All around the world gold is being desired, fought for, and envied over but little do be people know that they are all around you. Gold can be easily found in either rock or granite on every continent. To locate these glorious minerals you can complete a two piece process. Prospecting and Production. In Prospecting you spend a little amount of time in specific areas to find any evidence of gold being found there. If not, you just move on! In Production you switch into a new gear and start digging. This low income activity is a common way to locate the magnificently wanted gold. After locating gold you can choose between different types of mining. There is recreational mining, underground mining, and open pit gold mining. While recreational mining, you are simply digging as a common person would. With underground mining you need a heavy duty jack drill and pound the earth to find what you want. Finally there is Open Pit Gold Mining. In Open Pit Mining, you press an ore through some carbon pillars. If you are so lucky to find gold then it will be absorbed into the carbon and can be extracted to obtain it. Even though mining for gold can be wonderful the Enviromental effects is horrendous. When mining for gold, especially Open Pit Mining, it can lead to toxic mine drainage. Also in underground mining much air and moisture is uplifted from the damaged rock and can cause chemical reactions. If you are comparing the enviroment vs. your personal gain then consider this. Gold on average can go for $1,734 an ounce. ( Give or take $30 ) So you its all up to you! Is destroying the enviroment worth a good 2 grand? To persuade this crucible the government had made laws. In 1872, the General Mining Act was passed. This act says that if you are above the age of 18 then you are legally allowed to mine for gold. Yes this may seem unfair but what can you do? The world is a controversial place and gold is a part of it. With gold mining there is a tendency of releasing toxic fumes and these toxic fumes are enviromentally unhealthy. Also these fumes can lead to one thing and to another. Globally, people have voiced their words on this controversy as of 2006. Yes, gold is precious and valuable but is it worth our planet? Our world/country is basically based off of the power of gold. Gold is used for various nessecities such as; beauty, value, income, metal works, and some say it can even heal diseases.