Metal mining and the environment - is platinum my best option?

[DiamondsRagirlsbestfriend]

I did a lot of research about diamonds and the Kimberly Act (a conflict diamond campaign headed by Amnesty International), and felt okay about my fiance buying a diamond.

Now I''m about to have it reset into platinum, and I''m feeling really guilty about what I''ve been learning about metal mining. I decided to go with platinum because it is so long lasting and highly recyclable.

Any of you in the industry have any insights into all of this? Is platinum really the best choice for someone who cares about the planet?

thanks - Mary

 

[denverappraiser]

What a great question.

Miining is, by it''s nature, pretty environmentally distructive. This is true of platinum as well as gold, silver, iron, gravel and any other material. The extent of the damage and the abilitiy to mitigate the damage afterwards depends on the techniques used by the mining company and is subject to regulation by the local government at the mine and processing sites. It''s always a problem to identify products from the more environmentally responsible nations and bias consumption towards those materials.

Precious metals, especially gold and platinum, are highly recyclable and it has been done for centuries although the recycling processes have some environmental impact as well.


Incidentally, the Kimberly Process is not headed by Amnesty International although I''m not surprised to hear that they support it.

Do we have any miners on the forum?

Neil Beaty
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[DiamondsRagirlsbestfriend]

Thank you for clearing up the Kimberly Process info, DA. I appreciate that - who headed it up? (I found the information on the Amnesty Internation website, so I made an error in assuming it was their campaign.)

I think I''ll search for a used platinum wedding bands for my fiance and I when the time comes. I didn''t realize that even the recycling process impacts the environment.

One good personal outcome from all this research: Up until now I''ve purchased alot of jewelery (mostly silver). Based on what I''ve learned, I won''t buy nearly as much. And if I do, I''ll try to buy more estate stuff.

many thanks, Mary

 

[oldminer]

A lot of metal used in making jewelry is re-cycled from previously used metal, so mining is not the only source of metal. In the West of the US, I have visited many abandoned mining sites and we should all be ashamed of the long term devastation to the environment that our antiquated mining laws have allowed. Nearly every old, abandoned mining site is a mess of chemicals and ruined environment. However, the modern methods of mining have been vastly improved. The use of poisonnous chemicals left into the environment has been tremendously reduced. The policy of replacing the top soil and re-grooming the sites now makes for a decent return of mines into the normal eco-system.

What one must consider is the continuing problem of mining operations as they are left to the mine owners in the third world and the old Soviet Union. There are few laws and little enforcement. One person not buying a ring, gold or platinum, is not going to be an influence on the future of mining. There are good mines and bad ones. It is up to the legal policy of the countiry where the mines are. Most countries need the revenue far more than they need a small segment of their environment left in pristine condition. The real question will be, "can technology pull us out of the soup we are creating or will the population of the planet drown in its waste products?" Thankfully, most or none of us will be here to find out when the day of reckoning comes. Our children or grand-children will have to face this. Can we help in preventing this or delaying this? I see it as only having a remote possibility, because there is little will to do anything but talk about it.

 

[DiamondsRagirlsbestfriend]

Thank you, Steve!

The information you shared is very interesting. I do know that older mining practices in the US caused so much damage. I work full-time for an organization that protects and restores the San Francisco estuary (Bay), and the mercury used during the gold rush during the mid 1800s is STILL sitting on the bottom of the Bay - chilling, eh?

I''ll move forward with this reset, but will try very hard to find "used" rings for our wedding bands. My fiance and I are both into recycling and re-using in a big way.

Mary

 

[DiamondsRagirlsbestfriend]

I appreciate your input, David. You''re so right: it seems that each county is responsible for it''s own practices.

While I know that the Kimberly Process has nothing to do with the environmental effects of mining, I do find hope in it. Several years ago when I was shopping for a diamond with my ex-husband, there was no such process. But pressure was put on the industry, and the process was created. Hopefully, diamonds are no longer paying for horrific wars.

I just try to do what I can to reduce my own, "footprint" on the earth. I think that''s all most of us can do, you know?

And I''ll keep on working on trying to clean up the mess that the gold rush left in SF Bay. Wetland restoration is making a difference.

Smiles, Mary

 

[oldminer]

In the great state of Pennsylvania we often say, "Thank God we don''t get all the government we are paying for." The posting above about the EPA fouling up what it is empowered to fix, is just one example of mismanagment that can be laid at some entity''s feet. Many different and powerful forces have impact on mining and they are at odds with one another. The result is a patchwork quilt of problems along with a few success stories. This is not going to be the way success comes to cleaning up the air and water, although it was conceived as an attempt. Politics and politicians often make expedient trade-offs of what is best for what can be done during their term of office. The resultant mess is left to someone else to figure out.

Who thinks we will ration oil in a reasoable manner when it is finally about to run out? Who thinks it will be just sold off to the highest bidder and let rationing by economic level play out in a free market? Who thinks the government will want to interfere in the market, control the dwindling supply, favor political friends, abuse political foes, raise "taxes", restrict exploration and drilling, play power games? I doubt anything could happen except the latter scenario. Its the way our government has been acting over many years and I see no reason to expect a quantum shift.