Many times there are trees cut down that are 1,200 years old. The article states “Not only are gold miners burning down the forest, they are stripping away the surface of the earth, perhaps 50 feet down”. Although this task is destroying the rainforest each day, people still proceed with mining for gold because the average person receives about 70 to 120 dollars a day, according to one of the workers. Most people in their hometown make about half as much as the average miner in a month. Some of the workers mining for the gold are even there illegally. In my opinion, it is not right to deliberately cut down hundreds of thousands of trees and lose 64,000 acres of land in the Amazon rainforest to mine for gold. Many people think that destroying the Rainforest is a horrible thing, but they are not willing to do anything to stop it because the demand for gold is very high. People want their gold so they are willing to pay the price. The Amazon Rainforest contains countless numbers of species and they depend on the millions of trees for their survival. By cutting down the trees to mine, the species that live in the rainforest either die or have to find another place to live. I think the price to pay for the loss of that much rainforest is not worth it at the level they are mining the gold. I feel as if they should not mine as much because I know it would be asking too much to completely stop the mining for gold, but if there was a way to completely stop the mining for gold process in the rainforest, I would be all for it. Also, the conditions the workers have to deal with are horrible. For example, there are many accidents that occur at the mining sites; approximately 4 men die each week. Ask yourself, is it really worth the devastating loss of the diverse ecosystems located within the rainforest and the thousands of species who make their homes there, and the lives of innocent people for your gold?
ReplyDeleteMiners in the amazon are cutting down and burning at least 64,000 acres of trees in the amazon all for gold. Gold is worth 1,700 dollars an ounce for this precious metal but is the cost worth the end result? No it is not. Miners are creating huge and deep cavities within the ground and destroying lots of topsoil. The land the miners use is destroyed and it will take years for the forest to grow back in that spot. Miners in Lamal use mercury a toxic substance that causes neurological disorders to help sift out gold within the muddy waters of holes miners dig. The mercury is left in the silt and dumped into the river thus contaminating the amazon with mercury. The amazon goes across most of Brazil and gives water to thousands of organism. Since mercury is now in the water system people in the amazon could now have a risk of getting a neurological disorder from the contaminated water. These Gold mines are not safe, a miner named Abel says that at his mine about four men die each week and on occasion seven have died in a single week, that’s a death a day. Deforestation is now rising in the amazon because of this gold rush. Along the river of the amazon instead of seeing luscious jungle and beautiful animals you may see giant holes and bare land where trees once stood and now dredge barges moored on the shore harvesting gold. Some of the miners are not even mining legally. Enrique Ortiz, an authority on rainforest management, estimates 90 or 98 percent of the miners in Madre de Dios state are illegally mining. Illegal miners don’t abide by rules of legal miners. Legal miners have to have a plan on how to refurbish the desecrated forest while illegal miners don’t. Based off information from the article miners get paid at least 70 dollars a day. But is your life, the survival of the rainforest and the lives of others worth risking for 70 dollars a day? No it is not because the amazon rainforest supplies 1/3 of the world’s oxygen and there are over 100 species of animals and plants in the rain forest. Plus people lives are at serious risk; about four people die in week in Lamals mines. The cost is too great for just an ounce of gold.
ReplyDeleteNo, the costs associated with mining gold aren’t worth the end results. In order to mine, they have to cut down lots of trees and ruin forests in the process. At least 64,000 acres have been ravaged in Peru alone. Gold miners burn the forest and they are stripping perhaps 50 feet down in the earth. When the guys are doing the mining, the destruction inside the mine is never ending the two hours they are mining. Also, mercury is getting into rivers and streams.
ReplyDelete• Chasm: A deep fissure in the earth, rock, or another surface.
ReplyDelete• Siphons: A pipe or tube used to convey liquid upward from a container and then down to a lower level by gravity, the liquid being made to enter.
• Stihl: Andreas Stihl AG & Company is a manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment including trimmers and blowers.
• Pristine: In its original condition; unspoiled.
• Acreage: An area of land, typically when used for agricultural purposes, but not necessarily measured in acres: "a 35% increase in net acreage".
