Rather than taking spurious figures from NGOs that have no idea...

Rather than taking spurious figures from NGOs that have no idea in the first place, why not simply use some common sense?

Base metal mining moves more tonnes of ore per annum than precious metals. It then has to process that ore via pyrometallurgy (concentration and then smelting/refining) or hydrometallurgy (acid then SX-EW).

Coal mining? Moves even more tonnes with an end use in either thermal power or the steel industry.

Gold may excite the juices and occassionally generate some interesting videos of garimperos in the Brazillian jungles, but compared to the rest of the mining game barely cracks a mention. The Kalgoorlie 'superpit' is large but is quite insignificant when compared to the coal fields in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

Yet another anti mining beat up in my opinion!LOL

Cheers,TAS