Dirty Gold: How Activism Transformed the Jewelry Industry

— —

Michael John Bloomfield (University of Bath) Frank Biermann (Research Professor, Utrecht University)

Dirty Gold

How Activism Transformed the Jewelry Industry

Michael John Bloomfield (University of Bath), Frank Biermann (Research Professor, Utrecht University), Oran R. Young (Bren School of Environmental)

$29.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

MIT Press
28 August 2018

International trade; Public ownership & nationalisation; Iron, steel & metals industries

Series: Earth System Governance

"The response from the jewelry industry to a campaign for ethically sourced gold as a case study in the power of business in global environmental politics.

Gold mining can be a dirty business. It creates immense amounts of toxic materials that are difficult to dispose of. Mines are often developed without community consent, and working conditions for miners can be poor. Income from gold has funded wars. And consumers buy wedding rings and gold chains not knowing about any of this. In Dirty Gold, Michael Bloomfield shows what happened when Earthworks, a small Washington-based NGO, launched a campaign for ethically sourced gold in the consumer jewelry market, targeting Tiffany and other major firms. The unfolding of the campaign and its effect on the jewelry industry offer a lesson in the growing influence of business in global environmental politics.

Earthworks planned a ""shame"" campaign, aimed at the companies' brands and reputations, betting that firms like Tiffany would not want to be associated with pollution, violence, and exploitation. As it happened, Tiffany contacted Earthworks before they could launch the campaign; the company was already looking for partners in finding ethically sourced gold.

Bloomfield examines the responses of three companies to ""No Dirty Gold"" activism- Tiffany, Wal-Mart, and Brilliant Earth, a small company selling ethical jewelry. He finds they offer a case study in how firms respond to activist pressure and what happens when businesses participate in such private governance schemes as the ""Golden Rules"" and the ""Conflict-Free Gold Standard."" Taking a firm-level view, Bloomfield examines the different opportunities for and constraints on corporate political mobilization within the industry."

By: Michael John Bloomfield (University of Bath)
Series edited by: Frank Biermann (Research Professor Utrecht University), Oran R. Young (Bren School of Environmental)
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 16mm
ISBN: 9780262536004
ISBN 10: 0262536005
Series: Earth System Governance
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 28 August 2018
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Michael John Bloomfield is Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in International Development in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath. He is a Research Associate at the Oxford Department of International Development and a Research Fellow at the Earth System Governance Project. He previously held appointments at the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science.