• Insatiable: (of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy: "an insatiable hunger".
• Cuzco: A city in the Andes in southern Peru; pop. 275,000; ancient capital of the Inca empire.
• Juliaca: Juliaca is a city in the Puno Region, Peru. It is the region's largest city and capital of the San Roman province.
• Circumvent: Find a way around (an obstacle).
• Ecotourism: Tourism in exotic, often threatened, natural environments, esp. to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.
• Sluice: A sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water, esp. one in a lock gate.
• Remuneration: Money paid for work or a service.
• Inebriated: Make drunk; intoxicate.
• Corrugated: (of a material, surface, or structure) Shaped into alternate ridges and grooves.
• Assayed: Determine the content or quality of (a metal or ore).
• Obliterated: Destroy utterly; wipe out.
In the Amazon Rainforest, habitats are being destroyed to make room for mines. This is a very dangerous task, especially since 90-98 percent of these mines are illegal. Miners aren’t thinking about the habitats they are destroying or why these mines are illegal in the first place. In the end, some of our species could go extinct and the Amazon Rainforest will be destroyed. All of this drastic mining isn’t worth the end result. Because, once all of the gold is gone they’ll be left with pits of what used to be. Not only are the specie’s habitats being destroyed, but the mining is releasing toxins into the fresh water. The mercury being let into the water are killing aquatic life and contaminating the water. This would negatively affect the natives and the people who drink from that water to survive. Aside from the fact that this task is destroying the land and organisms, it’s also greatly impacting the workers. Mining is a very difficult task that could possibly result in death. They are risking the environment along with their lives.
Being a gold miner can be a very good job for some people because it brings in a lot of money to people and their families. The cost of gold can be as high as $1,700 an ounce. Currently in the amazon, there are gold miners digging for gold each and every day. In order to mine for gold, the miners need to cut down trees and burn many acres of land so that they can have an area for a mining pit. The cutting down of these trees, and the burning of land are causing habitat loss for the many different species that live in the amazon, forcing them to find another place to live. Gold miners use a toxic chemical called mercury to retrieve gold from rivers. The mercury is dumped into the river which contaminates the water which can cause sickness in the people who drink or eat things from the river. There is an average of about 4 deaths a week from mining gold. The end result in mining for gold isn’t worth it because many animal species are being affected by the gold mining which causes them find a new habitat when their habitat is burned or cut down. It is also not worth it because many people can die from the contaminated water. The last reason that it isn’t worth it is because there are an average of 4 deaths a week from mining for gold.
ReplyDeleteCurrently in Peru’s Amazon basin, the rainforest is being destroyed by gold miners and the demand for Gold. This treasure of $1,700.00 an ounce is responsible for the damage of this beautiful biome. Gold Miners are cutting down trees that could be over 1,000 years old and fleeing now-homeless animals away. The earth is being torn into by chainsaws, water cannons, and fires just to get to the gold. Illegal miners come to make their living off of the findings of gold. This destruction in return is slowly killing all of the rainforest and endangering many lives of both people and animals. Miners take great risks to find the gold. Many die, few live during a normal week. “As many as seven die in a week” stated Abel, a Peruvian gold miner. Not only is this demand for gold destroying the habitat, it is destroying society. Many slaves are put to work in the hazardous gold mines as young as 11 years old. The costs associated with gold mining are not worth the end result. Yes, being a gold miner is a very high-paying job, but in the end when we have no more rainforest and all the indigenous animals are extinct, then, we will suffer. The cost of gold is at an all-time high, but does the rainforest have to pay price?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the Amazon is deteriorating due to the gold rush and the illegal gold miners. Individuals are mining for gold and tearing down trees that could be as old as twelve-hundred years old. Future generations will not be able to see the wonders of the Amazon or the Peruvian Rain Forest due to the denuding of the rainforests. The wages are excellent compared to most average workers, some workers make what other individuals make in a month or year in just one day. The hours are long, but the payoff is great. They estimate between three and seven workers die each week. Beautiful and exotic animals have to flee for their lives from a place that was once solely their habitat. Most of the gold miners are operating illegally, and they operate by using what is available and made by licensed and permitted gold mine operators. Since the price of gold is higher than ever at a staggering $1,700 per ounce, the mine operators make between $30,000 and $40,000 per work. A once lush and beautiful rainforest teeming with life and abundance is now becoming bare and empty. It is not worth the money that nets in every single week; because once animals are extinct and the trees have died out they are irreplaceable. The people who operate “ethically” with the government, workers, and land will suck the land until it is barren and then move on to the next space accessible to bring in large sums of money. It is not fair to the workers who risk their lives, it is not fair to the animals that die and lose their homes daily, and it is not fair to the generations who should be able to see such a glorious and lush place. They have destroyed and denatured a place that takes several decades or even centuries to repair, the end result will never recompense for the destruction and lives taken.
