Group+Summary+&+Top+Facts+about+different+mineral+related+problems

table ||< The four different mineral related problems discussed by the four table partners are... This is a summary of what we learned about each mineral related problem... ||
 * ~ Table # ||~ Group Summary & Top Facts about different mineral related problems ||
 * < Table Zero - example
 * < Table 1 ||< Nigel- The Republic of Zimbabwe is a relatively new participant in the exploitation of diamonds within regions of internal strife and conflict. Zimbabwe was formerly known as the nation of Rhodesia when it was under British colonial rule, named after De Beers co-founder Cecil Rhodes in 1888.

(Abiola) In Sierra Leone they have high quality diamonds. There was fighting in Sierra over these conflict or "blood" diamonds. The 1st diamonds was found in 1930's. After that there has been fighting and brutality towards the people there. In 1968 the prime minister Siake Stevens made a huge profit from selling illegal diamonds; which shows that even the head of the goverment is corruupted by these diamonds.

Ebbys- The world's diamond markets today are almost entirely supplied by the diggings in South Africa, Johannesbureg where the discovery of diamonds was so recent as 1867. The South African government made a trade act. Diamond Trade Act was aimed at diamond stealing and smuggling, but it also set two very dangerous social precedents. The people of South Africa have suffered because some are made as slaved into digging and finding diamonds. Anyone who was seen with a diamond cut needed to explain where and how they came about with the diamond. If they couldnt indentify where then they were subject to severe punishment.

Jackie- Diamond Mining in Angola Angola is an African country life with civil war and violence. It's also home to areas rich with diamond mines. It's the never ending story of war and diamonds. In order for the people to get the diamonds from the mine the involve something called "slave labor" they usually make them work all night. After finding the diamonds end up selling them to world markets and get high profits off of them. There is usually violence and smuggling going on during the mining of diamonds, this usually happens because the people who find the diamonds want to keep it so they can end being rich and use to buy food and shelter. The mining Angola use to be banned but miners continued to work in inhumane circumstances under the control of private security firms who were hired by large diamond companies. In 2006, Angolan journalist Rafael Marques documented cases of flogging, humiliation, torture, sexual abuse and even assassinations on just one site of alluvial mining in the Lundas, the diamond-rich provinces of northeast Angola. Over the past few years, Angola has become the world’s fifth-largest diamond exporter, but its behavior towards artisanal miners does not seem to be improving. Human rights groups claim that many immigrants were detained for months in Angola and forced to hike 60 miles to the Congo border. Angola’s current conditions demonstrate the failing of the Kimberley Process in preventing human rights abuses in the international diamond trade, as well as the failure of cooperation between the Angola and Congo governments to eliminate diamond-related violence. || The majority of small-scale gold mining activities in Ghana extract alluvial deposits of gold.Their processes of extraction are outdated and harmful to the surrounding environment.The major environmental impact results in the diversion of rivers.After the mining is completed, the rivers are not redirected to their original courses which in turn results in the pollution of waters and destruction of surrounding flora and fauna. The mining activities also degrade the surrounding land by increasing atmospheric air pollution, contaminating surface and ground water and increasing soil erosion and leaching. The pollution is, in the most extreme cases, leading to desertification and permanently changing land use from agriculture to waste rendering it useless to traditional inhabitants when the mining operations are completed. In the short run the inhabitants of the region are suffering from sickness and disease related to contaminated drinking water supplies. Such diseases include dissintry, Malaria, schistosamiases and Biomphalaria pfeiffer. The small scale mining uses mercury to separate gold from the sediments. One article pointed out that the mining in Ghana became synonymous to abuse of human right in Ghana because a research, conducted by Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), found out evidence of awful human rights abuses in mining communities, ranging from widespread pollution of water sources, deprivation and loss of livelihoods, excesses by security agencies and security contractors of the mining companies.
 * < Table 2 ||< Michelle - Gold Mining in Ghana

Erik- Gold Mining in Bolivia Bolivia is similar to many other countries in Latin America in the aspect that it faces a trade-off between economical growth and environmental protection. Even though they have many exports, gold has become an increasingly important export. Mining however, has led to soil erosion and it pollutes freshwater that Bolivia has. Environmental groups are fighting mining, but peasants are in an awkward position because these U.S. and foreign mining companies are bringing necessary jobs to their country. Without joint ventures, the Bolivian Mining Corporation will have to close many mining operations. The past may repeat itself because in 1986 a similar thing happened and around 28000 were laid off.

