Fair Trade Jewelry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Mike Angenent Open Source Minerals
mike@opensourceminerals.com

The International Jeweltree Foundation: A new dimension of transparency with a touch of humanity

Antwerp, Belgium (24 October, 2008)

The diamond and jewellery supply chain, from mine to market, is long, arduous and not always as transparent as it should be. With so many complex twists and turns, it is hardly surprising that people have little idea about the provenance of their diamond and jewellery , including where it came from and how it was made. Like the rarity of true love, each sparkling diamond or stunning piece of jewellery is a combination of a miracle of nature and dedicated handcraft. Each one has its own character, its own identity and should remain symbols of love, purity and integrity.

This is why the International Jeweltree Foundation has been brought to life. The International Jeweltree Foundation is a non-profit development organization which dedicates itself to ethical practices, environmental responsibility and full transparency within the diamond and jewellery industry.

We support local development projects based in diamond and gold producing third world countries which are necessary to establish a fair economy for everybody. To generate greater awareness within the industry and among the consumer, we decided to create a “true“ mine to finger experience. Therefore we selected IDL (International Diamond Laboratoties) to issue a more “transparent” certificate for each single polished diamond or diamond parcels.This unique certification system is a written guarantee disclosing clarity, colour, cut, carat, origin and cutting centre.

Together with IPIS (International Peace and Information Service) we provide the assurance that all Jeweltree-approved diamonds come from mines that are committed to health, safety, environment and community and that every diamond has been polished under the most favorable working conditions.

At the initial stage, to guarantee a better control, Jeweltree-approved diamonds are exclusively distributed through Open Source Minerals, www.opensourceminerals.com.

Transparency and integrity should become primary elements in the decision-making and purchasing process of jewellery, with the Jeweltree Foundation we hope to set new parameters in the our current buying behaviour which is mainly price-driven.
—————————————————————————————————————

The Jeweltree Foundation is an initiative of Open Source Minerals. Do you want to become a member? Please do not hesitate to contact, you can make a difference.

For more information, visit: www.jeweltreefoundation.org or
www.opensourceminerals.com.

The International Jeweltree Foundation is a non-profit development organization which dedicates itself to ethical practices, environmental responsibility and full transparency within the diamond and jewellery industry.

We support local development projects based in diamond and gold producing third world countries which is necessary to establish a fair economy for everybody. All Jeweltree-approved diamonds come from mines that are committed to health, safety, environment and community.

IDL — International Diamond Laboratories® (IDL) provides the diamond trade and jewelry retailers with quality reports of polished diamonds Reaching a new level of transparency As a government initiative the IDL seal stands for objectivity, independent scientific analyses and trust. As a non-profit development organization the International Jeweltree Foundation symbolizes equality, commitment, social responsibility with respect for man and environment. Together we joined forces to combine these ingredients and to provide a true mine to finger experience with regards to ethical diamonds and jewellery . This unique certification system is a written guarantee disclosing clarity, colour, cut, carat, origin and cutting centre.

Tags: CSR, Diamonds, Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Gems, Fair Trade Jewelry, Green Issues, Jewelry Manufacturing, Mining, Spin, Transparency by admin
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Introduction:

Recently, Steve left his position at Earthworks, which he founded, to become president of the nonprofit, Resolve. (See our recent post at: http://www.fairjewelry.org/archives/509)

(Steve D’Esposito, President of Resolve)

When I look at the last five years, I see that much of the momentum toward ethical sourcing in the jewelry sector can be traced back to Steve’s work and vision. He was instrumental designing the “No Dirty Gold” campaign, in creating the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, in building relationships across sectors, and in creating the Madison Dialogue meeting which brought people from the sector together for the first time.

This is the second time that Steve has been interviewed on this blog. This time, I caught up with him before the official announcement and talked about the move.
~Marc Choyt, Publisher

Marc Choyt: What led you to leave Earthworks and join Resolve?

Steve D’Esposito: I have spent more and more of my time over the last few years, building bridges across the sectors and trying to identify leaders who want to actually develop and test solutions.

Resolve is perfectly suited to house this work. Resolve has intention, it has a result in mind—we refer to this as the “solve” part of the Resolve mission. But Resolve can also serve as a neutral ground, a place from which all who share that intention can work. That space is more difficult to create within an advocacy and campaigning organization.

