Clean Gold

According to Communities and Small-Scale Mining, an advocacy group affiliated with the World Bank, at least 13 million people worldwide, from more than 30 developing countries, engage in artisanal and small-scale mining. These are subsistence miners, collecting particles of gold out of streambeds, in many cases making barely enough to live. They don’t use cyanide; instead, they use mercury, and, unlike industrial miners, they are releasing all their byproducts directly into the environment. This is taking place all over the world, in Africa, South America, Asia and Central Europe. Mercury is toxic. Exposure to mercury can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and it’s especially harmful to children. Released into waterways, mercury accumulates in the bodies of fish, rendering them inedible.

Here comes technology + workshops via Cleangold. Their technology is not only brilliant but also environment-friendly.

Useful links:
www.cleangold.com
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4375612020784552233
www.artisanalmining.org
www.artminers.org
www.aceer.org