ReplyDeleteIn the Amazon, there are many people mining for gold, whether it is legal or illegal. I find this very devastating towards the rain forest; to mine for gold they cut down many trees as well as burn many acres of the forest. I do not think that the costs associated with mining for gold are worth the end result. Throughout the mining process, there are limits that are being pushed just to get a few ounces of gold. There are also many dangers with working in a gold mine, including death. There are many deaths that are reported, few miners get far in the mining career, only to lose their lives. There are staggering amounts of workers that lose their lives each week. There is also the fact that there are many illegal miners that work. There may be as many as 30,000 illegal miners that work in the mines. This could potentially hurt the economy as well as the government. Even though the cost of gold is at an all-time high, doesn’t mean that anyone should have the right to destroy a very well-developed habitat. Even though mining is a very high paying job, it is not worth the risk of potentially killing off many species, and potentially hurting us in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe Amazon Rainforest is currently being destroyed because of the all the gold mines that are set up and currently operating. And in order for the mines to be set up they must clear acres of land. In the end they are clearing away animals from their habitats and destroying the tresses that are there too. The Amazon is where we get at least twenty percent of our oxygen why waste all these trees for gold. No matter how valuable gold might be and mean for people they should try and find some other place to mine for it away from people and animals. Because in the end the costs that are resulted with mining for gold is devastating to both animals and people. It harmful to people because most of these mines are operating illegally meaning they haven’t been checked to see if their safe in enough for people to work at. Why put yourself and the environment at risk for money? To me it doesn’t make since to why you would go to such extremes to find pieces of gold and sometimes even none. You don’t miss something as much until you’ve lost it!
ReplyDeleteThis is an opinion I think because some people may think that it is horrible that miners are destroying the rain forest. Other people think that it is worth it because of all the gold that they find, gold a once right now is 1,700 dollars. Especially if miners are poor and can hardly survive, but then they find a mine and get rich. I think that it can go both ways cause after the miners get done mining the area they can re-plant the trees and the plants, hopefully the animals that used to live there would come back. The effects of gold mining could be very costly in any point of view. People die every day because of the gold frenzy that is going on, not just in the Rain forest in Alaska and all over the world. I don’t think that is right though how people mine illegally. Maybe it just because they need the money and can’t get the right permits. Some other effects of the gold rush that is happening in the Rain forest is the Government not using their resources that they have. They need to enforce the laws of gold mining because people are destroying the rain forest to fast and it can’t re-grow at the rate of what we are destroying it.
ReplyDeleteAs I was analyzing the article we read in class, I began to think that the whole rush-for-gold issue happening in the Amazon Basin in Peru is not so worth it after all. First of all, the miners are working illegally. The fact that they have not gotten authorities involved in this should light up a bulb; this is wrong. A Peruvian biologist stated that “it’s easy to explore for gold”. But if you were to find a mining site, then you need to have permits and a whole bunch of protection programs. Do these people have them? I think not. Second, and I clearly recall from the article, as the miners cut down trees “red macaws and brilliant-feathered toucans take off. The chain saw screws also set fires, making way for more pits.” Obviously, this is harming the natural resources in the forest. It’s ruining the animals’ habitats. I’m not sure about everyone else, but I know that I’d personally be upset if someone came and destroyed my house. Mercury is another thing that would totally pollute the water. I understand that there is a need for money in Peru, but I don’t think the correct way to earning money is done illegally. I’m pretty sure most of these miners go to work every day with that fear of “getting caught”. It’s much better to earn your daily needs in a decent way. Besides, the conditions in those mining site are clearly not suitable. In the end, I definitely say the quest for gold is not worth it.