I have been developing a concept which seeks to incubate, support, catalyze and credit some of the initial steps that companies and organizations are taking to put solutions in place. Where risk-taking and entrepreneurial activity is recognized, and those willing to take a step forward are recognized and rewarded. We will organize this work within a new initiative that we are calling the Earth Solutions Center at Resolve. It fits perfectly into the Resolve structure. We will also organize a Science Solutions capacity. This allows us to tap into both consensus building and facilitation expertise with science and technical expertise.

In fact, I first started talking to Resolve about potentially partnering with the Earth Solutions Center (which was going to be an independent organization). The conversation fairly quickly turned into a conversation about integration and an offer to run Resolve.

Marc Choyt: How does this tie into your work with the Madison Dialogues? Are you going to continue to support the efforts to create an “ethical platform?”

Steve D’Esposito: A lot of work is underway in the jewelry sector— I see a number of cutting edge projects from retailers, miners, and others.

The Madison Dialogue is a forum, a discussion group, and a very important one. It’s created an opportunity to foster relationships. It is a virtual entity. It’s great for information sharing and dialogue. It is, as you put it, an “ethical platform” and I will continue to support it—100%. Resolve will certainly support Madison Dialogue and similar efforts—whatever we can do, we will do.

The Earth Solutions Center can be a complement in that it creates a venue for testing, incubation and experimentation in an open-source, transparent format.

Marc Choyt: Have your efforts to work within the Radical Center space been hindered by your involvement in Earthworks, leading you to want to make this change?

Steve D’Esposito: It’s the result that matters. Earthworks has played and will continue to play a critical role as a catalyst. I look at the landscape and I see the need to be additive; to put some additional tools in the toolkit. I want to create space that works for Earthworks and Oxfam, Anglo Gold Ashanti and Rio Tinto, Leber Jewelers and Tiffany, and others. I am not looking to organize a love-fest here, but I do see places were opportunities are being missed and I want to capture those opportunities.

For me personally, what changes is that I have intention but I don’t have a specific dog in the fight.

Marc Choyt: Would you be interested in helping the Manufacturing Working group?

Steve D’Esposito: Yes, the Manufacturing dialogue is just the type of thing that I would be interested in supporting. Let’s explore what’s needed. Is it simply support, technical assistance, strategic guidance, someone to help the trains run on time? I would also like to look at current examples of emerging good practice.

Marc Choyt: Recently I was asked by another journalist, “What is responsible large scale mining?” I didn’t know quite how to answer that question, so I’m posing it to you.

Steve D’Esposito: Work is underway to develop a frame work for responsible mining through IRMA but that work is slow and plodding and is not fully resourced. CRJP is also doing work on gold and diamonds, but they face the challenge of how to more effectively engage stakeholders. ICMM has some excellent principles but verifying that you are credibly meeting your commitment to principles is a challenge without a set of standards or criteria.

At the same time if you survey the current landscape, you see companies innovating and getting results on the ground. I suspect that the best way to define responsible, large-scale mining is to survey best practice at current operations on an issue-by-issue basis. Where is good reclamation happening? Where has community sanction been achieved, etc.? That would be an interesting portrait to paint and one that may help the industry if it was actually painted.

Marc Choyt: Do you think that large scale mining can be called, “sustainable?”

Steve D’Esposito: Society needs and wants minerals and materials that are sourced from the Earth. The challenge that we have is to define responsibly sourced minerals and material and to create incentives for mining projects that can contribute to sustainable development. The fact is that with mining, you are depleting a resource. To the extent it stays in economy via recycling, that’s advantageous. So long as economy needs metals, then it is really a question of how society meets its mining and mineral needs more responsibly. The question that needs to be asked is, does that project contribute to responsible, ethical sourcing and sustainable development?

Marc Choyt: Are you going to continue working on mining issues with Resolve? How will it be different from what you did at Earthworks?

Steve D’Esposito: Yes. Mining issues and a broader set of natural resource and public health challenges.

I like your “radical center” reference. Within that, I would really like to focus on both theory and practice. The key is finding the right projects and organizations to test the theory in practice and then adapt the theory . The collaboration piece is key. So it involves finding the projects which people want to work with.