Sarah:Brazil Gold Mining and Environment- In Brazil, Gold production plays an important role in their country; in fact Brazil has become the fourth largest producer of gold in the world. Also, mercury hasn't been a serious issue, but it also threatens the health of humans. It involves human rights and the level of discretion that the Indians are entitled to in the use of the resources on their reservations. The biggest factor that threatens human's health is the danger of mecury. Every pund of gold, two pounds of mecury is exposed to the atmosphere. It threatens miners especially because the heating of gold is articularly dangerous to the miner or smelter purifying the gold,as the miner inhales the mercury through breathing."The effects of the mercury poisoning are wide-spread, more so than anyone realizes according to Dr. Fernando Branches, an expert in mercury poisoning."(BRAGOLD Case). This proves that the number of people exposed to mecury is increasing, due to the fact the mecury is exposed to the enviornment.

Jasmin conflict Diamonds- Diamonds symbolize so much. Its value relies heavily on its image of being clean, the most perfect thing that nature provides us. So the current controversy over conflict diamonds (also called blood diamonds) puts a lot at stake. Conflict diamonds are not just a public-relations problem. About one in every ten gem diamonds, it has been estimated, is smuggled from four African countries Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Angola that feed money to a large black market. Some of the profits go to criminal gangs, some to brutal ruling regimes, some to outright terrorists. And the stones are mined under oppressive conditions for the smallest of wages, using methods that damage the countryside. Part of the problem is human and part is geological. Diamonds are extremely pure minerals, built of a tight matrix of carbon atoms and nothing else. Diamonds cause much controversy in Africa many smugglers from America go there so they can make a profit. This also causes problems with the rebels and the diamond hunters they need soldiers and people to dig for diamonds. This can include children being brain washed to kill and steal for money and power. || High aluminum concentrations do not only cause effects upon fish, but also upon birds and other animals that consume contaminated fish and insects and upon animals that breathe in aluminum through air. The consequences for birds that consume contaminated fish are eggshell thinning and chicks with low birth-weights. The consequences for animals that breathe in aluminum through air may be lung problems, weight loss and a decline in activity.  Kenny:bloodstone
 * < Table 3 ||< Camelia- Aluminum is one of the most widely used metals and also one of the most frequently found compounds in earth's crust. Due to these facts, aluminnum is commonly known as an innocent compund. But still, when one is exposed to high concentrations, it can cause health problems. The water-soluble form of aluminum causes harmful effects, these particles are called ions. They are usually found in a solution of aluminum in combination with oother ions.
 * //Bloodstone //**//: //Bloodstone is a green stone with spotted red marks on it. It is a member of the quartz family and is composed of silica. Bloodstone is mined and found in India, Australia, Brazil, China, and the U.S. Its colors are deep earrth green and a deep blood red. They create a powerful cleanser for the body. Its an important purifier for kidneys, liver, and through out your blood. In its past it was used to stop bleeding.


 * Harshang Sheth **
 * Iron **
 * Iron preparations contain different amounts of elemental iron: 1) Fumarate - 33%, 2) Sulfate - 20%, 3) Gluconate - 12%. Chronic iron overload may deposit iron into organs such as the liver and heart, which may cause death due to myocardial siderosis. Frequently, more than 20,000 children accidentally ingested iron in United States . Iron was the most common cause of childhood mortality due to no intentional ingestion. The incidence of iron poisoning has decreased dramatically. Iron overdose is one of the leading causes of fatality from toxicological agents in children younger than 6 years. The liver is one of the organs most affected by iron toxicity, but other organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs, and the hematologic systems also may be impaired. Iron is an extremely corrosive substance to the GI tract. It acts on the mucosal tissues and can manifest with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hematemesis, and diarrhea; patients may become hypovolemic because of significant fluid and blood loss. **

Nikko Andriotis Gold Every major gold rush has meant death and devastation for local people. Today the Galamsey of West Africa, the Igorot of the Philippines, and the Macuxi and Yanomami of the Amazon are similarly endangered. The machines spill oil into the rivers and kill the life existing in them and the people and animals who depend on them. A lot of people come to the area and mine for gold causing disease by over population. ||
 * < Table 4 ||< Ola- China's(Hong Kong) total copper imports surged 41.5 percent to a record last month, data showed, topping expectations on state-backed strategic buying and after stronger Chinese prices had spurred merchants to raise spot imports. China will give details on imports of refined copper alone, which accounts for three-quarters of imports, in about two weeks.

Ermin- Gold minning in Argentina- Argentina produced an estimated 38,355 kg of gold in 2003 compared to 32,530 kg in 2002. The increase was attributable to several new projects that came on stream over the past two years. The Bajo de la Alumbrera copper - gold mining operation is located approximately 1100 km north of Buenos Aires, Catmarca province and is considered as one of Argentina's largest gold and copper mining operations. It is also ranked as one of the world's largest porphyry orebodies. Production began in 1998 and contains remaining proven and probable reserves of some 385 Mt of ore grading at an average of 0.54% copper and 0.65 g/t gold (June 2001). The operation is operated by Minera Alumbrera Ltd (MAA) that comprises a consortium of foreign investors consisting of MIM Holdings (50%), BHP Billiton (25%) and Rio Tinto (25%). At current production rates, Alumbrera has a life of at least 17 years. Alumbrera is anticipated to produce 590 000 oz gold in concentrate and 180 000t copper in concentrate per year, making it one of the largest gold producers in South America..

