Title: Flowers, Diamonds, and Gold: The destructive public health, human rights and environmental consequences of symbols of love
1Flowers, Diamonds, and Gold The destructive
public health, human rights and environmental
consequences of symbols of love
2Say it with flowers
3The Floriculture Industry
- 30 billion cut flower industry
- Major producers Holland, Columbia, Kenya,
Zimbabwe, Ecuador, India, Mexico, China, Malaysia - Only 1/3 of cut flowers sold in U.S. are domestic
- most from CA - Worlds largest producer Dole Fresh Flowers
4The Floriculture Industry
- 190,000 workers in developing countries
- Ecuador and Columbia account for ½ of flowers
sold in U.S. - Most profit flows to large, multinational
corporations, headquartered outside producing
countries - Small amount reinvested locally
5Floriculture and Women
- Predominantly female workforce
- Low wages
- No benefits
- Short contract cycles
- Child labor, dismissal for pregnancy, unpaid
overtime common
6Floriculture and Labor
- Labor organizers harassed, workers fired for
trying to organize unions - Third party contractors shuffle workers from
plantation to plantation, avoiding payment of
social security and inhibiting union organizing
7Floriculture and the Environment
- Floriculture displaces crops grown for local food
consumption - Contributes to malnutrition and increased local
food costs - Requires large quantities of irrigation water
- 120 liters/dozen roses
- Contributes to drop in water tables
8Floriculture Toxic Exposures
- Flowers most pesticide-intensive crop
- Greenhouses increase ambient levels of pesticides
- 1/5 of pesticides banned or untested in U.S.
- Carcinogens, persistent organic
pollutants/endocrine disruptors
9Floriculture Toxic Exposures
- Flowers carry up to 50X the amount of pesticides
allowed on foods - USDA inspects for pests, but not pesticides
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13Floriculture Health Effects
- Over 50 of workers have symptoms of
organophosphate pesticide exposure - Other common health problems
- Allergic reactions, heat stroke, pneumonitis,
RSI, cellulitis, UTIs, neuropathies, mental
health problems, cancers, reproductive problems
(low sperm counts, spontaneous abortions, fetal
anomalies, etc.)
14Floriculture Health Effects
- Labeling, handling, and storage problems rampant
- Protective gear often lacking, not working
- Reuse of pesticide-saturated greenhouse plastic
for domestic purposes not uncommon - Workers wash / bathe children in same sink
15Floriculture Health Effects
- Local physicians poorly-trained, lack resources
to manage pesticide-related health problems - Many providers employed by floriculture company
- Conflict of interest
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17Diamonds
- Symbols of wealth, power, love, and magical
powers - Created from carbon early in the earths history
under extreme temperature and pressure - Discovered in India around 800 B.C.
- Commercial mining began in 1866 in South Africa
18World Diamond Mine Production(1995-2011)
19Diamond Production
- Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, Mumbai (Bombay), and
Dubai major trading centers - Most cutting done in Surat (India), Tel Aviv,
Antwerp, Mumbai, New York and Thailand - Major retail markets U.S. and Japan
- Annual retail sales 72 billion (2012)
20Kimberley Mine, SAYielded 3 tons of diamonds,
Closed 1914
21Mirny Diamond Mine, SiberiaLargest open diamond
mine in the world
22The Diamond Engagement Ring
- Diamond engagement ring introduced in 1477
(Archduke Ferdinand ? Mary of Burgundy) - De Beers Mining Company
- Founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1888
- Responsible for 40-45 of worldwide diamond
production and sales
23Cecil Rhodes(Rhodesia, Rhodes Scholarship,
DeBeers Mining Company)
- We must find new lands from which we can easily
obtain raw materials and at the same time exploit
the cheap slave labour that is available from the
natives of the colonies. The colonies would also
provide a dumping ground for the surplus goods
produced in our factories.