We need to show people that solutions exist, that they are practical, achievable and are good business. I take very seriously the business challenge—”let’s find a solution to this together.” That is a risk I am willing to take.

Tags: Best Practices, CSR, Environment, Fair Trade, Green Issues, Interviews, Jewelry Manufacturing, Madison Dialogue, Madison Dialogue Manufacturing Group, Mining, Spin, Transparency by Marc Choyt
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Below you can read a letter written by the 16th August Union in response to Greenland’s Bureau of Mining and Petroleum’s proposed changes to the mining law.

Before valuable rubies were documented, Inuits and Native Greenladers were able to mine and sell their gemstones freely, supported by the government.

Once valuable rubies were documented, local Greenlanders have been systematically disenfranchised from their own mineral rights. At present, they cannot sell their rubies.

This letter details the onerous behavior of the colonial government toward those Inuits seeking to maintain their rights to mine rubies.

Read The Letter (Adobe Reader - 58.4K)

Inga B. Egede, leader of the 16th August Union, presents the document to a Greenland government official.” (photo courtesy, N. Madsen)

Here is the Letter as Plain Text: [Read more →]

Tags: CSR, Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Gems, Green Issues, Greenland Rubies, Mining, Rubies, Spin, Transparency by Marc Choyt
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Introduction:

Steve was instrumental in the Madison Dialogue, an initiative in the jewelry sector which has been critical in creating a frame work for a higher level of ethics. I interviewed him last week and learned that his new position will allow him to have even greater freedom to work toward new solutions from the radical center. He will still be involved in issues in the jewelery sector. The interview will be published in the future.
~Marc Choyt, Publisher

On September 30, Stephen D’Esposito stepped down as President and CEO of Earthworks, a position he has held for ten years. Steve has accepted a new appointment as President of Resolve, where he will launch a new initiative, the Earth-Solutions Center. Earthworks will continue to build on its 20-year track record of protecting communities and the environment by reforming the mining and energy industries through legislative, markets and corporate campaigns.

Under Steve’s leadership, Earthworks, formerly called the Mineral Policy Center, promoted reform of the 1872 Mining Law and assisted communities across the West, and around the world, in dealing with the environmental, economic, and social effects of mining. During this time, Earthworks established the “No Dirty Gold” campaign, expanded its mission to address international issues, and merged with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project. Recently, the organization launched its “No Dirty Energy” campaign to further increase its reach and impact. A special hallmark of Earthworks’ activities during Steve’s tenure was engagement with corporate leaders to advance responsible mining and oil and gas development practices.

“This transition is bittersweet, but Earthworks is a strong and vibrant organization with an important mission,” said Steve D’Esposito. “My move to Resolve and the launch of the Earth-Solutions Center will create an unparalleled opportunity to work with leaders from all sectors, including my colleagues at Earthworks, to help facilitate and shape solutions to natural resource and public health challenges, particularly those in the extractive sector.”

“Steve’s strategic sense, innovative approaches and ability to think outside the box have enabled Earthworks to be an extremely effective organization,” said Karin Sheldon, Board Chair of Earthworks. “We are sorry to lose Steve at Earthworks, but we look forward to continuing to collaborate with him at the Solutions Center.”

The Earthworks board, led by Karin Sheldon, has already begun a search for an Executive Director. In the interim, Earthworks will be managed by Payal Sampat (International Campaign Director) and Kimberlee Dinn (Operations Director), with support from the Earthworks Board of Directors.

Contact:

Payal Sampat, 202-887-1872×210;

Kimberlee Din, 202-887-1872×204

Earthworks is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the destructive impacts of mineral development, in the U.S. and worldwide.

Resolve is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the effective use of consensus building in public decision-making .

EARTHWORKS
1612 K ST. N.W. / SUITE 808 / WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006
P 202 887 1872
F 202 887 1875
WWW.EARTHWORKSACTION.ORG

Tags: CSR, Environment, Fair Trade, Gold, Green Issues, Madison Dialogue, Mining, Transparency by admin
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Introduction:

Oro Verde is one of the pioneers of the movement to create ethically sourced jewelry. They have developed a certification system for ecologically responsible, artisanal mined gold.