Jahde- "Blood Diamonds in Sierra Leone have created conflict since the first diamond was found in the small West African country in the 1930's. They are known to have high quality diamonds and this is why many feel people are so crazy about them and kill for the diamonds. In 1993 the rebel party in this area really came out, and they began to enslave there own people to mine for the diamonds. These slaves were harshly punished for the slightest things. This made other countries feel like cutting this country off from the diamond market, but they still find there way around that. People think theey still mine today

Monika- Diamond mines in Angola. There is a huge civil war going on right now in Angola. People there have to work all day and night in order to get the diamonds. People are using people like slaves. Mines are owned by huge companies and a guarded. There is so much violence it hurts to read about how people are treaded there. All the killing and abuse. Angola is a very important mine but the problem with people being used as objects is getting worse. More people want the diamonds. || Beata::Diamonds have been associated with violence and misery. The blood diamonds are about 4% of all of the diamonds found. Diamonds in Angola create deadly problems because of trade adn the mining of them. Not only do diamonds cause problems because rebel groups want controls of diamond rich areas, sell precious gems to support the war, but large companies are involoved in cruel games like arms smuggling.After a preciouus gem was found, in the 1990's a civil war broke out in Angola and had terrible consequences. These diamonds are referred to as blood diamonds. Pedro-In Sierra Leone you can find the worlds most high quality diamonds. Since the first diamond was found in the 1930s, war has destroyed Sierra Leone. The prime minister has taken advatage of this and has made a huge profit in selling the diamonds illegally. A rebel group has tried to stand against the government but all thy want is to take over the control of the diamond mines. There is a huge profit for selling these diamonds and the brutallity used on the workers is horrible. Jessica: Jade is the mineral I chose. Jade is a gem also. Jade is also known as jadeite. Jade is usually a greenish color. Rarely does it come in yellow, pink, purple and black. Jade is used in lots of jewelry and is very strong and doesn’t break very easily at all. Art is carved into jade today also and can be very expensive. There are strong crystal materials inside of jade. Jade is found in many different places around the world. Jade can be found in Wyoming in the United States. Jade is the official state gem in Wyoming. || Michaella- Michaela- The Tennessee Valley Authority has more problems at its coal-fired power plants. A federal judge ordered TVA to clean up four plants in Tennessee and Alabama because they are causing problem emissions that are carried down-wind into North Carolina. Last month a TVA plant was the site of a [|coal sludge spill]near Kingston, Tennessee. In pure english, plants that have been using coal as a source of energy have been emitting fumes that have drifted by the wind down to North Carolina. Peter - Copper is a mineral that everyone uses in everyday life. Copper is used in building construction, power generation and transmission, electronic product manufacturing, and the production of industrial machinery and transportation vehicles. Copper wiring and plumbing are integral to the appliances, heating and cooling systems, and telecommunications links used every day in homes and businesses. Copper is an essential component in the motors, wiring, radiators, connectors, brakes, and bearings used in cars and trucks. The problem about this is people are demanding copper and there isnt enough of a supply and people arent getting it. The copper distrubtion is now very low and also having problems with recycling. Copper is like gas these days and in the future the more we use it the faster it is going to run out. Copper has also been doing damage to animals by turning them out abnormal and they also cut the life spam of animals. thomas- Mining gold has mass problems to the environment an the people that live there. it creates huge amounts of waste, the 2,402 tons of gold produced in 1997 created 725 million tons of waste which was full of metals, acids, and solvents. The ratio of waste production in the united states gold-mining industry is one to three million, that means that for every ton of gold produced there are three million tons of waste rock. ||
 * < Table 5 ||< Liliana- The clay mineralncomposition of soils and clays about understanding the propertys. That scientist research on a clay-mineral on its reaction. Found out that it had alittle fundamental value reaction with a mixutre mineral. Not alot of scientist cant take the clay mineral to a labortary because its really hard to find a clay with reactions in any type of mixture mineral.
 * < Table 6 ||< Evan- The mining of Gold in past history has left great deals on the environment and on people. Water systems have been damaged due to different chemicals being dumped into rivers like Mercury and Cyanide, which is toxic. The Western Shoshone tribe had their native lands used for open pit mining and was left with toxic chemicals around mining areas in Nevada and the Government denied their own land rights continually. The old 49ers in past history took the land of old Californian Native Americans who were killed and even but bounties on them.