ReplyDeleteIs gold really worth hurting the environment and taking away all of the trees? Gold miners in the Amazon believe it is. They have been in the Peruvian rainforest making pits (or craters) in the Earth and they have been cutting down the trees just so they can look for gold and make some money. They are hurting the environment because after they take a tree down it stays down and won’t grow back. As it states in the article, trees are the engine of perhaps 15 percent of photosynthesis occurring on land mass and the gold miners are taking, what we need to breathe. They are putting themselves in danger just so they can make money. On average, four people die each week. Some of the people have set up sites and others go illegally into people’s spots and the mine. There are a lot children being sold into slavery to work for the mines. The gold rush is damaging our environment. Mining is expensive and it is not worth the end result.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, I think that the gold mining is not worth it. There are many difficulties that come with the Amazon gold mining. First off, they are ruining more and more of the rainforest each day. Often times these mine workers starve themselves until they get done with the day’s job. The work of a miner is very life threating. One man said “there are a lot of accidents. The sides of the hole can fall away, which crushes you”. Four men die each week! That is crazy. On occasion, seven have died in a single week. One man said they make about $70 to $120 a day but it depends. In one month most people in their hometown make about half of what the miners make. There are many harmful toxins that are also involved with the miner jobs. They cut down multiples of the rainforest trees. This is not good for their environment at all. The mine workers believe it is all worth it because of the money they make. Miners also work long stressful hours; one man said he usually works 18 hours a day. But when it comes to mining, it changes from day to day. One day you can do really great but then the next you cannot do well at all. The cost of mining can get expensive. You have to pay for the land, taxes, get the permits, and all of the equipment. I think the costs of mining is not worth it in the end result but I am sure miners believe it is because they cannot find a job that pays like mining does. On the other hand its life threating and bad for the environment.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of gold at an astounding $1,700 per ounce is the motivation behind gold miners that are destroying one of the most biodiverse and pristine enviroments in the world. There is as many as 30,000 miners in Madre de Dios operating illegally. The pay off of gold is excellent and is at it’s all time highest but if that means destroying hundreds of acres of the rainforest, then it is not worth it in the end. It is estimated that between three to seven workers die each week and if you get through one week, then you are lucky. They are basically putting their life in danger for the hopeful reward of gold. What if there is no gold found in the end? Then, they are basically paying hundreds of money each day to have all the machines operate and cutting down acres of forests for no reason. The use of mercury to separate the gold is doing some major contaminating to the water which is taken in by fish and is going to make it’s way into the food chain. That mercury can kill several animals that consumes the fish. The rate of deforestation is six times more than what it used to be in 2003. Gold miners are chopping down trees that are possibly over 1,000 years old. There is no doubt that this is the habitat of over hundreds of species of plants and animals and by mining, they are putting all of the plants and animals at risk. The amazon is responsible for 15% of photosynthesis on landmasses. It gives off oxygen which helps us breath and once it is gone, so is the oxygen that it provides. All the species living there can possibly become extinct and when that happens, it is permanent and cannot be reversed. The forest that is currently full of life is now becoming bare due to gold mining. In the end, the cost of gold mining in Peru’s Amazon basin is not worth losing a beautiful rainforest over.
ReplyDeleteThe affects for the cause of gold are very grave and need to be taken seriously. The fact that searching for gold is taking down many trees in the Peruvian rain forest it is an example of how gold it’s affecting our future generations. The Gold miners don’t have enough money to race their families and so they get pulled to dangerous and illegal situations on which they get paid on small amounts of but much more than what they would get if they were doing a safe and honest jobs. The causes associated with mining gold are not worth the end result to our future generations because of the fact of how if this gold mining continues their will not be any trees left in the Peruvian rain forest. There also contaminating the rivers and streams as mercury that is use to separate the gold is streaming into the watersheds. This problem is not the only one because there are people relying on how the others are needy and how poverty is in large range there, they take advantage and sell and buy kids that are underage and explode them.
