Why is mining bad in the Amazon rainforest?
Why is mining bad in the Amazon rainforest? Gold mining significantly limits the regrowth of Amazon forests, greatly reducing their ability to accumulate carbon, according to a new study. They estimate that mining-related deforestation results in the annual loss of over two million tons of forest carbon across the Amazon. Does gold mining cause deforestation? Artisanal-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a large cause of this deforestation and brings with it extensive environmental, social, governance, and public health impacts, including large carbon emissions and mercury pollution. Further, we find that 10% of that deforestation occurred in 2017, with 53% occurring since...