Episode 2: A Greedy Goldrush

There’s a word that kept coming up in practically every conversation I’ve had with environmental protectors up and down the country of Ireland. That word was “gold”. According to my analysis, of the 400 or so current prospecting licenses issued by the Irish State, 91% of them involve prospecting for gold. Gold is not a critical material for the so-called renewable energy transition, as Jacintha van Roij so elegantly pointed out in our previous episode.

In this episode, we’ll hear from Eamma Karan, who is a member of the excellent Futureproof Clare campaigning group, who are working so hard on so many fronts, including educating communities on the dangers of mining and data centers. We’ll also her from Fidelma O’Kane, who is a driving force behind opposition to a Dalradian goldmine in Northern Ireland, and whose community has received death threats because of their peaceful efforts.