ReplyDeleteThe quest for gold is ruining the land. Trees are being cut down and the land is being torn apart. The trees and land are often being mined illegally and some workers lose their lives in accidents mining gold. Children are often stolen from their families to work in the gold mines. Although workers can earn a lot of money, I don’t think it is worth it. By cutting down forest it is ruining wildlife homes. It is also taking away oxygen that the trees produce by destroying them. Up to seven workers can die from gold mining accidents a week and that’s definitely not worth it because in a month up to 30 people can die. The end result is definitely not worth it if kidnapping and death is involved.
ReplyDeleteMany people may think that gold mining is a good thing but it seems to me that it has more disadvantages than advantages. The main advantage of gold mining is the amount of jobs it provides for people. With that also comes money and the valuable metal itself. With that comes many more disadvantages. For one thing the mining process is quite long so as to be expected, the workers work all day. Mining is also extremely damaging to the Amazon. Mining kills the wildlife and scares away the animals. Mining is also very dangerous for the people who have to do the mining. As we all know, accidents happen and in gold mining they are probably inevitable. Some miners have been killed. These miners risk their lives on a daily basis. For 3 or 4 ounces of gold between 70 and $600 can be made. This isn't a lot for a miner who works day in and day out risking his life mining for gold he doesn't even get to keep. Some of the miners aren't even adults, just young children forced into labor. These children are taken away from their families. Another point I'd like to make is that the miners are directly exposed to mercury which is poisonous and/ or detrimental to the human body. As you can see there are a lot more disadvantages from mining than there are advantages.
ReplyDeleteIn Made de Dios, Peru there are many illegal gold miners who are cutting down trees that could be around 1,000 years old. These miners are cutting down trees which give about 15 percent of photosynthesis. These miners are scaring away animals, birds and insects. Some which are yet to be discovered. No one knows for sure how many acres of land have been torn apart but these have been an estimate of 64,000 acres most likely more. The miners in Peru are polluting the river and streams as mercury enters the food chain, which it is being taken in by fish. The price of gold is $1,700 per once and it is six times more than it was about twenty years ago. It seems as if the Earth is not being thought of when mine illegally for gold. People can get a permit which allows them to look for gold but once the citizens have found a site to mine in, they are required to get the actual permit. To get the actual permit it “require engineering specs, statement of environmental protection programs, plans for protection of indigenous people and for environmental remediation” says Enrique Ortiz. The governments in Peru are taking steps toward shutting down the mines but it might be a lot more complicated because there may be as much as 30,000 illegal miners in Madre de Dios. Nico Huaquisto remembers that there was beautiful view of the Huepetuhe River and how the mining has destroyed the clear water which is now muddy. Huaquisto says that after the expenses he has to pay for he gets about $30,000 and $40,000 a week. One of the workers named Abel say that on the 30 or so pits that approximately 4 men die each week due to cave-ins and accidents. I don’t think gold is worth it, all these men dying and getting diseases. Also trees are being cut down which we need in order for us to get oxygen.
