Norway sells $1 billion Rio Stake...

http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,24328467-14334,00.html

This article is about on of Europe's biggest investors selling its $1 billion stake in Rio Tinto due to unethical conduct. Rio Tinto is the world's largest gold mine. The Grasberg mine is located in Papua, Indonesia and operated by US-based copper and gold producer Freeport McMoRan. Grasberg mine discharged about 230,000 tons of mine residue into local rivers each day! This mine has caused harmful effects on our environment, but why do they continue to do this? This mine is set up to run until 2041 and the discharges will be increasing in the future along side the expansions that will be made. There is a high risk that acid rock drainage from the company's waste rock and residue will cause lasting ground and water contamination. As a result, Norway's Finance Ministry has decided to no longer hold ownership interests in a company who acts unethically. It is unknown if the company will change its future practices. The Rio Tinto knows that dumping residue into the local waterways is damaging the area, but they continue to do so. Why would a company want to harm their own area where they live? Are they gaining so much more of a profit by polluting than they would be if the residue was properly disposed of it? And if that was the case, it still isn't right. We should all be working towards making this Earth clean for future generations, regardless the price.