Botswana's offer still stands: Germany can have 20,000 elephants.
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In France, farmer Michel Dupont found gold while working in his field. It turns out he is sitting on a huge gold vein but will not benefit from it.
A farmer from Auvergne stumbled upon several gold pieces in his field. As soon as Michel Dupont told his neighbors about it, representatives from the authorities were at his door. They informed him that any extraction was prohibited.
Geologists then examined the field and announced a sensation: there is a large gold vein in the ground. Experts estimate the occurrence to be 150 tons, which would be worth €4 billion. The vein is considered the country's largest gold find in recent years.
The state is eyeing a massive sum.
Farmer Dupont, however, will not benefit much from it, as now the state is in charge, and the resource belongs solely to them. Before any excavation can begin, various assessments need to be conducted. Nature conservation regulations play a significant role, particularly in determining whether a valuable habitat would be destroyed. Consequently, environmentalists are gearing up against the plans. "We love our landscape as it is. Hopefully, the gold won't destroy everything," one resident is quoted as saying.
Environmentalists fear habitat destruction.
Economists, on the other hand, argue that the gold deposit would provide hundreds of jobs and make a significant contribution to the regional economy. According to experts, new, innovative mining techniques could minimize environmental impacts. For example, bacterial extraction and water recycling could limit the effects on the local ecosystem. This has already been tested in Canada.
The farmer has been under a lot of stress since then.
For Dupont, peace is a thing of the past. His farm is now at the center of a national debate – journalists, lawyers, and scientists are coming and going. On the day of his spectacular find, he never anticipated that it would lead to a dispute over property rights and environmental responsibility, coupled with personal rifts, as reported by various media outlets.