Now their efforts have drawn international attention, as they are a finalist in a global competition sponsored by BBC. Read their press release below, and more importantly, be sure and vote for them at this link: http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/html/finalists_08.html

~Marc Choyt, Publisher, Fairjewelry.org

Oro Verde®, a Colombian producer’s programme for artisanal gold mining, has been selected as one of the 12 finalists in World Challenge 2008.

World Challenge is a global competition organized by BBC World News, Newsweek and Shell. It rewards projects and small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level.

Oro Verde®from Choco, Colombia has been selected as a finalist among more than 700 initiatives this year.

Oro Verde® is a unique initiative in the world that developed a bottom-up certification system for environmentally responsible practices for artisanal gold mining as a strategy to protect one of the most biodiverse ecosystems of the planet -the Choco Bioregion in Colombia, and to recognize the social and cultural heritage of the ancestral communities that inhabit the region. We invite you to learn about us at www.greengold-oroverde.org.

Oro Verde® metals are sold in green market niches where customers are willing to pay a premium over the international price used to protect one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and local livelihoods. Profits are reinvested in local development projects.

Online voting to select the winner project started on October 1st and closes on November 21st at the following site:

http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/html/finalists_08.html

The experience of Oro Verde® as a sustainable gold mining programme has contributed to bring change in the industry and people today believe in a different way to become involved with the development of artisanal mining communities. Oro Verde® in Colombia is a great example of what can be done for the 13 million small-scale miners around the world. That is why we would love to receive your votes!

Thank you in advance!

Sandra Hernández G.
Marketing & Commercial Division
Amigos del Choco Foundation - Oro Verde® Program
Tel: + 57 4 3330188
E-mail: cgg at greengold-oroverde.org
Colombia

Tags: Best Practices, CSR, Environment, Fair Trade, Gold, Green Issues, Mining, Spin, Transparency by Marc Choyt
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Introduction:

This article conveys the difficult issues involved in a large retailer like Wal-Mart admirably attempting to gain full custody of their supply chain. The objection that many have toward this initiative are not so much in the sourcing, but the marketing of the product, which this article, it should be noted, spaciously spins favorably by talking about Michael Kowalski, CEO of Tiffany, as someone who “hikes” and is pro-environment. **A photo of the “guilt free” gold is also provided. **

Tiffany is sourcing from some of the same places that Wal-Mart does, but they are wise enough not to market it as earth friendly. These mines are massively destructive to the environment (see previous posts on Wal-Mart)
Wal-Mart’s “Love Earth” Brand Draws Early Fire
Complaints Filed Against Wal-Mart For False Green Jewelry Claims
~ Marc Choyt, Publisher

This is the third of a series of posts on Wal-Mart. See the others in the Wal-Mart category to the right.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/03/news/companies/gunther_gold.fortune/

Tags: CSR, Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Jewelry, Gold, Green Issues, Mining, Spin, Transparency, Wal-Mart 'Love Earth' by Marc Choyt
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Editorial by Marc Choyt, Publisher, Fairjewelry.org

Mining companies have colluded with governments to undermine the rights of indigenous small miners for hundreds of years. Typically, “the law” is used as their shield and excuse. Even in the developed world, mining companies and lobbyists collude with officials to write the laws that support their profit driven objectives.

Andrew Lee Smith, CEO of True North Gems, Inc., (TNG) wants his company to be noted as exemplary in their pursuit of Greenland ruby and, in his interview, he references people in the sector who are highly regarded for their fair trade gem practices.

Yet going along with a law when a law is ambiguous or unethical is no way for a modern company to behave, especially one that believes: “The days of colonialist approach to mining are an anachronism.”

At present, for example, Greenland’s Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP), violating established Greenlandic law as well as ancient Inuit tradition, has decided that Native Greenlanders can only mine “semi-precious” gems, but this distinction between precious and semiprecious has no legal validity in the international gem trade. True North needs to take a clear, public stance against this lie, which clearly plays into their hands since they are allowed to mine so-called “precious” Greenland rubies.

(With the political assassination of Burmese Rubies in the West, Rubies from Greenland will be eagerly sought out by the lucrative American and European markets)

True North also has made many serious cultural and political errors, particularly for a company that is branding itself as taking the high road. In his interview, Smith seemed not to have any sense of the 16 August Union’s popular support in Greenland and internationally. I also came across repeated accounts of comments made by True North’s employees that were so deeply racist that that no one would go on record for fear of being sued. In the field last summer, TNG’s project manager, according to witnesses, screamed in the faces of native Greenlanders in the 16 August Union: “This is WAR!”

