All that glitters is not Gold

A Russian-Canadian consortium has applied for a permit to set up a massive gold mine deep in the French Guiana Rainforest. Around 190 square kilometres of this lush forested region on the north-eastern edge of the Amazon region would be cleared, in order to make way for a 2.5 kilometre mine pit and tailing ponds containing millions of tons of toxic cyanide sludge.

French Guiana is a valuable site of colourful, precious and living natural jewels. According to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as well as the stunning trees themselves, it is home to 1,064 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles and at least 5,625 species of vascular plants.

Much of the rainforest is currently intact, however, if President Macron's government agrees to the project, it would not only be an environmental disaster but it would also set a dangerous precedent for similar plans in the future.

You can help avert this potential disaster, and highlight that Green is more precious than Gold, by signing Rainforest Rescue's petition to President Macron here