the price of gold

Here is an astonishing bit of information - culled from today's Baltimore Sun: in open pit gold mining operations, 76 tons of waste and debris are produced to retrieve 1 ounce of gold. One ounce for every 76 tons. The mind almost cannot compute that obscene ratio, especially when 80% of all the gold mined in the United States is used for jewelry! That is why some of the top flight stores are opposing such practices.