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Every day is Mother's Day at the No Dirty Gold Campaign!
May 2008. Do something for Mama Earth -- and all moms -- this Mother's Day. Help us honor moms around the world affected by mining by reading their stories and by sending a Mother's Day ePostcard to your friends.
Happy Mother's Day!
Gold at record high prices
But what is the true cost of gold mining?
March 2008. Gold reached an all-time high of $1000/oz. earlier this month and still hovers around that mark. But is that the true cost of gold? It does not include the cost of social and environmental devastation that gold mining can bring to an area. Those costs may be rising too as mining companies are now seeking out gold in new areas of the world and expanding mines to tap lower-grade ores that were not profitable to exploit when gold prices were lower. These prices may mean greater profits for mining companies, and may also mean a greater price to pay for communities affected by mining. Help end destructive gold mining practices by signing the No Dirty Gold pledge!
Jewelry retailers urge protection for Alaska's Bristol Bay
Report highlights impacts of Alaska's Pebble mine proposal and others that violate the Golden Rules.
Bear in the Bristol Bay watershed.
Credit: Ben Knight |
12 February. Five of the nation's leading jewelry retailers supporting the Golden Rules today announced their support for the protection of Alaska's Bristol Bay from large-scale metals mining. The proposed Pebble gold-copper mine threatens the fisheries and livelihood of people in the Bristol Bay area.
The Pebble proposal features in the report Golden Rules: Making the Case for More Responsible Mining, also released today, as a mine that violates the Golden Rules for more responsible mining. The report documents the devastating impacts of metals mining at 16 other places in the world, including Ghana, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Nevada.
28 jewelry retailers have now signed on to the Golden Rules to indicate their desire to source minerals from mines that uphold principles protecting human rights and the environment.
No Dirty Gold raises profile of campaign with major TV coverage January 2008. The No Dirty Gold campaign drew attention to the impacts of gold mining in several television spots in the end of 2007. In Chicago, "'Green' Gold Helps Couples Reduce Impact on Earth" reached the third largest media market in the US. The report on efforts to reduce impacts of gold mining and provide more responsibly sourced metals to customers highlighted the work of the No Dirty Gold campaign. A similar news story in Seattle, "Shoppers seek out green bling," also drew attention to the waste created by gold mining and to customers' desires to wear jewelry that does not come at the expense of communities and the environment.
No Dirty Gold campaign wins a BENNY award!
October 2007. The No Dirty Gold campaign has won a competitive award for successful corporate campaigning by the Business Ethics Network. The awards were presented at a ceremony held in Oakland, CA. EARTHWORKS campaigner Payal Sampat accepted the BENNY award on behalf of the No Dirty Gold campaign, noting: "This award inspires us to work harder than ever to clean up dirty mining practices."
Thanks to all of you who have helped us make big strides with this campaign!
The BENNY Awards recognize outstanding achievements made by campaigns working to promote more ethical corporate behavior. Other nominees in 2007 included campaigns to protect rail and farm workers, to ban toxic chemicals from cosmetics, to protect forests, and to promote renewable energy.
Glencairn Needs to Clean Up Its Own Mess
September 2007. In July, the Bellavista gold mine in Costa Rica shut down following a suspected leak of cyanide and metals. Glencairn, the Canadian company that owns the mine, has yet to disclose any details about the leak, including any information about actual or potential damage or risks.
Take action! Tell Glencairn that they must inform the public, especially communities living near the mine, about what's going on at Bellavista. And ask them to clean up any damage from the leak!
Read more on our press release.
Newmont Urged to Condemn Death Threats and Harassment
August 2007. Mining activists in Peru were encouraged by the No Dirty Gold campaign's thousands of letters to Newmont calling on the mining company to condemn intimidation and human rights violations at their Yanacocha mine in Cajamarca. But Newmont has failed to act and the violations continue! If you haven't already, please take action to stop these threats to community leaders! Read more here.
Leading Retailers Pledge Their Gold Jewelry Will Sparkle Responsibly
February 2007. 25 jewelry retailers worth roughly $12 billion in annual sales have endorsed the No Dirty Gold campaign's Golden Rules criteria for more responsible mining.
The list includes 7 of the 10 largest U.S. retailers of jewelry, and represents about 22 percent of the country's total jewelry market.
Target Corporation has been named a laggard for not making these commitments.
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See why class rings manufacturer Commemorative Brands endorsed the Golden Rules.
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Gold Mining and Conflict
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Natural resources, instead of bringing wealth, have fuelled conflict in the Dem. Republic of Congo. Credit: Richard Wainwright/CAFOD Unearth Justice
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December 2006. The Hollywood film "Blood Diamond" starring Leonardo DiCaprio highlights how the illegal diamond trade has been the cause of enormous human suffering, helping to fuel and finance armed conflict in parts of Africa. Gold mining, too, bears the scars of conflict, destruction, and human rights abuse. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, armed groups fighting for control of gold mines and trading routes have committed murderous crimes using the profits from gold to fund their activities and buy weapons. In other places, local communities have encountered intimidation, abuse, even violent suppression when voicing opposition to mining projects.
The Consumer Face of No Dirty Gold
Andrew and Johanna Heyduk were looking for the perfect wedding bands, rings that hadn't contributed to hurting communities or the environment.
"It was a symbol of our bond," Andrew Heyduk said. "We wanted it to be as untainted as possible." Read their story.
New York Times Uncovers Real Cost of Gold
December 2005. The price of gold is higher than it's been in 17 years. But much of the gold left to be mined is microscopic and is being wrung from the earth at enormous environmental cost, often in some of the poorest corners of the world. In The Cost of Gold series, New York Times reporters describe gold mining's toll with stories from the western United States, Guatemala, Ghana, Indonesia, and Peru.
Consumer Campaign Targets One of World's Dirtiest Industries: Gold Mining
 Read our report, Dirty Metals: Mining, Communities and the Environment, detailing the massive pollution, devastating community effects, danger to workers and human rights abuses that have become hallmarks of gold and metals mining in many countries.
Read news stories about the No Dirty Gold campaign.
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