Dear all
maybe it is of interest that also the German government and the German
Geological Survey try to establish and install a mineral certification
system for the purpose of certifying trading chains, in analogy to
certification systems in place for sustainable timber production (FSC
label - http://www.fsc.org/) and other fairtrade labels. The origin of
individual commodities is sought to be identified with the help of
trace elemental "analytical fingerprints" of individual mineral
deposits. Despite all existing difficulties (access to mines for
sampling purposes in "War" zones, duration of build-up of a data base
versus life of a mine et cetera), it is an effort to enable end
customers to make informed decisions and purchases.
Have a look at
http://www.bgr.bund.de/EN/Themen/Min_rohstoffe/CTC/Home/CTC_node_en.html
Although I really can't stand mere polemics and lurid journalism, I
think such "reports" are also an expression of concern about poor
communication. As such, we could also regard it as a request for
better communication to the public -
Cheers and a good weekend to everyone!
Julia
Quoting Chris MacKenzie <[log in to unmask]>:
> Outrageous fortitude Dr. H,
>
> Greetings from Southern Tanzania (Lupa goldfields). I was out in the bush
> yesterday, chatting to a bunch of artisanals who were illegally working near
> our prospects (ah, but to some of course, they are "subsistence miners", and
> to be patted on the back for making a go of things as opposed to those
> horrible, multinational companies).
>
> Anyhow, perhaps the attached photo will be useful in illustrating some
> issues. Suffice to say those horrible European Wazungu's in the photo
> weren't forcing this child to work. No, he was happily getting on with his
> business, and the Tanzanian bloke working with him turns round to us and
> proudly introduced him as his son!
>
> You couldn't make this up. She actually exposed a shop assistant giving
> misleading information! Whatever next...
>
>
> PS - is a "successful ethical travel company" one where it's clients stay at
> home and massage their substantial accumulations of middle-class guilt?
>
>
> Best regards
>
>
>
> Chris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Mineral Deposits Studies Group listserver
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Herrington
> Sent: 24 June 2011 09:27
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [GEO-MINERALISATION] The Real Price of Gold - Channel 4 TV
> programme 27 June
>
> Dear all
>
> I put my hands up as I think I shall appear on the programme, I was
> contacted on the back of the little book on gold that the NHM published a
> while back. I was interviewed about it and tried (maybe unsuccessfully-
> they haven't shown me the version of the interview to be broadcast) to get
> them to put some perspective into the programme. I pointed out the
> difficulties of tracing high street gold to source and indicating as Gawen
> says how little gold is actually sourced from artisinals. I get the
> impression tht the programme is aimed at bashing the low-cost end of the
> high-street stores, a kind of Gap/Primark child labour expose although there
> is likely to be some comments about the 'toxic waste' end of the mining
> story and the wish to apply something like the Kimberley Process to gold
> which of course is highly problematic given the refining story.
>
> Let's see but I may have to suffer the slings and arrows along with the
> others involved!
>
> Richard Herrington
>
> Department of Mineralogy
> The Natural History Museum
> Cromwell Road
> London SW7 5BD
> UK
> Tel: +44(0)207 942 5528
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: The Mineral Deposits Studies Group listserver on behalf of Jenkin,
> Gawen R.T. (Dr.)
> Sent: Thu 23/06/2011 21:58
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: The Real Price of Gold - Channel 4 TV programme 27 June
>
>
>
> Hmm, this forthcoming documentary might be something to raise your blood
> pressure a bit.
>
> "Dispatches challenges the British gold jewellery industry to come clean
> about where the gold in their jewellery comes from. Businesswoman Deirdre
> Bounds, who ran a successful ethical travel company, reveals what's wrong
> with the industry and goes on the road to present her unique take on how
> things could be done very differently.
>
> Secretly filming at Britain's biggest high street jewellery chains, Bounds
> exposes shop assistants giving vastly misleading information about where the
> gold in their jewellery is mined. Then, unable to get a straight answer from
> the stores, Bounds travels to the mines where some gold is sourced.
>
> In Senegal, she meets a child miner and reveals his hazardous daily
> existence at an illegal mine. She also looks at allegations that a
> large-scale industrial mine in Honduras has caused hair loss and rashes in
> the local population.
>
> Shocked by what she's seen and the lack of traceability in the supply-chain,
> Bounds sets out to find how things could be done better.
>
> In her search to find an alternative, she explores newly-launched Fairtrade
> and Fairmined gold and also how recycling old gold could offer an answer.
>
> Going undercover, she finds one of Britain's largest gold manufacturers
> [sic] not living up to their pledge to support ethical alternatives. And she
> asks the British public to back her campaign to clean up the British
> jewellery industry."
>
> http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/episode-guide/series-94/episod
> e-1
> Available on the web after the programme has been broadcast (8 pm 27 June).
>
> It looks to be tarring the whole industry with the same big brush. Maybe
> someone would like to pull together some less misleading information about
> the industry to put out there in response to this?
>
> Here's a start: Clearly no-one condones the use of child labour in any
> industry across the world, but according to BGS World Mineral Production
> Data 2005-2009 Honduras and Senegal together accounted for 0.3% of global
> gold production in 2009, so the examples given are hardly representative of
> the global mining industry.
>
> All the best,
> Gawen
>
> Chair, Mineral Deposits Studies Group
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> Geo-mineralisation is administered by the Mineral Deposits Studies Group
> (UK)
> (www.mdsg.or.uk)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> Geo-mineralisation is administered by the Mineral Deposits Studies Group
> (UK)
> (www.mdsg.or.uk)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Geo-mineralisation is administered by the Mineral Deposits Studies Group (UK)
> (www.mdsg.or.uk)
>
Dr. Julia Kramer Bernhard
Structural Geologic Consultant
and Swiss Geological Survey
http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakramer
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