Dear (un)leash and Susan, the following info on goldmining was just sent me this morning. Hope it helps! --E. >>Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 21:11:56 -0700 >>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>From: Earth First! Media Center <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: BIOREGIONAL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Subject: John Seed's Anti-Gold Campaign/Road Show Info. >>X-To: Recipient List Suppressed:; >>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Unverified) >> >>From: Project Underground & Rainforest Information Centre >> >>Friends, >> >>This is an invitation to join GoldBusters, a coalition of groups opposed to >>the mining of gold. By joining our coalition, you will be offering your >>support to a global campaign that aims at decreasing the unnecessary >>consumption of gold. >> >>The mining of gold is one of the most environmentally destructive >>industrial activities presently blighting our planet and wreaks havoc on >>indigenous communities on every continent. In dozens of countries >>mercury-laced tailings, eroded land and acid mine drainage stand as visible >>and toxic legacies of gold rushes from days gone by. >> >>Unfortunately in the 1990s, the gold mining industry has experienced a boom >>due to new technologies, principally using cyanide to leach the gold from >>its parent rock. In 1995, a waste water dam at the Omai gold mine in Guyana >>broke and spilt 3.2 billion liters of cyanide-laced waste into the river in >>what is believed to be the biggest such disaster in history. >> >>The environmental destruction is often coupled with human rights abuses >>that stretch back from the foundation of the Roman Empire on Spanish gold >>to the genocide of the native people of California in the gold rush of 1849 >>to the current cultural devastation of the Western Shoshone in Nevada, US. >> >>Heroic and historic struggles are being waged from Australia to Zimbabwe by >>scores, if not hundreds, of groups opposing a gold mine in their own >>country or region. We are sending this letter out to all of you in the >>belief that, working in concert, we have a chance to get to the heart of >>the problem, instead of working separately on one poisonous symptom after >>another. We propose to network our groups together and build a movement >>against goldmining. >> >>GoldBusters is a two-pronged campaign aimed at jewelry consumers on the one >>hand, and nations' gold reserves on the other. Gold Busters aims to depress >>the price of gold by asking governments and individuals to divest of gold >>investments and consumers to no longer purchase gold jewelry. Depressing >>the price of gold would lead to the decommissioning of many mines, and the >>dumping of exploration stocks by investors. GoldBusters, much like the >>campaigns which cut the market for fur, hopes to rob gold of its luster. >> >>The good news is that the price of gold has been hovering at an historic >>low, having dropped from $800/ounce in 1979 to under $300 at present. This >>reduces the demand for new gold mines and so the current depression in the >>price of gold is good for the planet. For example, twenty gold mines in >>Australia have been postponed or closed since the value of gold fell below >>$300 per ounce. In 1996, if you include the cost of exploration, an ounce >>of gold cost $317 to produce. >> >>Our job is made easier by the trivial uses to which most gold is put. Some >>80% of new gold being mined worldwide is for jewelry. In the US, 70% of the >>gold jewelry purchased is bought by women who certainly are unaware of the >>true costs of the gold they wear. Women and men are being asked to lay down >>their gold jewels as they give voice to their care for the Earth, and for >>future generations. >> >>The US has the highest per capita consumption of gold and 1.6 million >>students will buy gold and silver class rings this year. Youth, unwitting >>consumers, are joining our Youth GoldBusters Campaign by adapting >>alternatives such as tree planting to mark the passage from educational >>institutions in more nurturing ways. >> >>Gold's current price depression has been deepened by the sale of hundreds >>of tons of bullion by central banks around the world. About one quarter of >>all the gold in existence - 34,000 tonnes worth nearly 330 billion dollars >>at current market prices - is part of the international reserves of >>governments, central banks and other financial institutions. However, since >>the US stopped pegging the dollar to gold, gold is becoming increasingly >>irrelevant to world finance. An investment in bullion worth $100 in 1987 >>would now be worth less than $70 today. Some countries have realized this >>and started selling their reserves of gold, especially Canada (85% now >>sold), Australia (68%), Argentina (100%) and the Netherlands. Even the >>Swiss - a country historically wed to gold as a hedge -- are considering >>selling two-thirds of their gold by referendum next year and the US Federal >>Reserve has circulated strategy papers on doing it. >> >>We feel that the Swiss are already vulnerable to pressure concerning the >>ethics of holding gold since much of their reserve was stolen by the Nazis, >>even gold teeth from Auschwitz. Many other governments can be lobbied by >>citizens asking Reserve Banks to sell their gold before its value drops >>further. >> >>Organizations formed by the multinational goldmining corporations are >>scrambling into damage control mode to try and stem the tide as jittery >>investors divest. For example, New York Business Wire -- Oct. 15, 1998 -- >>saw Mr. Robert Pringle, head of the World Gold Council's Centre for Public >>Policy Studies denying the "initial horror stories, of a tidal wave of >>Swiss gold deluging the market place" and downplaying "the calamities >>envisioned by some market commentators." >> >>We propose to turn Mr. Pringle's nightmares into reality. >> >>Last year, an article called "THE DEATH OF GOLD" appeared on the front page >>of London's "FINANCIAL TIMES". In October of the same year, the London >>Daily Mail (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News) wrote a gloomy story about >>the worries of the gold industry, noting that "Central banks are unloading >>and the rest of us are just not buying enough of the stuff." >> >>We envisage a worldwide GoldBuster coalition working in concert to put an >>end to gold mining. The