The hidden cost of buying gold

Name: The hidden cost of buying gold
Uploaded: 2025-10-08T14:30:35Z
Duration: 6 min 44 s
Description: Gold may glitter, but the hidden cost of mining it is devastating. Amazon researcher and TED Fellow Claudia Vega exposes how mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining poisons local communities and destroys rainforests — and shows why protecting the planet is far more valuable than any treasure.

297,742 plays|

Claudia Vega |

TED Fellows Films 2025

• April 2025

Gold may glitter, but the hidden cost of mining it is devastating. Amazon researcher and TED Fellow Claudia Vega exposes how mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining poisons local communities and destroys rainforests — and shows why protecting the planet is far more valuable than any treasure.