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Toby Pomeroy is the founder of the Mercury-Free Mining Challenge which is a $1 million dollar prize to incentivize the discovery of a safe and effective mercury alternative for these millions of miners and the well-being of all life on earth.
He is also an acclaimed jewelry designer and the only American on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Responsible Mining.
Clickable Show Notes
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Question #1 – Toby, to set the tone for the rest of our discussion can you take a moment and talk about the problems artisanal and small-scale mining has on our planet. Timestamp: [5:07]
Question #2 – So Toby, how big of a problem are we talking about here, and what kind of impact does artisanal gold mining have on our planet? Timestamp: [8:09]
Question #3 – Given all that you’ve just said about the global impact that artisanal gold mining is having. The question becomes why aren’t we as an industry taking action? Timestamp: [13:52]
Question #4 – Toby, you’re an acclaimed jewelry designer & goldsmith. What was your motivation to become an activist for mercury-free gold mining? And you know us, we love to do our research, so really is it true you grew up in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains at about 7,000 elevations? Timestamp: [15:23]
Question #5 – Toby, you’ve personally spent time in several artisanal mining communities in Columbia and Bolivia South America. You’ve witnessed first hand the conditions and the subsequent results of artisanal mining. Could you share your thoughts on the communities, the miners themselves, and their backbreaking, often dangerous work? Timestamp: [23:57]
Question #6 – I can only imagine that developing a method to extract gold from the earth without using mercury is a huge technological challenge. What can you tell us about your Mercury-Free Mining Challenge and the positive story it can have on the entire jewelry trade? Timestamp: [32:58]
Question #7 – We’re starting to see the logo for the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) more and more at the various jewelry trade shows. What can you tell us about this international alliance and is it true you’re the only American on the board? Timestamp: [42:51]
Question #8 – Just to add some clarity here, what is the difference between Fairmined gold and recycled gold, and how do you respond to those who say “Look, we’ve got enough gold in the world, let’s just ban all gold mining”? Timestamp: [51:00]
Question #9 – We’ve covered a lot of ground today, but is there one question that I should’ve asked you but didn’t? Timestamp: [55:49]
A Few Words From Toby,
In 2010 I joined the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) to develop and implement a standard for responsible mining designed to empower responsible mining communities and demonstrate to the world that responsible mining is possible! Certified Fairmined gold, silver, and platinum are now available as a result of this commitment.
I visited several artisanal mining communities in Colombia and Bolivia and found artisanal miners to be a proud, passionate people and among the poorest people on the planet. They’re eking out a living as best they can, doing work that’s backbreaking and dangerous with no social security net to rely on.
Many of the roughly 15 million artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM) in developing countries use mercury, a permanent, potent neurotoxin, in order to be marginally effective in capturing gold. They mine to live, and in the process inadvertently release approximately 8,000 lbs. of mercury into our environment every day. They are poisoning themselves and the rest of us as mercury vapors and micro-particles are transported globally on winds and ocean currents.
Realizing that we live in truly extraordinary times with previously unimaginable capabilities where virtually anything we can imagine can be realized by tapping into our mind-blowing, exponentially advancing technologies and computing power, in 2017 I created the Mercury Free Mining Challenge on the HeroX platform, announcing our intention to raise a $1M prize to incentivize the discovery of a safe and effective mercury alternative for these millions of miners and the well-being of all life on earth.
We have an opportunity to make a global difference far beyond what we ever dreamed possible.
Contact Information
- Toby Pomeroy: LinkedIn Link Facebook Link
- Website: Mercury Free Mining Challenge
- Alliance For Responsible Mining
- Fairmined
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The host of “Inside the Jewelry Trade” Radio Show – Jewelry Business Strategist – President of Four Grainer LLC. Author of the business books “A Reason To Chant,” and “A Reason to Chant – Jewelry Trade Edition.” Rod lives in Atlanta with his wife and two almost-human cats.