coalition will include: >> >>* Groups from around the world opposing a particular gold mine; >>* Other environmental and indigenous rights groups; >>* Groups opposing the corporate takeover of the world; >>* Groups like those organizing Buy Nothing Day and other groups who oppose >>useless consumption; >>* Celebrities turning in their gold to fund grassroots campaigns against >>gold mining; >>* Student activists; >>* Feminist activists >> >>Once we have publicized this among groups likely to join the campaign, we >>envisage actions including: >> >>* A massive publicity campaign including direct actions against gold mines >>* Campaigns directed against different sectors of the gold business community >>* Campaigns to support those trying to convince nations like the US and >>Switzerland to sell their gold >>* A roadshow in the US going from city to city with public performances and >>actions. >>* Shareholder strategies to stop companies in the gold mining business, >>especially the most destructive mines. >> >>We recognize that there are many complex aspects of such a campaign against >>the gold mining industry: e.g. the single biggest market is in India where >>gold is wrapped up with the status of women (mostly through the dowry >>system); e.g. the fact that there are indigenous communities who earn their >>living from gold and have done so for a very long time; e.g. the massive >>impacts we can expect on workforces like those in South Africa's mines. >> >>We intend to address these issues as the campaign advances through: careful >>research, inclusive political advocacy for a just transition for an >>industry which hurts the communities it operates in and strategic alliance >>building with labor, women and indigenous organizations. The reality, >>however, is that more than 99% of gold comes from the desecration of the >>Earth and has no redeeming features whatsoever. We intend to bring the >>industry to a grinding halt. Please join us. >> >>As a member of GoldBusters, your group's name would be included on our >>campaigning material and we would send you information from time to time >>about the progress of the campaign. >> >>It would be great if you could: >> >>* disseminate information about the GoldBusters campaign to your community >and >>* send us the latest information about what your group is up to as it >>relates to gold mining. >> >>If you would like to join GoldBusters, please respond to this email with >>the name of your group and any other information you'd like us to have. >> >>for the Earth, >>John Seed & Ruth Rosenhek >> >> >>While preparing to launch the campaign, the following groups are already on >>board: >> >>AUSTRALIA >>Rainforest Information Centre http://forests.org/ric/ >>Timbarra Action Coalition (Australia) >> >>USA >>Project Underground http://www.moles.org >>Ecole -- Adventures International http://www.asis.com/ecole/ >>Sacred Earth Network http://www.igc.apc.org/sen/ >>Ruckus Society http://www.ruckus.org >>Rainforest Action Network http://www.ran.org >>Earth Culture, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>ACERCA Action for Community & Ecology in the Rainforests of Central >>America, http://www.acerca.org >>World Wide Film Expedition http://www.ism.net/~wwfe/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>INDONESIA >>Yayasan Bina Alam Indonesia, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Th. TEkla TIrah LIah, Kalimantan Timur, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>RUSSIA >>ECODEFENSE!, http://www.indifference.demon.co.uk/ecodefense/ >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>*************************************************************** >> >>The fact that keeping gold prices down will benefit the environment is >>strongly indicated by recent events here in Australia. 3 years ago, the NSW >>state government refused to allow a $210 million gold mine to be created at >>Lake Cowal due to environmen tal danger to an important wetlands system. >>Last week, just before the state electiuon, the government changed their >>minds. So that they could "create some more jobs" they gave the company the >>go-ahead. However, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald of March 21 >>1999 under the headline "The Price is Not Right", the company says that >>poor gold prices make it uneconomic. "Analysts say the low-grade deposit is >>marginal, given the capital cost and current state of commodity prices." >> >>I wonder how many other environmentally destructive mines around the world >>cannot begin for the same reason? >> >> >>Earth First! Media Center >>Andy Caffrey, director >> >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/9901/ >>We're trying to remove the obstacles to your involvement. >> >>WE NEED YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW >> >>We could do so much more with your help. Forest activists are now being >>bombed, murdered, and assassinated without any outrage expressed in the >>media! We have just discovered that the violent "Wise Use" movement is now >>tracking every one of our postings. Your involvement would be an invaluable >>aid to our ability to maintain vigilance. >> >>Why not show this material to your friends? Just print it out and make some >>photocopies to help get the word out and to help us raise operating funds. >>Even more helpful material is available at our web site. Our postings about >>David Chain's killing have now gone out to over a million people on five >>continents and been translated into French, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish >>and Russian. Portugese is next! >> >>We have just gone through a tormenting last seven months and are *still* >>flat broke with broken down gear, scant supplies, and late bills to cover. >>If we are to continue on we need money and certain supplies such as Epson >>740 ink cartridges (B&W and Color), zip disks, videotape, postage, file >>cabinets and subscriptions to periodicals. And we could really use a >>scanner for our iMac so we could make photographs available to you. Please >>send contributions payable to "Earth First!" to >> >>Earth First! Media Center >>P.O. Box 324 >>Redway, CA 95560 >> >>Thanks! >> >> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Elizabeth L. MacNabb, PhD [EMAIL PROTECTED] Service Learning, Career Development Center Visiting Faculty, Jepson Leadership Studies Richmond Hall, UR, Richmond, VA 23173 phone 804-289-8686, fax 804-287-6465
