This Photographer Went To The Peruvian Rainforest And Found Something Horrible

History tells us that Peru was once home to some of the most beautiful rainforests in the world. These aren't the histories of hundreds of years ago, but those from recent decades. The jungles of Peru used to be thriving, with vast collections of flora and fauna, and an ecosystem equal to no other.
None of that exists today. Instead, what one photographer found venturing deep in Peru shocked and horrified him. It will hopefully affect you, too.

These once abundant hills were ravaged by illegal gold mining.

To find the gold (which is nothing more than a few grams of flakes), workers use mercury to make the discovery a bit easier.

As you might guess, mercury kills living things, and injecting it dozens of feet deep into the Earth destroys the potential for life in all directions.

This leaves nothing but a barren wasteland, filled with illegal miners.

Since this stared, more than 230 square miles of rainforest was destroyed in the southeastern region of Madre de Dios.

Mercury poisoned the rivers.

Deforestation now accounts for about 40% of Peru's greenhouse gas emissions. This contributes to global warming, and harms the local population.

All this for the $1,071 dollars per month workers earn to collect the illegal gold.

Along with 28 hour shifts.

As this practice gathers negative worldwide attention, the Peruvian government recently stepped up efforts to bring an end to the illegal mining.

Their message was clear: operate under legal guidelines, or halt operations entirely.

Since those guidelines mean less profit, few have complied. The police needed to step in.

This leads to battle after battle.

The war on the rainforest is now a real one.

It destroys villages, lives, and the environment.

There are no winners here at all.

(via Mashable)
Illegal gold mining still exists in parts of Peru, regardless of how hard police forces crack down. This practice destroys rainforests older than modern man. It can only be stopped through awareness, so do the world a favor and spread what you learned. An entire rainforest depends on it.