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
2Overview
- Flowers
- Diamonds
- Gold
- Alternatives/Solutions
3Say it with flowers
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6Flowers
- Long history of religious, folk, heraldic and
national symbolism - Gifts of love, friendship and filial devotion
- St. Valentines Day
- Mothers Day
7The Floriculture Industry
- 30 billion cut flower industry
- Major producers Holland, Columbia, Kenya,
Zimbabwe, Ecuador, India, Mexico, China, Malaysia - Worlds largest producer Dole Fresh Flowers
8The Floriculture Industry
- Largest import markets U.S. and Germany
- Only 1/3 of cut flowers sold in U.S. are domestic
- Most from CA
9The 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
10Floriculture and Women
- Predominantly female workforce
- Low wages
- No benefits
- Short contract cycles
- Child labor, dismissal for pregnancy, unpaid
overtime common - Women often must take pregnancy test or show
proof of sterilization before hired
11Floriculture 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
12Floriculture 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
13Floriculture 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
14Floriculture 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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18Floriculture Health Effects
- Over 50 of workers have symptoms of
organophosphate pesticide exposure (cholinergic
symptoms) - 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.)
19- EPA estimates U.S. farm workers suffer up to
300,000 pesticide-related acute illnesses and
injuries per year - NAS estimates that pesticides in food could cause
up to 1 million cancers in the current generation
of Americans - 1,000,000 people killed by pesticides over the
last 6 years (WHO)
20Floriculture 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
21Floriculture 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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24Diamonds
- Symbols of wealth, power, love, and magical
powers - Created from carbon early in the earths history
under extreme temperature and pressure - Industrial uses cutting, chemically inert,
transmits many wavelengths of light, can be
tweaked to hold an electric charge - Discovered in India around 800 B.C.
- Commercial mining began in 1866 in South Africa
25World Diamond Mine Production(1995-2011)
26Diamond 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
27The Diamond Market
- Annual retail sales 72 billion (2012)
- 2008 Christies sells 36-carat diamond for 24
million - Worlds Largest Diamond 40-carat Hope Diamond at
Smithsonian - Fun fact some exoplanets contain diamond layers
thousands of miles thick
28Kimberley Mine, SAYielded 3 tons of diamonds,
Closed 1914
29Mirny Diamond Mine, SiberiaLargest open diamond
mine in the world
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33The 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
34Cecil 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.
35Diamond 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) - Diamonds first worn by stars to the Oscars in 1942
36Diamond 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 - Later Anniversary diamonds
37Diamond 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
38Diamond Rings
- 2003 De Beers begins to market diamonds to
single women - Your left hand says we, your right hand says
me.
39Pet JewelryThe Diamond Dog Collar
40Diamonds 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 50 billion
41Diamonds 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
42Diamonds 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
43Diamonds Profits and Losses
- 2008 DeBeers settles several class action
lawsuits over anti-trust violations, unfair
competition, and consumer-protection laws related
to monopolizing supplies, conspiring to
fix/raise/control prices, and disseminating false
and misleading advertising - Over 300 million plus prohibitions/oversight
- DeBeers admits no wrongdoing
44Diamonds 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
45Diamonds 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 (e.g., RUF in Sierra
Leone killed and mutilated thousands via
amputations with machetes and axes in 1990s)
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47Diamonds 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
48Diamonds 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
49Diamonds 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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53Gold
- Dominant role throughout history in the growth of
empires and the evolution of the worlds
financial institutions
54Uses 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
55History 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
56Gold 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
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58The 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
59How Gold is Used(In Tons)
- 2400 jewelry
