A top U.N. regulator said Friday that mining of the world’s ocean floors should not move forward without rules in place, but that his agency cannot stop companies from trying to move ahead if countries can’t agree on a framework. Michael Lodge, secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority, told reporters at a news conference that...
At the mouth of the Unuk River near Ketchikan, there is a very old petroglyph. According to Lee Wagner of Metlakatla, the rising sun painted onto a rock above the river is thousands of years old and it’s a family crest. “And you will also see remnants of more of them along the river as...
International Holding Company (IHC.AD) is making headlines again. Shares in the Abu Dhabi-listed group have risen nearly 900% since 2021, giving it a market value of $245 billion, but left outside observers scratching their heads. While last week’s formation of a new spinoff called 2PointZero might seem like a way to aid transparency, it’s actually more of the same. IHC’s many...
Blood Gold Report: Key Findings The Kremlin has earned more than US$2.5 billion from trade in African gold since Vladimir Putin launched his full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In the Central African Republic (CAR), a Wagner front company has been awarded exclusive rights to the Ndassima mine, the country’s largest gold mine, in return...
At least of 25% of the billionaires who participated as representatives at COP28 have amassed their wealth through sectors like petrochemicals, mining, and beef production. The collective net worth of the 34 billionaires that were present totaled approximately $495.5 billion. Introduction The global community is currently facing twin conundrums of the escalating climate crisis and...
From 30 November to 12 December 2023, all eyes will be on the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The host country of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change also has the eleventh highest carbon footprint in the world, well ahead of Ghana (27th), for example. The reasons for this include an economy...
At least 23 million people around the world live on flood-plains contaminated by potentially harmful concentrations of toxic waste from metal-mining activity, according to a study. UK scientists mapped the world’s 22,609 active and 159,735 abandoned metal mines and calculated the extent of pollution from them. Chemicals can leach from mining operations into soil and...
A recent study published in the journal Nature found that gold and mineral mining in and near rivers across the tropics is degrading waterways in 49 countries. The paper explains that river mining often involves intensive excavation, which results in deforestation and increased erosion. Much of the excavated material is released to rivers, disrupting aquatic life in ecosystems nearby and...
The glamour of gold leaves a trail of mercury and lead that poisons miners and residents of African countries. Ashima Sharma reports on the toxic legacy of mines in Africa. In the village of Rosh Pinah, southern Namibia, 30 children carried lead in their blood. A report on these 30 children detailed chronic lead exposure relating to...
Wagner’s businesses in Africa isolate and create dependent economies, not funding for private armies. The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned gold and diamond mining concerns connected to the Wagner group in Mali and the Central African Republic after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary group’s founder, attempted to stage a mutiny in Russia last weekend. The gold and diamond mining enterprises, as...