Pollution and Waste:

Discuss the two readings on mining, focusing particularly on stakeholder groups and the impact inequality has on a person's experience of the polluting, negative effects of mining. Then, reflect more broadly the impact of first world consumer habits and pressures on the natural world (and peoples of the third world). Watch the following clips from the film Human Footprint and take the ecological footprint analysis. Explain how your consumption habits relate to issues of pollution and waste in the world, and provide two ideas of how you could reduce your negative impact (reasonable, real ideas).

In the article, The Master Thief: Gold Mining and Mercury contamination in the Amazon, written by Leslie E. Sponsel describes the reason the Yonomami people of Brazil begin mining for gold in the Amazon region. The Yanomami indigenous people are poor and often times don't have the resources to maintain their families. When the mining for gold began in the Amazon region the poor indigenous people saw it as a get rich quick job. Often times being ignorant of the dangers and harmfull effects of the use of mercury for gold mining. As Sponsel states in her article the gold rush of the 1980's greately influenced the decision for many of the poor indegenous farmers to begin mining. A large part of the influence of gold mining was due to the increase on the price of gold that began in the 1970's for U.S. $30-$35 to the 1980's price of U.S. $850(Sponsel). The Government and International businesses are largely benefited by the gold rush. The Government of Brazil, as Sponsel states in the article, that although the government acknowledge the health hazards of mining with mercury it will not go out of its way to find a solution for the problem but rather "ignore, deny, minimize [the severity of ] the problem." Another issue that is important is the "severe economical and political problems that render concern for the indigenous" (Sponsel). The international businesses are benefited by the gold rush because they provide the material for the miners and there fore increase their profit. An example Sponsel uses is the companies that provide the mercury tht is being used for gold mining by the miners. The use of mercury benefits them because their profits will increase with a higher use of mercury in the mine. As oppose to eliminating mercury from the mines will decrease their profits they have accustomed to. The impact of mercury on the person's experience with pollution is at times very drastic because the waste that is produced to mine an ounce of gold is about nine tons of waste, according to Sponsel. This amount of waste in their water systems will affect their food supply they obtains from the rives as well as their drinking water. Just as the Marshalles people were affected by the radiation in their food supply. Also, the mercury that is being inhaled by the miners is also very bad for their lifestyle. One of the major issues of women affected by the mercury waste that is absorbed in the food supply is their pregnancy. Sponsel states that at many times a pregnant women may be spared from mercury poisoning because it will all be absorbed by the fetus. This resulting in still births, spontaneus abortions, gross birth defects, paralysis, physical impairment, and mental retardation.

In the article, War on Subsistence: Mining Rights at Crandon/Mole Lake, Wisconsin, written by Al Gedicks describes the constant battle of the Indian tribes in Wisconsin of preserving their reservation from pollution and contamination. The concerns of the Indian Tribes in the Northern parts of Wisconsin of having a Mines built next to their reservations. The mines would affect their water supply, in turn affecting the natural resources they rely so heavinly on, as Gedick states in his article. The Indian Tribes of Wisconsin are fighting against "Exxon's propsed underground shaft mine….that would produce 44 million tons of waste, over its lifetime" (Gedick). The dramatic effect of having 44 million tons of waste run through the water supply of the indian tribes would not only affect its food supply but also their culture. It would unbalance their lifestyle not only whith the harmful health hazards but to their customes and traditons, their way of life. Since the Indian Tribes rely so heavily on mainting their tribe with only natural resources. Resources that would be usesless for their as a way to provide a healthy food supply for their families and also to maintain their culture if they want to survive. One of the major inequalites that resonated the most to me in the article by Gedick, is the enviromental racism that existed in the second battle of the Indian Tribes with Exxon. Gedick explains that the reason for the exclusion of the racial minority( of the Indian Tribes) in the decion making process was due to the disproportionate impact that racial minorities experience from the enviromental [health] hazards. Exxon was not the only interested busines in the construction of the mines in Wisconsin, several church groups that held stock in other mining projects were also "willing to raise social and corporate responsibility through shareholder resolution" (Gedick). This was an effort to have Exxon provide the information necessary to substantiate its claims that its mines would not affect the Indian Reservations with the waste that would be produced by their mines. An effort that would not go unchallenged.

The impact of the first world consumer habits and pressures effect the natural world and the peoples of the third world by polluting the air we breath, when driving cars that produce smog. By reducing the use of vechiles driven we reduce the carbon emmisions that are release into our atmosphere. For example, I use my car to commute to school( one hour drive each way), to work, and for daily errands. But if I reduce the usage of my car and either carpool, ue the train, or bus to school I would be reducing my carborn foot print of 4.8 earths.You can find your carbon foot print at www.myfootprint.org Also by eliminating the use of the drive-thru and parking the car instead when ever possible would also reduce my carbon foot print. People now days become to lazy to walk to certain places that even a simple thing like walking into the restaurant is to much for them, so they rather use the drive-thru. On the other hand, there are also those people that don't have the time to park the car, walk in, place an order, and wait for it to be ready, because they live a fast pace life that doesn't allow them room to do so. Another habit and pressure that affects the natural world is the use of produce that is grown with chemical pesticides. Although, the chemically grown pesticides are cheaper for a consumer under a budget, specially a lower middle class family living conditions don't allow them to go to their local farmers market and buy organic produce. But for those who can, this would be a simple way to resude your carbon foot print. Another upside to that is your obtaining healthier produce for yourself and your family because its free of the chemical pesticides that can harm your health. Small energy saving habits such as turning of the lights in the room when leaving it can also reduce the amount of electricity that is consumed and in turn reduce pollution levels not only in the first world but would also trickle down to the third world people who are affected by the pollution being created by the first worlds.