24Diamond Rings
- 1939 DeBeers hires N.W. Ayer and Company to make
diamonds a psychological necessitythe larger
the diamond, the greater the expression of love. - By 1942, 80 of engagements in U.S. consecrated
with diamond rings (still true today)
25Diamond Rings
- 1947 A diamond is forever slogan born
- Jewelers instructed to tell (pressure?) men - who
buy 90 of all diamonds to spend at least 2
months salary on the ring
26Diamond Rings
- 1999 Advertising Age magazine declares A
Diamond is Forever slogan the most effective of
the 20th Century - Recognized by 90 of Americans
- 1999 De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer
Diamonds are intrinsically worthless, except for
the deep psychological need they fill
27Diamonds Profits and Losses
- 144 million carats rough diamonds mined for
jewelry per year - Worth approximately U.S.15 billion
- 1 carat diamond retails for 4,000-7,500 in the
U.S. - Cost less than 2 billion to extract
- Ultimately sell for over 71 billion
28Diamonds Profits and Losses
- Workers desperately poor but hoping to strike it
rich in casino economy - 1 million in Africa
- Work under dangerous, unhealthy conditions for
pittance - Diamonds may be embedded in asbestos
- Workers suffer from cancer, leukemia, silicosis
29Diamonds Profits and Losses
- Middlemen, diamond dealers and exporters earn the
lions share of profits - Most foreign nationals
- Very little profit re-invested in local
communities
30Diamonds Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and
Terrorism
- Mine owners violate indigenous peoples rights
via destruction of traditional homelands and
forced resettlement - Mining hastens environmental degradation of
ecosystems already under severe stress
31Diamonds Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and
Terrorism
- Diamonds have been used by rebel armies in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola,
Liberia, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone to pay for
weapons used to fight brutal civil wars - 3.8 million deaths
- Child soldiers
- Forced labor
- Sex slavery, HIV
- Terrorize local populations
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33Diamonds Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and
Terrorism
- Al Qaeda and Hizbollah have used diamond monies
to - Fund terror cells
- Hide money targeted by financial institutions
- Launder profits from criminal activity
- Convert cash into a commodity that is easily
transportable and holds its value
34Diamonds Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and
Terrorism
- Smuggled and illicit conflict diamonds may amount
to as much as 10-15 of diamond jewelry sold
worldwide - U.S. State Dept.
- 20
- Global Witness
35Diamonds Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and
Terrorism
- Accusations that television evangelist Pat
Robertsons charity, Operation Blessing, served
as an elaborate front for his for-profit African
Development Company Ltd., a diamond mining
operation licensed by Zairean President Mobutu,
who had been sanctioned by the UN over alleged
human rights violations
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38Gold
- Dominant role throughout history in the growth of
empires and the evolution of the worlds
financial institutions
39Uses of Gold
- 40 of gold mined today turned into jewelry
- 40 used in financial sector (coins, ingots for
banks, other uses) - 10 used by industry
- Special properties malleable, ductile, good
thermal conductivity, durable, and resistance to
corrosion
40History of Gold
- 4000 B.C. gold first fashioned into decorative
objects - By 1500 B.C. the standard medium of exchange for
international trade - Used by Catherine de Medici as poison and by
physicians to treat rheumatoid arthritis - Mid-1800s Gold Rushes in California and South
Africa
41Gold Production
- Top producers China, Australia, United States,
Russia, South Africa, Peru - 3,000 tons mined each year
- Valued at over 20 billion
- Typical piece of gold jewelry sells for at least
4 times the value of the gold itself
42Gold Production
- Top producers China, Australia, United States,
Russia, South Africa, Peru - 2500 tons mined each year
- Valued at 21 billion
- Typical piece of gold jewelry sells for at least
4 times the value of the gold itself
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44The Wedding Ring
- Formulated from a variety of minerals throughout
history - As with diamonds, aggressive marketing has played
a significant role in popularizing the gold
wedding band
45Gold MiningThe Myth
46Gold MiningThe Reality
