Greed and Gold
People of the world are hoping to cash in on the big gold rush as investors keep a close eye on the stock market and everyday people head to scrap metal dealers to sell off their precious metals no matter how small. Headlines daily announce the rise in gold prices as more and more people gain a new interest in what some consider the king of precious metals. All of this excitement is a strong reminder of the greed that often overcomes people in times of hardship.
As we’re faced with economic uncertainty many individuals are trying to prepare themselves for what the future may hold but at what cost? Are people willing to lie and cheat for their share of gold? Or are we more civilized than those before us? While we are years more advanced than the days of the California Gold Rush it is still an excellent example of the greed that can overcome us when money is involved.
Over 60% of the native population that inhabited the Northern California land where James Marshall discovered gold, died as a result of disease and massacre. Those who were spared from death were chased off the land as gold miners excavated riverbeds and hillsides in search of gold. In addition to the indigenous people losing their lives and land, the earth itself was also impacted drastically by the greed of gold miners.
Not only were large amounts of land being destroyed being dug up, miners also used to mercury extract the gold from the ore. It is reported that over 7,600 tons of the toxic chemical was dumped into rivers and lakes as a result of gold mining. Later years introduced the use of cyanide as a method extraction. The use of these chemicals is not only dangerous for the environment and its wildlife but it also poses a risk for gold miners themselves. Mercury can be absorbed by inhaling and ingesting. It can also be absorbed through the skin. Overexposure to mercury can have damaging effects to the brain, central nervous and reproductive systems. Gold miners also put their families at risk by unknowingly bring home mercury on their clothing.
While we have advanced since the California Gold Rush days it is still somewhat unsettling the way society is lusting after gold. The fear over the state of our economy only further instills the desire become greedy especially when everyone else is doing it as well.