Diamonds are seen as something tremendous and mesmerizing, and they undoubtedly are. However, with every good comes a bad, and the diamond industry is no exception. Despite the industry’s best efforts to mitigate these negative effects, they cannot be entirely eradicated.
Diamond mining raises several concerns, such as land clearance, deforestation, habitat destruction, and human rights issues. These problems are exacerbated by other industries like the timber and weapons industries, further complicating matters.
The amount of land required for diamond mining is enormous and takes a significant toll on the environment. Since the industry has been around for so long, many locations have been mined out, deforested, and repurposed for creating new, larger mines. Deforestation is a byproduct of land clearance, leading to habitat destruction that affects not only the trees but also the animals that depend on them. The massive holes dug for mines require vast amounts of energy and land, resulting in the eradication of trees and habitats, forcing animals to find new places to live or face the harsh reality of not surviving.
The creation of new mines affects not only the land and animals but also the people who work to create them. The diamond industry is enormous, and the investment required is extremely high. As a result, workers in certain locations are often underpaid and overworked. Fortunately, as the younger generation begins to enter the industry, more care and thought are being put into ensuring fair pay for workers, helping to balance the existing inequalities.
To prevent child labor, which the diamond industry has been known for, the production of lab-grown diamonds is increasing rapidly. Since these diamonds are created by scientists and specialists, the diamonds that are mined are now mostly extracted by adults rather than children.
Finally, the amount of energy required for diamond production is immense and contributes significantly to pollution. Not only does deforestation produce large amounts of pollution, but the actual mining process does as well. With numerous large diamond factories around the world and the industry’s continued growth, pollution levels are expected to rise, worsening the global pollution threshold.