- 461 industrial and dental
- 445 retail investment
- 253 exchange-traded funds
60Gold MiningThe Myth
61Gold MiningThe Reality
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69Gold Mining
- Artisanal (15 million people, including 3 million
women and children) - Corporate (few major corporations)
70MiningThe 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
71MiningThe Worlds Deadliest Industry
- Over 500,000 abandoned mines in U.S. alone
- Estimated cleanup cost 50 billion
- Union-busting / human rights abuses help maintain
cheap labor force
72MiningThe Worlds Deadliest Industry
- Local communities suffer environmental damage,
pollution, dislocations - STDs rampant, spread by miners to wives and
children - FGC
73The Resource Curse
- Dependence upon gold mining slows/reverses
economic growth, increases poverty, and
encourages governmental corruption
74The 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
75The Resource Curse
- Benefits go to corrupt central governments and
overseas corporations - Little returned to local communities
- Casino economy
76Environmental Destruction
- ¾ of active gold mining and exploration sites
overlap with regions of high conservation value,
such as National Parks and World Heritage Sites
77U.S. Gold Mining
- Mining Law of 1872
- Archaic law
- Mine purchase price between 2.50 and 5.00 per
acre - No royalties paid for gold mined on public lands
78U.S. Gold Mining
- Generous government subsidies
- Cheap fuel
- Road building and other infrastructure
- Reclamation and cleanup
79U.S. Gold Mining
- Local communities stuck with multi-million to
multi-billion dollar environmental cleanup costs
when mines declare bankruptcy or move on - Native Americans rights violated
80Gold 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
- Cyanide paralyzes cellular respiration
81Gold MiningGold Cyanide Mercury
- Mercury used to capture gold particles as an
amalgam - Mercury converted to methylmercury in environment
- Significant neurotoxin
- Minamata Disease
- China, Brazil (Amazon)
- 37 of global mercury pollution due to gold
mining (major source coal-fired power plants)
82Minamata DiseaseW Eugene Smith
83Gold MiningGold Cyanide Mercury
- 4000 tons used to purify gold during 19th-Century
Northern California Gold Rush - Fish in Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay
still show elevated levels
84Gold 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
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87Gold 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
88Gold 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
89Gold MiningEnvironmental Damage
- Animus River spill, SW USA (2015)
- Coastal dumping of gold mine waste elsewhere
damages estuaries and coral reefs
90Gold, Mercury and Malaria
- Gold mining contributes to the spread of malaria
- Mercury may lower immunity to malaria
- Still pools of water serve as mosquito breeding
grounds - Migrant miners import new strains, infecting
indigenous peoples - E.g., Thousands of Yanomami Indians killed in
Brazil in late 1960s / early 1970s
91Gold Other Health and Environmental Harms
- Deforestation
- Gold smelting uses large amounts of energy and
releases SO2, nitrogen dioxide, and other
components of acid rain - Contributes to asthma, skin ailments
92Gold 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
93Gold Other Health and Environmental Harms
- 40 of Western U.S. watersheds affected by gold
mining pollution - More than 25 mines (some still active) on
Superfund list - Mine pollution ruins farmlands and strains local
food resources
94Gold 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)
95Gold 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
96Gold 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
97Gold 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
98Gold 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
99Gold 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
100Gold 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
101Gold 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)
102Gold 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 - Radio talk show hosts hawking gold from Goldline
International, others
103Other Items With Similar Human Rights and
Environmental Health Issues
- Conflict minerals for cellphones, electronics,
missile guidance systems, etc. - 2013 SEC notification required if Congo is
source of conflict minerals conflict-free
label allowed if not - Chocolate
104Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Grow your own
- Potted plant
105Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Purchase locally- or internationally-produced,
organically-grown, labor-friendly bouquets - Farmers markets, Whole Foods, other upscale
markets - http//www.LocalHarvest.org
- http//www.proflowers.com
- http//www.organicbouquet.com
- http//FlowerPetal.com (contributes to carbon
offsets) - 1-800-Flowers (some)
- Others
106Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Consumer education