Even now, TNG continues a marketing campaign, timed perfectly with the beginning of the Burmese ruby boycott, in which it is attempting to portray its Greenland ruby as “fair trade” and “conflict free.” To quote National Jeweler, which talks about TNG opening in context to the Burmese ruby ban: “The plan is to offer rubies that are conflict-free and fair trade, in sizes that range from melee up to as much as five carats.”

Teresa Novellino, Executive Editor of National Jeweler, who wrote this article, got this information from the marketing firm TNG hired to tell their side of the story.

The claim to be fair trade and conflict free in context to the Greenland ruby is disingenuous and deceitful. It portrays current events inaccurately and undermines legitimate attempts of others within the jewelry sector including my own, to create real fair trade standards for the jewelry sector.

Yet at this juncture, casting blame is probably a futile exercise. Greenlanders are going to get their rights to mine their Greenland ruby, and the longer the local government delays, the stronger their movement will grow. To some degree, True North has been a catalyst in creating a strong movement in support of independence from Denmark, which is due to take place on June 29st, 2009.

Yet, like Greg Valerio, of Cred Jewellery, I believe that True North is still sitting on the fence—an electric fence, about to get switched on. Their arctic rubies have been labeled as “apartheid rubies” by Niels Madsen, an emerging leader in the local community.

True North now has an opportunity that would set precedent for the rest of the jewelry sector. They should choose to do the right thing. As a jewelry manufacturer myself, I can attest to the fact that the sector as a whole lives in a shroud of massive denial of its atrocities. For example, not one diamond dealer has ever been held accountable for the purchasing of blood diamonds resulting in the death of nearly four million Africans. Dirty gold from untraceable sources continues to be used to make contaminated jewelry on a massive scale.

What is most needed to restore human dignity is truth and reconciliation.

True North Gems can begin by publicly apologizing to the 16 August Union and to all the good people of Greenland. Blandly mouthing “boiler-plate” key words, lifted from marketing studies is just not good enough. Instead, TNG should back Greenland’s artisanal gemstone miners, reaching from mine to market though generous beneficiation grants, local training, and local hiring.

TNG’s success in their Greenland ruby project can be best assured by tying their own fate to that of the artisinal miners, assuring the viability of their economic activity. This cost of this type of investment, creating a win/win scenario, is minute compared to its potential return. .

Just as the days of colonialist approach is over, so too are the days of the ignorant Native without resources.

Like their Native brothers and sisters in the Northwest Territory who have been able to stand up to large scale diamond mining, the Inuit have learned from history and have powerful allies.

There are plenty of rubies in Greenland—enough for everyone. A small dose of corporate humility is a small price to pay for defending TNG’s shareholders who are rightfully concerned about a company and brand that is in danger of being permanently soiled.

Tags: Best Practices, CSR, Diamonds, Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Gems, Green Issues, Greenland Rubies, Jewelry Manufacturing, Madison Dialogue, Mining, Rubies, Spin, Transparency by Marc Choyt
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Historical Summary: USA - Denmark - Greenland
By the editorial staff of fairjewelry.org

The United States extended territorial claim to northern Greenland based upon the expeditions to the North Pole by American engineer, Robert Peary between 1898 and 1909. American influence in the northernmost region of Greenland began then and continues, uninterrupted to this day at the US air base in Thule, locally known as Qaanaaq, (pronounced “Kay-Nak”). In 1909, Denmark, which then controlled southern Greenland, had no plans to establish a Danish colony at the “top of the world”.

The United States relinquished its sovereign exploration claims to Greenland, originally descending from the Peary expeditions, on 25 January 1917 in conjunction with America’s purchase of the Danish West Indies, now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Wilson administration was preparing to enter World War I and wanted to establish a base on the Virgin Islands to protect the Panama Canal and Caribbean shipping from U-boat attacks. The sale was a matter of heated debate in Denmark. American concessions on the Greenland issue were meant to smooth things over with opponents of the sale. Great Britain and Sweden concurred with the American decision not to oppose the extension of Danish sovereignty to the whole of Greenland but Norway was not swayed.