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52Gold Mining
- Artisanal (15 million people, including 3 million
women and children) - Corporate (few major corporations)
53MiningThe Worlds Deadliest Industry
- Tens of thousands killed mining gold and other
minerals over the last century - 40 killed per day presently
- Activists (labeled eco-terrorists) at risk from
militias, paramilitary contractors
54MiningThe Worlds Deadliest Industry
- Local communities suffer environmental damage,
pollution, dislocations - STDs rampant, spread by miners to wives and
children
55The Resource Curse
- Dependence upon gold mining slows/reverses
economic growth, increases poverty, and
encourages governmental corruption
56The Resource Curse
- ½ of gold produced worldwide between 1995 and
2015 has or will come from indigenous peoples
lands - Rural and indigenous peoples evicted without
prior consultation, meaningful compensation, or
the offer of equivalent lands elsewhere
57The Resource Curse
- Benefits go to corrupt central governments and
overseas corporations - Little returned to local communities
- Casino economy
58Environmental Destruction
- ¾ of active gold mining and exploration sites
overlap with regions of high conservation value,
such as National Parks and World Heritage Sites
59Gold MiningGold Cyanide Mercury
- At least 18 tons of mine waste created to obtain
the gold for a single 3 oz., 18k ring - Gold leached from ore using cyanide
60Gold MiningGold Cyanide Mercury
- Mercury used to capture gold particles as an
amalgam - Mercury converted to methylmercury in environment
- Significant neurotoxin
- Minamata Disease
- 37 of global mercury pollution due to gold
mining (major source coal-fired power plants)
61Minamata DiseaseW Eugene Smith
62Gold MiningEnvironmental Damage
- Contaminated groundwater often sits in large
toxic lakes held in place by tenuous dams - Release of cyanide and mercury into local
waterways kills fish, harms fish-eating animals,
and poisons drinking water
63Gold MiningEnvironmental Damage
- Omai gold mine in Guyana (one of the largest
open-pit mines in the world) - Tailings dam failed in 1995
- 3 billion cubic liters of cyanide-laden tailings
renders downstream 32 miles of Omai River, home
to 23,000 people, an environmental disaster zone
64Gold MiningEnvironmental Damage
- Baia Mare gold mine in Romania
- Tailings dam broke in 2000
- 100,000 metric tons of toxic wastwater spilled
- Fish killed, other animals harmed, drinking water
of 2.5 million people in Danube River watershed - Coastal dumping of gold mine waste elsewhere
damages estuaries and coral reefs
65Gold Other Health and Environmental Harms
- Mercury pollution contributes to the spread of
malaria - Gold smelting uses large amounts of energy and
releases SO2, nitrogen dioxide, and other
components of acid rain
66Gold Other Health and Environmental Harms
- High levels of neurotoxic mercury found in
artisanal miners - Release of lead into soil and air causes lead
poisoning - Epidemic of lead poisoning in Nigeria
- Silica exposure causes silicosis
- Increases risk of TB
67Gold Other Health and Environmental Harms
- Water tables decline due to pumping of enormous
quantity of water to release gold from ore - Toxic pollution from gold mines affects 100
million people worldwide - Living near a gold mine costs 12.7 DALY loss
(i.e., productive lifespan cut by 12.7 yrs)
68Gold Mining Harms Women
- By displacing agriculture (where women play a
major role), removes women from labor force - Concentrates economic power in hands of men
- Diminishes womens financial resources and
educational, political, and legal opportunities
69Gold Mining Harms Women
- Mining employs a few women in low-level, clerical
positions, where they face severe discrimination,
sexual harassment, and firing for pregnancy - Women have to walk further to collect water
- Dowry-associated violence, esp. in India
- Utilization of child labor
70Gold Mining Human Rights Abuses
- Grassberg mine, Indonesia (worlds largest, owned
by U.S.-based Freeport-McMoRan) - On land seized from Amunge and Komoro peoples
- Dumps tons of cyanide-laced waste into local
rivers each day - Operators implicated in forced evictions,
murders, rape, torture, extra-judicial killings,
and arbitrary detentions - Abetted by Indonesian military, which it has paid
millions of dollars
71Gold Mining Terrorism
- Echo Bay Mines Limited purportedly paid off Abu
Sayef (affiliated with Al Qaeda) in exchange for
protection of its Philippines-based gold mine
72Gold Markets vs. Morals
