Cite

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/the-devastating-costs-of-the-amazon-gold-rush-19365506/?no-ist=

http://soilsci.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/gold-mining-and-its-effects-on-the-amazon-and-its-inhabitants/

Gold mining in the Amazon Basin

I truly understand that we need to mine for gold but there are just too many con's. We are hurting our already very fragile ecosystem. More animals are becoming endangered/instinct due to this and the whole contamination situation is enough to put an end to this mining or at least find a new way to do it. 

Con's on Gold mining in the Amazon Basin

There many cons to Gold mining in the Amazon Basin including; deforestation of the Amazon, mercury contamination and just contamination in general and also the harm we are putting the native animals in. The coal miners are having to cut down trees in order to make more room for bigger and better machines so that they can get more gold. By cutting the trees and plants they are taking away native animals shelters and food sources. As for the mercury contamination, what the miners do is put mercury in the water so that it clump all of the cold and make it sink to the bottom. Then the mercury turns into runoff and goes to different lakes streams and the ocean. People are getting methyl-mercury due to them eating fish that have been contaminated.  Also some miners do land dreading, that's when they dig a hole in the ground and then use high power water source to expose the gold. This water will runoff to different places making a perfect breeding place for mosquito's that have malaria.