For my research paper, I have chosen to examine the impact that gold mining has in Colombia. I chose this topic because I question the current economic vision that economists and managers have today. I wonder what would be the future of the world if we continue to exploit all of our natural resources. I ask myself: where is the respect and connection that business leaders should have with the environment? Therefore, I was intrigued by the current situation and future of Colombian natural resources. Additionally, I have always been interested in mining. My father, in fact, invests in mining companies, so I want to explore the reality of one of the biggest gold projects in Colombia, Santurban. Is it sustainable? First, I need to know the ideal definition for sustainable practices. I read The Sustainable Revolution where I realized that in order to be sustainable the world “[n]eeds to find a balance between the ecological, economic and social aspects of society” (kd;lslks). Hence, I will examine the consequences that the gold mines in Santurban have in Colombian society through a sustainability lens that includes the 3 E’s of The Sustainability Revolution, which are: ecology/environment, economy/employment, and equity/equality. Through this paper I will demonstrate that sustainable gold mining requires developing an alternative path that focuses on protecting the environment as well as economic interests.
Gold mining has had a significant economic, social, and environmental impact in Colombian history. Thousands of years ago artisanal mining in Colombia was a practice without any chemicals involved; however, since 1850 artisanal and industrial mines use chemicals to optimize gold extraction. Because of this, mining has become incom...
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...f Colombia. It is not only to protect the environment, is the socio-economic stability of Colombia that can be changed if certain politicians continue to have a narrative that supports the 3 E’s of sustainability. Additionally, I intend to show to my audience that we need to change the concept of development in order to conserve nature. In fact we should follow the definition stated in the sustainability revolution: “Sustainable development was defined as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’” (jfsdjksdlsdk 22). I will manage to organize my research paper to critically evaluate every aspect and detail of Santurban’s case to conclude if they follow and ecological and social justice. If this is not the case what is lacking in order to achieve the main goal of sustainable mining.
Willis, A. and Smith, M. (2013, July 24). Retrieved March 16, 2014, from Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-24/colombia-illegal-gold-mines-prosper-in-global-rout.html
According to statistics, there are several benefits and disadvantages of mining related to the economic sector. Some of the main benefits of mining are that it leads the economy to expansion and decreases poverty. It also helps in improving and increasing employment by proving more jobs. Moreover, the economic demand for goods and services makes the economy of local communities thrive. However, when it comes to justice, there are many things in which the industry sector falls behind. For example, “Mor...
Many people in society today take for granted all the things they have been constantly consuming for generations. They all see the final product, but hardly ever notice what goes on into making it and where it goes when they’re done using it. In this report, the diamond commodity chain is followed from beginning to end and an explanation of some of the issues faced by the people associated with this product at each state of the commodity chain will also be addressed. Moreover, this report analyzes the working conditions and practices of diamond miners. Many workers, children, and communities are exploited in the industry of diamond mining. The health and well being of these people are constantly at risk and an effort to address this significant issue needs our immediate attention. Luxury commodities come with a cost. Some cost are higher than others. In a world where the rich and poor are countless, and the middle class are few, labor practices in less fortunate countries should be questioned.
Colombia is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America with solid functioning institutions, progressive laws, an active civil society, and one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world. Economically speaking, Colombia has had a surprisingly turnaround over the past decade due to the confidence and business opportunities that the investors have found in its emerging market. However, the improvements made in the economy are not sufficient to ensure sustainable economic development. On May 15, 2012, the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) went into effect, and after almost two years its effects have had a negative impact in Colombia’s economy, mainly in its agricultural sector, which constitutes 11.5% of the country’s GDP (Cámara Colombo Coreana). The farmers complain that cheap imports from the United States are hurting their sector leaving some of them almost in bankruptcy. During August and September 2013, the country was in a nationwide strike against the Free Trade Agreement, which had different areas of the country paralyzed specially in Bogota, the capital city.
Sustainability grows into a collective tenure in commercial morals, environs and is extensively used by the administrations, businesses, advisers etc. In recent times the conception of sustainability is widened,nowadays it not only comprisesecologicaldeliberation but also monetary and communityconcern. (Elkington, 1998).
