Gold Prices on the Rise, Environment under Pressure - Environment Alert Bulletin 8

Although the gold industry is often presented as a “first foreign direct investment” leading to positive outcomes in many developing countries and securing the wealth of many nations, it is also clear that some of its practices have negative environmental impacts. The use of hazardous chemicals and the generation of large amounts of mining waste often result in lasting pollution for the environment. Are such current extraction processes sustainable and, if they are, at what costs?