The most abrupt change in the history of Greenland occurred when the Germans occupied Denmark during the Second World War. Hendrik Kauffman, the Danish Minister to Washington, was called in for consultation the day following Germany’s invasion of Denmark, 10 April 1940. The Minister accepted the American assertion that Greenland was a part of the North American continent and subject to the Monroe Doctrine. President Roosevelt now had a pretext for intervening without declaring war. The President proclaimed Greenland’s freedom from German control a vital American interest. The first U.S. Consul General to Greenland, James K. Penfield, was appointed a few weeks later. The United States eventually built three major air bases on Greenland that were critical to winning the air war over Europe. During the war years, Greenland was an independent sovereign country with close ties to the United States.

German troops remained in control of Denmark until May 5, 1945. American troops remained in Greenland after the war and the United States offered Denmark US$ 100 million in gold to buy Greenland. This shocked the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gustav Rasmussen, who declared that “Greenland was not for sale!”. The Danes requested a revision to the terms of the Hull Kauffman Agreement in May 1947 by which time the Americans had fully realized Greenland’s value as a base of operations and key to its nuclear defense strategy during the Cold War. Negotiations drug on until 1951 when a new agreement governing the presence of American forces in Greenland was signed. That same year, 1951, in Operation Blue Jay the United States Air Force finished full construction and final armament at its northernmost base in Thule.

The United States promoted the dissolution of Greenland’s colonial status, and in 1948 the Danish Government established a commission to study Greenland’s future. Regarding the mixture of religious missionary zealotry and secular colonial monopoly practiced in Greenland by the Dansk for nearly three centuries, the U.S. Commander at Narsarsuaq air base in 1948 remarked of the legacy of Danish imperialism:

“They had absolute power over the local people and the culture. They had language power. They had political power. They had racial power. They had the power to send you to hell. There was nowhere for victims to turn.”

That same year, 1948, Danish Prime Minister Mr. Hans Hedtoft visited Greenland to charge local provincial councils with deciding their relationship to Denmark. The Greenland Commission’s findings resulted in a liberalization of trade and tourism regulations beginning in 1950. In 1951, the local provincial councils voted to “connect Greenland with its motherland as part of the Kingdom of Denmark”. Lobbying by the Danish Monarch swayed the tide of public opinion. Under a new Danish constitution, Greenland was made an integral part of the Kingdom, and allocated two elected representatives in the lower house of the Danish parliament, on 5 June 1953.

Greenland struggled with modernization under reinstated Danish rule. Danish newspapers frequently portrayed Greenland as a “Sodom and Gomorrah”, holding the world’s record in alcohol abuse and venereal disease, illegitimate children, murder and suicide. Racial discrimination from colonial times persisted. Danish employees in Greenland were paid more than the local citizens under the “birthplace criterion” (Native Greenlanders are paid 15% less than people from outside Greenland doing the same job). The colonizers based their livelihood on trade with the indigenous people as an underpaid workforce. Teaching and speaking the native language of the Inuit, known as Inuktitut, was forbidden. The disappointment of the native Greenlanders was intense and home-grown political parties formed as a protest to promote equal rights and independence. Greenlanders struggled at provincial council levels for two decades to achieve some measure of self determination.

Greenland was finally granted limited Home Rule in 1979 with a promise of devolution to full independence by the year 2000. Missed deadlines and postponed benchmarks delayed the arrival of nationhood. The discovery of offshore oil and gas in the Davis Strait further complicated the situation. Now the discovery on Greenland of gold, platinum, diamond and ruby clearly focuses the drive towards independence around the question of property rights to Greenland’s underground mineral wealth. In late 2007, Greenland’s Premier, Mr. Hans Enoksen, announced 21 July 2009 as Greenland Independence Day, although there is strong opposition in Copenhagen against this sentiment, rooted in the desire for control over natural resources.

America’s operation of the Thule air base was renewed and extended for another 25 years by lease agreement with the Greenland Home Rule Government as signed by Colin Powell and Josef Motzfeldt on behalf of Greenland in 2004. For Greenlanders, the door to America has now opened wide beginning in 2006 with Air Greenland’s twice-weekly scheduled summer flights between Baltimore and Kangerlussuaq. The opening of the “Door to Baltimore” coincides with growing interest by the North American public in global climate change, as well as in the social and environmental conditions of the arctic. Of particular concern to the American government and to concerned American citizens are the basic human rights of the native Greenlanders, which are ultimately tied to their quest for freedom as a separate and independent country.

