Don't Tarnish Your Love With Dirty Gold

New Action:

From Oxfam America:

What do we mean by dirty gold?

Gold mining is one of the dirtiest industries in the world today. It is responsible for contaminating drinking water supplies, displacing local communities, and destroying traditional livelihoods in many parts of the world. The production of a single gold ring generates 20 metric tons of mine waste. Mining has the potential to benefit communities, but only when human rights and environmental standards are respected, and communities have the ability to determine the conditions under which mining takes place.

More than 80 percent of gold is used to make jewelry. And most jewelry retailers do not track the sources of their gold, or the conditions under which it is produced. During this time of year, when sales of gold jewelry skyrocket, these facts become particularly troubling. In the two week period leading up to Valentine's Day, gold sales in the US will leave 34 million metric tons of waste in their wake.

What can you do? Please take a moment to contact major jewelry retailers and tell them that consumers care about the human rights, labor, and environmental conditions under which gold is mined and produced. Send an email to Wal-Mart, Target, Rolex, and other major retailers of gold jewelry. Tell them to commit to sourcing gold that was not produced at the expense of communities, workers, and the environment.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

David Moore
Internet Campaign Organizer
Oxfam America