avatarWorld As One 4PEACE

Summary

The article discusses the rising trend in global drug use, its correlation with environmental issues in the Amazon Rainforest, and the tendency to wrongly attribute these problems to global mining projects.

Abstract

The opinion piece highlights a 25% increase in global drug use over the past decade, as reported by Geopolitical Futures. It draws attention to a graphic that illustrates this trend and suggests that the Amazon Rainforest's deforestation and industrial pollution are contributing factors. The article cites the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's publication, which links the rise in drug use to illicit activities in the Amazon, including those related to mining industries. However, the author cautions against blaming global mining projects for these issues, emphasizing that the demand for drugs is the driving force behind production and trafficking. The piece also points out that the mining industry is evolving, with a focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, as covered in the publication Areas & Producers.

Opinions

  • The author believes that the increase in global drug use is an alarming trend that warrants immediate attention and professional help for those affected.
  • The article suggests that the Amazon Rainforest's environmental issues, such as deforestation and pollution, are being unfairly connected to global mining projects.
  • It is argued that drug trafficking in the Amazon is driven by demand and that blaming mining projects is a simplistic approach to a complex problem.
  • The author emphasizes that the mining industry is undergoing positive changes, including improvements in ESG practices, which should be recognized and not overshadowed by unrelated issues.

Opinion: Here Comes Another Excuse To Blame Global Mining Projects For The World’s Problems!

Sign up for The Weekend Brief newsletter by Areas & Producers

Photo by Matze Weiss on Unsplash

I found in an e-mail from Geopolitical Futures today that, “Drug use is up nearly 25 percent over the past decade.” See the graphic below for more details.

Source: Trends in Global Drug Use and Production — Geopolitical Futures

Take a close look at this graphic, and then, ask yourself, whether you are or know somebody that is being affected by this alarming trend in global drug use. If so, I would advise anyone to not get caught up in the global trends, and to seek professional help immediately!

On the other hand, if you are like me, and choose to say no to drugs, then let’s have discussion about these significant global trends of the future.

I explored for more information about the latest publication by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for which the GPF graphic is based on, and I found that the rising trends in global drug use are being correlated to industrial production and illicit economic trade in the Amazon Rainforest.

According to the publication, it’s the Amazon Rainforest where the issues of deforestation and industrial pollution are causing these rising trends in global drug use — and they are also linked to mining industries!

Writing for Mongabay, Maxwell Radwin said that drug trafficking can be easily linked to such activities in the Amazon Rainforest, because:

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest in the world and a key player in regulating global water and carbon cycles. It also happens to be home to sophisticated criminal networks that make conservation efforts dangerous and complicated. Some of them target the rainforest specifically, trafficking timber and wildlife to far reaches of the planet. But others are more peripheral, like producing and trafficking drugs.

I understand that the Amazon Rainforest has become a divisive issue due to environmental concerns and illegal economic activities, particularly drug production and trafficking networks, but please, do not blame these activities on global mining projects!

If there’s a demand, people will want it, and someone will know how to supply it. It’s that simple. By linking drug production to mining projects, it is just a cheap way to blame global mining projects for the world’s problems.

The mining industry is undergoing significant changes. I have been writing about these changes in the publication Areas & Producers. See some of the content about global mining industry trends below:

World
Newsletter
Drugs
Addiction
Economy
Recommended from ReadMedium