Hedge funds’ bullish bets on gold jump to four-year high
Hedge funds and other large speculators boosted their net-long position in gold.
A Langley, British Columbia-based company called Falcon Concentrators is changing the face of small-scale “artisanal” gold mining around the world.
Falcon has created the iCON (short for the Individual Concentrator), a 100 kg. device that uses a high G-force to capture fine, free gold pieces that are often lost in traditional mining techniques involving mercury and other toxic chemicals. The iCON is under $6,000 CDN and over 200 have already been sold around the world.
The Economic Situation of Artisanal Miners
One third of the world’s gold comes from the 20 million disadvantaged people who rely on artisanal mining as a main source of income. These miners earn less than $2 per day and lose gold due to inefficient and dangerous processing techniques. The mercury that is used has extreme effects on the miners’ health and their environment, due to its exposure to the plants and animals that people rely on for food.
About Falcon Concentrators
Falcon has designed, constructed, and sold gravity concentration equipment to the mineral processing industry since 1987. The iCON is less expensive than other gravity concentrators on the market, and Falcon hopes that NGOs will consider purchasing the iCON to improve global mining conditions worldwide. Falcon is committed to their goal of eliminating global poverty and empowering artisanal miners around the world. For more information, please visit www.concentrators.net.
Links
iCON videos: www.iconcentrator.com/gold-mining/environmentally-friendly/icon-videos.html
iCON Media kit and the people behind the iCON: www.middlechildmarketing.com/ICONmediakit.pdf
