r/IAmA • u/Back_Market Verified • 2d ago
I'm Albert Oppong-Ansah, a science and environmental journalist from Ghana. I investigated how gold mining impacts Ghana's rivers, forests, and communities, and its connection to the tech industry. AMA!
Hi Reddit!
I'm Albert Oppong-Ansah, an investigative journalist based in Ghana.
What do you think the gold in your phone has to do with Ghana's rivers, forests, and communities?
Gold is an essential material used in modern electronics, including the smartphones we use every day. But the environmental and human impacts of its extraction are often overlooked.
As part of Back Market's Mine My Phone campaign, I reported on the realities of gold mining in Ghana, exploring the connection between global demand for gold and what happens on the ground.
You can read my investigation here.
Today, I'm here to answer your questions about my reporting, what I witnessed, the environmental impact of gold mining, and the connection between gold extraction and the electronics industry.
Ask me anything!
– Albert
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u/IcyMasterpiece6977 1d ago
Did anyone you ever interviewed faced risks for speaking with you ? And also how can we as consumers be more responsible in our purchase ? 🫶🏽🫶🏽
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
This was an investigative piece so I contacted my interviews discreetly leaving no trace. I will suggest ask yourself if you really need a latest phone if the one you are using is still strong and serving you well. My phone and laptop are almost seven years old and are very functional. We should think about where the parts of our devices come from and not be in a rush to buy new ones
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u/GregJamesDahlen 1d ago
Maybe you should do a story on how long peeps keep their phones on average and talk to people who keep them a short time and people who keep them a long time and find out why each group does it
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u/irrelevantusername24 2d ago
You might get more responses if you post this in other subreddits, there are many I can think of depending on what angle you want to take.
Anyway, I think often people in America and other western countries tend to have a very distorted and inaccurate idea of what life is like in other places around the world. So, I suppose to make it somewhat open ended, how widespread is different technology there? Like smartphones and laptops, as well as fiber or hardline Internet connections as well as cellular coverage. I think people tend to not really realize how big of an impact such a simple thing makes - and, truthfully, people don't really even understand there are still places in the US where there is a lack of access to a quality connection.
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
My answer / Anyone in Ghana can find the latest brand of phone on the market to buy and there is a strong Internet connectivity. There are just handful areas that have limited connectivity.
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u/didishere 1d ago
What's one thing you wish more people knew about where the gold in their phones comes from?
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
I wish they have an idea about the number and types (medicinal etc) of trees that are uprooted, the animals the are chased out of their habitat, river bodies that blocked in the mining process. I wish they have an idea about how the chemicals used to mine and process gold get into river bodies which often are the source of drinking water for those communities. Also an idea about how people are getting sick due to mining.
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u/Swimming_Warthog_832 1d ago
What was the most memorable conversation you had with someone affected by gold mining?
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
Miner: There is no job, this is what feed my farmily.... Agriculture Officer: We have stop supervising many areas that where breadbasket because most farmers have dessert their farms while the agriculture land has been degraded. Miner: No job will give me this kind of financial reward with my level of education.
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u/Swimming_Warthog_832 1d ago
Is there a realistic way to make gold sourcing more responsible in the electronics industry ?
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
We need to be able trace gold back to the mine, Make electronics companies responsible for their suppliers, Support small-scale miners to improve their practices, Increase the use of recycled gold, with proper checks, and Give mining communities a voice.
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u/NuttyMcShithead 2d ago
How is gold's volatility in 2026 affecting the mines?
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
Gold price volatility in 2026 is boosting potential revenues for mining companies when prices rise, but fluctuating prices, higher operating costs and increased royalties are creating uncertainty around profits, investment and production planning.
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u/Commercial-Orange11 1d ago
Before reading your investigation, I never really thought about where the gold in my phone actually comes from or even that there was any gold. Was there anything you discovered that changed the way you see everyday electronics devices ?
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago
Yes so much goes into production, hence the need to think about and practice sustainabilty.
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u/Substantial_Cell_564 1d ago
Do major electronics brands actually have a way of knowing where the gold in their devices comes from, or is the supply chain too complex to trace it back to individual mines?
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u/GregJamesDahlen 1d ago
How did you get involved in reporting on this?
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u/Albert_Ansah 1d ago edited 1d ago
I am an Environment and Science Journalist based in Ghana and I am concerned about the destruction of vegetation especially forest and river bodies for gold.
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u/GregJamesDahlen 1d ago
someone said they'd like the West to be aware of these problems with gold mining. Why would it be good for the West to be aware?
With people who only keep a smartphone a little while before getting a new one, why is that?
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u/Sure_Pie7915 1d ago edited 1d ago
Excellent feature, Albert. I wondered: is there support among every day Ghanaians to close the gold mines in your country? Could that ever be a possibility? And what's your own personal connections to gold mining; have you got any family or friends who ended up mining and had a difficult time?