- U.S. government has 8,134 tons of gold secured in
vaults (worth approximately 122 billion) - Federal Reserve and other major central banks
have agreed to severely restrict sales from their
reserves, offering, in effect, a price support to
gold
73Gold Markets vs. Morals
- Currently 3 times more gold sits in bank vaults,
in jewelry boxes, and with private investors than
is identified in underground reserves - Enough gold to meet current consumer demand for
17 years - Subsidies make it cheaper to extract new gold
than to recycle existing gold
74Gold Markets vs. Morals
- Mining industry maintains strong ties with
governments to maintain status quo - 32 million spent on lobbying in 2011 (largest
recipient Mitt Romney)
75Gold Markets vs. Morals
- Gold mining supported by World Bank and its
profit-making arm, the International Finance
Corporation - Gold industry blocking International Monetary
Fund- and World Bank-sponsored debt-forgiveness
package
76Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Grow your own
- Potted plant
- Purchase locally- or internationally-produced,
organically-grown, labor-friendly bouquets
77Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Consumer education
- Pressure on retailers
- Boycotts
- Food First Information Action Networks Voluntary
International Code of Conduct
78Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Veriflora Certification System
- Organic production with phaseout of pesticides
- Water conservation
- Safe waste management
- Mitigation of previous environmental damage
- Fair labor practices / fair wages / overtime pay
/ right to organize - Unannounced audits ensure compliance
79Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Diamonds
- Consider alternatives to traditional engagement
ring - Cubic zirconium
- Synthetic/cultured diamonds
- LifeGems (diamonds created from carbon captured
during cremation of human and animal remains!) - No ring
80Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Diamonds
- Purchase only verifiable conflict-free diamonds
- cut, color, clarity, and conflict
- Query jewelers, consumer education, boycotts,
protests, shareholder activism - Kimberly Process Certification Scheme
81Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Gold
- Consumer pressure, boycotts, shareholder
resolutions - Consider recycled/vintage gold, eco-friendly
gold, alternatives to traditional wedding
ring/class ring
82Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Gold
- Develop biological and chemical treatments to
decrease/destroy cyanide, mercury, and other
mining contaminants, and alternatives to
mercury-based smelting - Moratorium on gold mining
83UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Passed 2007
- Mandates principle of free, prior, and informed
consent before any mining projects allowed on
indigenous land - U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are
non-signatories
84Minamata Convention
- International agreement among over 140 countries
(including U.S.) to be signed October, 2013 - Places controls and restrictions on mercury use
- E.g., Medical equipment (thermometers),
energy-saving light bulbs, mining, cement and
coal-fired power plants - Includes education and public health strategies
to identify and treat victims of mercury toxicity -
85Safe Diamonds (?)
86Safe Gold
87Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Consider alternative tokens of affection
- Homemade gifts
- Donations to charities
- Eco-jewelry made from recycled materials by
indigenous peoples - Profits returned to local communities, providing
wide-ranging social and economic benefit
88Conclusions
- Cut flowers, diamonds, and gold as symbols of
love are cultural constructs perpetuated in part
by the persuasive marketing efforts of
multinational corporations - Production involves significant damage to local
communities and the environment and harms men,
women and children
89Conclusions
- Production supports human rights abuses, armed
conflict, and even terrorism - Symbols of love should not be constant reminders
of death and destruction - Consider alternative symbols of love
- Work for social justice and change
90Paper/References
- Donohoe MT. Flowers, diamonds, and gold The
destructive human rights and environmental
consequences of symbols of love. Human Rights
Quarterly 200830164-82. Available at
http//phsj.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/symbols
-of-love-hrq-pdf.pdf
91Contact Information
- martindonohoe_at_phsj.org
- http//www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org
- http//www.phsj.org