Over time, Patagonia has engaged in activities that have been considered as contributing to the company’s social responsibility operations. The reason why the company is said to be involved in socially responsible activities can be traced from that activities that it has been carrying through time. The focus of the company towards sustainability is one of the practices that have made the company to be considered as a highly responsible company (Snider, Hill, & Martin, 2003). In this, sustainability is referred to the ability of the company to involve in activities that are geared towards maintaining the integrity of the environment from where it operates. To explain some of the
Colorado also has a rich mining history which began in about 1859 with the discovery of gold and development of new reserves, Colorado’s present day industry is a modern, innovative, safe and environmentally responsible citizen that extracts a wide variety of minerals such as; gold, Marble, and gypsum from the earth, valued at more than $2 billion each year. (Colorado Mining Association, 2007)
Colombia is made up by five main regions. The Andes Mountains, the Pacific Ocean Coastal region, the Caribbean Sea Coastal region, the Llanos plains and the Amazon Rainforest. Colombia is also the only Latin American country that borders the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Colombia has five different climate zones, tropical rainforest, tropical savanna, steppe, tropical desert and tropical mountain climates. Most of Colombia is made up of an agrarian society. Different climate zones facilitate cultivation of a large range of products such as coffee, bananas, flowers, cotton, cacao, sugar and rice. Apart from agriculture, however, Colombia has many natural resources; its mineral resources are extensive. It is ranked as the world’s major source of emeralds. Other significant resources include, petroleum, iron ore, salt, platinum, uranium and natural gases. Gold and silver are found dispersed through the central highlands.
In the past few decades, Brazil has turned around their economy from bust after boom to a strong and growing economy. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Brazil was reliant on its sugar industry, until the Caribbean became a competitor for the country. Unfortunately, these sugar booms caused the plantation owners to receive all of the profit, which created a large gap between the very rich and very poor, with no middle class. The gold industry had some prospects, but because the gold rushes were in isolated areas, the mon...
In the Quintana Roo state of Mexico, there are many thousands of tourists from the USA and Europe every year, which has spawned a tourism business economy and intense development of the coast. The area’s people and natural resources are going through a period of rapid change, which has the potential to benefit or damage the area. While money and development can give jobs and opportunities for education and health care, they can also deplete and damage the very resources that made the Carribean coast pleasing. Development and tourism, particularly ecotourism, must be safe and sustainable, environmentally, economically, politically, culturally. Our study has given us insight into some of these difficult development areas, and we will use our observations and conversations to demonstrate and disseminate ideas for better development.
Lins, C., & Horwitz, E. (2007). Sustainability in the Mining Sector. Retrieved November 6, 2017, from http://www.fbds.org.br/IMG/pdf/doc-295.pdf
Though I will summarize most of the unethical issues with gold mining, many of the same unethical issues apply to most mining. Because it creates an enormous amount of toxic waste and is considered as one of the most environmentally destructive forms of mining, gold mining cause more than a few issues with the ecosystem. Gold mining is the leading cause of manmade global mercury pollution. Many gold mines dump their toxic waste directly in natural water bodies. When one considers that to mine gold for a 0.333 ounce ring equates to 20 tons of toxic waste, the amounts of toxic waste is massive. Companies that mine for gold and other metals dump at least 180 million tons of toxic waste in rivers, lakes, and oceans every year, 1.5 times the amount of waste U.S. cities send to landfills yearly. Another ethical issue in the mining industry is labor concerns. Labor practices in gold mines are far from responsible. Most gold miners work in dangerous conditions and earn so little money that they live in poverty. The most vulnerable gold miners are the youngest; an estimated 600,000 gold miners are children. Poverty is an issue that lies beneath gold mining labor practices. Gold mining can be a path to riches but for most miners it leads to a life of poverty. About 15million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are artisanal gold miners. Artisanal miners use simple
Mining is the process or industry of obtaining minerals from the earth. Topics in this paper I’ll be specifically discussing are pros and cons of mining, structures of a mine, mining in general, California gold rush, diamonds in Africa, and comparison of diamond and gold mines.
Warhurst, A. (1999). Mining and the environment: case studies from the Americas. Ottawa, ON, Canada: International Development Research Centre.
Harris. J.M. 2000 Basic Principles of Sustainable Development, Global and Environment Institute Working Paper 00-04, USA