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Looking at the current mess we have with nuclear waste, landscapes scarred with huge open-pit mines and tons of unprotected waste from those operations, greenhouse gasses and pollution of our waters, to name a few, I think the old saying is correct.

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First up: Gold. We'll give you the skinny on how to make sure your Valentine's bling is eco- and people-friendly.

The movie Blood Diamond brought mass attention to the issues surrounding conflict diamonds. But did you know that gold has just as dirty a past? Here's the statistic that will make you shiver: the production of one gold ring produces 20 tons of mine waste.

Gold is harmful to the environment, the communities that are involved in the mining, and is dangerous for the workers. The mining pollutes the air and water, creates massive amounts of solid, toxic waste, and of course threatens natural areas (including ones that are protected).

According to No Dirty Gold, many mines leach a cyanide through piles of ore in order to find the gold. They later abandon these huge toxic masses of waste. Can you imagine?

About 80% of this gold goes to make jewelry, which means we as consumers can make an impact. Many large retailers have already signed on in support of 'The Golden Rules' for more environmentally and socially friendly gold practices. If you're going to buy new gold, they might be a good place to start.

However, as always with the environment, reuse is the best solution. Look for an original vintage, used, or recycled gold ring and you won't be using any new gold at all! You can even melt an old ring into a new one and make it quite romantic.

Rebecca says: I only recently learned of all of the waste created to produce just one ounce of gold. I wonder what untold stories my own rings hold.

Resources:

No Dirty Gold

Earthworks

greenKarat