Gold - is it worth it?

We have arrogated to gold a mythical quality - as a talisman against inflation and all things nasty. However is it worth the human and environmental suffering getting the stuff out of the ground? Whole swathes of Indonesian have been debased and scarred by its extraction. Many rivers, live stock, crops and human health have all suffered from this crazy bonanza. The cause is the chemical mercury. Its often associated with dentists going mad to its over exposure in the past. This highly toxic product - that is needed in the 'panning of gold' - degrades all that come into contact with it. This is a potential catastrophe for our country an Indonesian health expert told the BBC Our World: The Mercury Time Bomb in this disturbing and harrowing story. There is little motivation by the government to change things as it brings foreign tourists and currency into the deprived country. Nevertheless is the cost worth it? A Faustian pact in the long term can only damaged everyone concerned with its production. This is not the immediate worry for the political leaders back in the capital Jakarta. Their motto is 'let the good times roll'.