Tags: , Green Issues, Mining by admin
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Introduction:

In this press release, activist environmental NGOs line up in opposition to Wal-Marts “Love Earth” jewelry line. Note that the objection is primarily to the marketing and not the actual mine to market concept. Read the letter posted earlier, which explains in detail the objections over Wal-Mart’s sourcing.

Boulder, CO:

Environmental watchdog group Global Response announced today that it filed complaints with Consumers Union and the Federal Trade Commission, charging that Wal-Mart’s ‘green’ claims for its ‘Love, Earth’ jewelry are false.

“It is unconscionable that instead of addressing the planet’s serious environmental problems, Wal-Mart hoodwinks consumers into thinking they can ‘reduce impact on human health and the environment’ by buying gold jewelry,” says Global Response’s executive director, Paula Palmer.

The mines in Utah and Nevada and the factories in Peru and Bolivia where Wal-Mart claims its gold for ‘Love, Earth’ is “sustainably mined and manufactured”, are not monitored or certified by any credible independent agent.

“Wal-Mart has chosen to publicly endorse mining operations which have significant problems,” says Dan Randolph, executive director of the Nevada-based Great Basin Resource Watch. “These mines emit unacceptable quantities of mercury into the air, threatening the health of fetuses and young children. They deplete water quantity in an arid region, and they will go on contaminating water with toxic metals for centuries to come.”

Denver-based, Newmont Mining Company mines ‘Love, Earth’s’ gold on Western Shoshone lands without the permission of the Western Shoshone. “Wal-Mart claims its jewelry comes from ‘community friendly sources’, says Larson Bill of the Western Shoshone Defense Project. “But they’ve never talked to us, and we’re the community affected by Newmont’s mines. They should meet with us. We need an independent health study here to show how these mines are affecting our people.”

Tags: CSR, Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Jewelry, Gold, Green Issues, Mining, Spin, Transparency, Wal-Mart 'Love Earth' by Marc Choyt
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Introduction:

Wal-Mart is introducing a “sustainable” jewelry product they are calling “Love Earth.” This will represent 10% of their product range.

The large scale operations are described in this letter signed by 29 environmental activists concerned about the ethical jewelry sector. The letter, dated July 29th, preceded a conference call with the main players from Wal-Mart introducing the brand. I listened to the call.

In essence, the sourcing for Wal-Mart is from massive strip mines, some of the largest in the world, located in Utah. As the letter states, one of the mines has polluted seventy square miles of an underwater aquifer. The jewelry from these mines are now being branded as “Love Earth.”

This branding is straight from George Orwell: “Earth Love” is now “Earth Death”. Their brand also undermines legitimate efforts from companies such as my own that equate ecologically responsible jewelry production with recycled materials.

Wal-Mart claims that they cannot go recycled because there isn’t enough supply available, but I suspect that the real issue is cost. Wal-Mart, with their volume, probably purchases gold from these mines at a significant discount off of the standard spot price. This is typical of the relationship large refiners have with gold mines. This discount is not as likely with recycled precious metals. About twenty percent of all jewelry is made from recycled precious metal.

In the call itself, Wal-Mart representatives claimed to want to be “part of the solution.” They are going to respond to early criticisms made during that call later this fall.

Few people beyond the mining companies, share holders and employees like the effects of these mines on the environment. Yet it must be said that mine to market sourcing represents a best practice for a player like Wal-Mart. Even with the current issues, what they are trying to do is better than purchasing their gold from unspecified sources around the world where gold is associated with child labor and even more destructive environmental practices than those in Utah. Wal-Mart could simply source from these mines as Tiffany does without calling it “Love Earth.”

I am personally holding back my full critique or support of this project for the time being. This is the first of several posts on Wal-Mart that will be on this site over the next few months. ~Marc Choyt, Publisher

See the letter as a PDf here: Letter To Wal-Mart

Tags: Best Practices, CSR, Environment, Gold, Green Issues, Mining, Spin, Transparency, Wal-Mart 'Love Earth' by Marc Choyt
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