- Pressure on supermarkets, florists
- Boycotts ? voluntary eco-labels in Europe
- NGOs developing industry standards
- Food First Information Action Networks Flower
Campaign ? voluntary International Code of Conduct
107Alternatives 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
108Alternatives and Solutions
- Flowers
- Veriflora Certification System Campaign focused
on - Supermarkets (29 of U.S. flower sales, market
share increasing, 50 major companies) - Less focus currently on wholesalers (1200
nationwide) and florists (30,000, 47 of market
share) - Society of American Florists yet to endorse
- Fair trade flowers
109Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Diamonds
- Consider alternatives to traditional engagement
ring - Cubic zirconium
- Synthetic/cultured diamonds over 75,000 lbs
produced each year worldwide - LifeGems (diamonds created from carbon captured
during cremation of human and animal remains!) - No ring
110Symbols 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 - Diamond industry prefers self-regulation
111Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Diamonds Kimberly Process Certification Scheme
- Requires rough controls to assure conflict-free
diamonds - Governments license miners
- Diamond traders utilize sealed, tamper-proof
containers - Integrated computer databases in importing and
exporting countries catch discrepancies
112Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Diamonds Kimberly Process Certification Scheme
- Importing countries enact strict customs
regulations, backed by thorough inspections and
harsh penalties - Supported by diamond industry and UN General
Assembly - Involved countries (77) slow and often
ineffective in enacting Scheme
113Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- U.S. Clean Diamond Act of 2003
- Mandates participation in Kimberly Process
Certification scheme - Money from fines (up to 10,000 for civil and
50,000 for criminal penalties) and seized
contraband earmarked for victims of armed
conflict - Implementation slow
- USA Patriot Act includes anti-money laundering
measures
114Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Amnesty International/Global Witness 2006-2007
survey - ½ of companies failed to respond
- Only 38 of companies responding able to provide
a meaningful account of their policies - Helzberg Diamond Shops, Sterling (Signet), and
Tiffany and Co. have most comprehensive policies
115Conflict-Free Diamonds
- 2013 Only 11 of US jewelry stores have a
conflict-free diamond policy
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117Safe Diamonds (?)
118Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Gold
- No Dirty Gold Campaign
- Halt to production and sale of gold produced at
expense of communities, workers, and the
environment - Mining companies not to operate in areas of armed
conflict - Companies representing 22 of US jewelry market
(accounting for 14.5 billion in sales) pledged - Take the pledge at http//www.nodirtygold.org
- System similar to Kimberly Process
119No Dirty Gold Campaign
- Companies pledged include
- Zale Corporation
- Signet Group (parent firm of Sterling and Kay
jewelers) - Tiffany and Company
- Helzberg Diamonds
- JC Penney
120No Dirty Gold Campaign
- Companies pledged include
- Cartier
- Piaget
- Van Cleef and Arpels
- Fred Meyer
- Wal-Mart
- Jostens
121No Dirty Gold Campaign
- Companies pledged include
- QVC
- Target
- Sears
- Pledging is just the first step
122Alternatives and Solutions
- International Labor Organizations Convention
169 Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in
Independent Countries - Requires culturally-relevant consultation before
appropriation of indigenous peoples lands and
that indigenous peoples participate in benefits
of mining - Signed and ratified by 19 countries (but none of
major gold mining countries)
123Symbols 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 - Develop biological and chemical treatments to
decrease/destroy cyanide, mercury, and other
mining contaminants, and alternatives to
mercury-based smelting - Extract gold from biosolids (sewage sludge)
worth millions
124Minamata 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 -
125UN 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
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127Safe Gold
128Symbols of Love Alternatives and Solutions
- Consider alternative tokens of affection
- Homemade gifts (cards, photo collages, videos,
poems, meals, home improvement projects) - Donations to charities
- Eco-jewelry made from recycled materials by
indigenous peoples - Profits returned to local communities, providing
wide-ranging social and economic benefit
129Conclusions
- 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
130Conclusions
- 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
131Paper/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
132Contact Information
- martindonohoe_at_phsj.org
- http//www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org
- http//www.phsj.org