ReplyDeleteThe quest for gold brings many effects, both positive and negative. From my perspective I think that the search for gold and the process of it brings more negative effects than positive effects. The destruction of cutting down trees that may be up to 1,200 years old is damaging earth. Rainforest provide oxygen which are their biggest contribution to earth. Without oxygen, we humans would not be able to get far. Not only is this an issue but, when trees are cut down many of the wild life is disturb. Many toucans and macaws take off when trees are cut down as the chain saws go roaring to action to provide space for their mining to take place. Yet there are countless of species yet to be discovered, they will not be able to be discovered if miners continue to cut down the trees. Mining also provides many jobs to those who need to provide for their families. As explained in the article that Peru alone has possibly lost more than 64,000 acres that have been razed, by gold miners burning down rainforests. Not only is burning down rainforest a major issue, gold miners are also tearing off the surface of the earth at about fifty feet down. All at once gold miners are contaminating streams, rivers as mercury is used to separate gold. The toxins that are released are being taken up by fish as it enters the food chain as mentioned in the article “The Devastating Cost of the Amazon Gold Rush”. As we all know the price of gold has tremendously increased over a short period of time, as the article explained that gold today is about 1,700 an ounce, more than six times it was ten years ago. Although the price for gold is very high this article has made me understand why it is so high, the process of gold is not any easy task the search and preparing it. When they are low in mercury and the cost of fuel rises is when the price of gold rises as it was explained in the article. There are also points where the cost of gold is not that high is just all depends on the substances needed to make gold. At the end although you do have gold the effects gold has managed to have on the environment are priceless. Like the damage it has and is still causing to the rainforest are not that easy to replace. After reading this article I have learned and realize that earth is very valuable and that we are the ones destroying the wild life, from my point of view I do not think the end results are worth it.
ReplyDeleteThe miners cut are cutting down the forest just so that they can have enough space to build the mine. Deforestation is the word for what is occurring. Deforestation is one of the many things that are causing global warming. Without the trees to take in the carbon dioxide the greenhouse effect will continue to increase. Not only is deforestation a problem but all the animals losing their homes is also a big problem. Many of the animals in the Amazon Rain forest are going extinct and cutting down their home isn’t helping. Of course the miners will get paid money for the gold they find in the mine but at what risk. Every day miners risk their lives and the lives of others for money. If you ask me I would not risk my life or any wildlife for money.
ReplyDeleteThe miners are cutting down trees in the rain forest. By cutting down the trees in the amazon the chain saws set fires to be able to make pits. The minors are contaminating streams and rivers and the toxins are taken up by the fish. The Amazon basin has a quarter of the world’s species and a lot of plants that need to be discovered. People visited the mines and see how it’s going and their hard work. The miners say that they earn to $70 to $600 some days but its hard work to get. The gold mining is not good for the Peruvian rainforest because it’s polluting it. The gold mining is ruining the rain forest and this is destroying the Amazon. The cost associated with mining is not worth the end because it’s hurting a lot of species and damaging the rain forest.
ReplyDeleteMining gold does not seem worth it for many reasons. Mining takes away time you could have spent with your family because instead of that they have to spend their nights watching the mines. Mining also takes money and you have to pay all your workers and bills for equipment. There is also the risk of a worker losing their life which is something you cannot repay someone for. If you were to ask me if I would mine gold even I would say “no” Even though I would make a lot of money it is not worth risking my life day in and day out. To work in mining there is a lot you would have to give up and risk every day, like family, life, health, and comfort. No, for many reasons the cost of mining is not worth it.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the costs associated with mining gold are worth the end result. Although it is an opportunity to make a lot of money over a short duration of time, there are many negative effects that the practice has on people and the environment. An estimated three to seven workers die each week on the job from areas of the pit collapsing. The hours are very long leaving the workers with very little time for rest. In addition to this, the working conditions are very harsh. People are often in contact with deadly neurotoxins like mercury while working. A lot of the people in the mines are not even there legally. There are a number of plant and animal species that have suffered because of the mining as well. Not only is the mining tearing down the forest, it is also contaminating rivers and streams with mercury which is used to separate the gold. This toxin then becomes present in other organisms in the environment.
ReplyDeleteIn the Amazon extensive mining is occurring, not only that but between 90 and 98 percent of it is illegal. The mining is a tragedy because it is ripping up trees that produce 15% of all the land produced oxygen. The mines are using mercury as separation agents for the gold and dirt. This mercury is not only causing nerve damage to the workers but it is also seeping into the rivers around the mines. This polluted water makes the mercury enter the food chain. Another really bad part of the mining is the working conditions for the miners. They have to work 18 hours in conditions that kill 3 miners every week. Not only that but they seem to not care at all.
