It's the Mining. Not the Dumping.
In the USA, 45% of all toxics produced by all USA industries comes from non-ferrous metal or hard rock mining. Copper, gold, silver, lead, tin, etc. Whether or not the metal is toxic, the ores exude other toxics, and toxics are produced by treating them. Gold mining, silver mining, and copper mining are three of the top 4 sources of mercury pollution in the USA. The third on the list is defense industry.
Similarly, in China, this study shows that toxic on farms is not imported. The bulk of the toxics come from the opposition of recycling - mining, refining, digging, smelting, virgin material industries. These are the opposite of recycling.
Yet, whenever there is a story about "toxic lands" in China or Ghana, the environmental community jumps to the conclusion that it is A) recent, and B) imported.
In the USA, 45% of all toxics produced by all USA industries comes from non-ferrous metal or hard rock mining. Copper, gold, silver, lead, tin, etc. Whether or not the metal is toxic, the ores exude other toxics, and toxics are produced by treating them. Gold mining, silver mining, and copper mining are three of the top 4 sources of mercury pollution in the USA. The third on the list is defense industry.
Similarly, in China, this study shows that toxic on farms is not imported. The bulk of the toxics come from the opposition of recycling - mining, refining, digging, smelting, virgin material industries. These are the opposite of recycling.
The most toxic places on earth, including Africa and Asia, are from virgin mining, the same industry that creates "conflict metals" and leads to bushmeat trade.Wan Bentai, the chief engineer for China's Ministry of Environmental Protection, said heavy metal from smelter chimneys, water run-offs and tailings has polluted in total about 10 percent of the country’s farmland, and the pollution levels have exceeded government limits, according to Southern Metropolitan Daily."In recent years, there have constantly been outbreaks of heavy metal pollution, and from January to February alone there were 11 incidents, nine involving lead," Wan said in All-China environmental NGOs sustainable development meeting in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
Yet, whenever there is a story about "toxic lands" in China or Ghana, the environmental community jumps to the conclusion that it is A) recent, and B) imported.