ReplyDeleteThere is illegal gold mining going on in the Amazon rainforest. Possibly 64,000 acres of forest have been cut down for room to gold mine. Many experts have stated that is very easy to get a permit to mine for gold but when you find a suitable place to mine; you will have to get the actual permits. The Peruvian government has tried to stop the illegal mining but the task is large and there are approximately 30,000 illegal gold miners. Many of these workers are men who need money to feed and provide for their family. Many gold miners are illegally mining on someone else’s mine without being workers of the owner. Even if they are mining illegally, they are getting a sufficient amount of money. A statement in the article from Nico Huaquisto “… 30 to 40 percent of what I make is taken up by petroleum and the cost of pumping all the water. Plus, of course, the workers, who I pay a lot of overtime a day. This is a very good job for a local person. “Another man’s statement from the article is that the money is good even if the job is bad. He stated that he has five children and he is raising and providing for them with the money he is making. Many of these miners realize that the job is not good but they will do anything to provide for their families.
ReplyDeleteRight this minute there are miners in Peru’s amazon basin chopping, burning, and disintegrating the impenetrable rainforest. Some do not rest nor look up from their destruction due to the need to keep the only high paying job in the area in order to support themselves or their large families. Even though they might know what they are doing is wrong they have to put aside their conscience and beliefs. Along with few legal mining being done there are also a lot of illegal mining. Illegal mining is when you don’t have the permits to mine in an area. These illegal mining is bad for the environment not that all mining isn’t but this is done without notice and there can be major consequences. When mining you use mercury in order to better identify the gold in all the sludge. Mercury is a highly toxic substance known to cause a host of ill effects. This substance is dangerous for the environment and the workers. As told in the article, “the devastating cost of the amazon gold rush”, it tells of a man who goes by Hernan that he stepped barefoot into this substance to mix and rummage for gold. That man was exposed directly to the poison and nothing was done about it because he most likely needs that job. Also tons of mercury can eventually seep into the rivers affecting everybody. Another way miners are affecting the environment is by burning and cutting down trees in order to make way for digging. After reading this article I analyzed that there is a higher expense to pay when looking for gold. I do not think mining, legal or non-legal, is worth the planet and oxygen we need in order to live for a minimum amount of metal, which might eventually be worth nothing.
ReplyDeleteI feel that mining is good to some degree. The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed and its all our fault. I don’t think that its ever alright to destroy our rainforest for our own goods. I feel that everyday our rainforest are being cut down and we do have the ability to stop it. We need to stop being so selfish and think about our environment and what will happen hundreds of years from now. Our rainforests need to be kept and we need to work hard to make that happen.
ReplyDeleteGold miners have illegally worked to mine gold in the Amazon. Workers are cutting down trees that may be about 1,200 years old. This mass destruction is only one of the thousands that take place in the state of Madre de Dios in Andres. The Amazon River basin contains a quarter of the world’s terrestrial species and its trees are responsible for 15 percent of photosynthesis that arises on landmass. Today gold is worth 1,700 ounce, more than six times the price a decade ago. The demand for gold has increased so much that about 30,000 people illegally mine. The Amazon River basin contains countless species such as plants, animals, and insects, but they will all be in danger if this issue continues. In Peru alone at least 64,000 acres have been demolished. Not only are the gold miners burning the forest, they are stripping away the surface of the earth as deep as 50 feet. Miners are contaminating rivers and streams with mercury that is ultimately the potent toxin that fishes consume. When fishes consume the mercury, the mammals that eat the fish are also affected such as humans. Mercury is very toxic and can kill humans with only on touch and is very cancerous. This gold rush has caused massive deforestation that has increased from 2003 to 2009 and effects the lives of humans and animals. Mining for gold is not worth destroying the Earth. Yes, workers get paid half of what people make in a month, but they are also putting their own lives in danger. About four men die each week and even some girls are traded as a form of human trafficking. Some parents who join the mining business do have a better chance of their kids being successful in life, but is it really a risk to take? It’s not worth it because this affects everyone in the world by destroying Earth and the species that make up a large percent of the world’s population.
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