April / May 2020 - Lab Grown Magazine

April / May 2020 | LG | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 10 To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | April / May 2020 11 By Dan Scott The Diamond Sustainability Question UMBRELLA YOUR GRAB Once calculated , a mathematical sum never changes, thus numbers don’t lie. On the other hand, as the saying goes: Figures don’t lie, but liars figure. This is especially true when bil- lions of dollars are at stake and individual liveli- hoods depend on numbers that are released in a given report. And, those same reports tend to favor the per- son and/or entity funding the report. With this in mind, attention was focused on verified numbers and noteworthy science—not sensationalism—to write this article. We are today in the midst of a “green” diamond sustenance storm. It’s pelting down on all of us while building up momentum with conflicting mar- keting messages from lab-grown (LG) producers and conventional miners, each claiming to be “greener” and “better” for the Earth and mankind. The short- and long-term outlook has us weath- ering this self-created storm, but with the proper knowledge and planning, you will come out shin- ing. First, though, a bit of rain must fall. Carbon’s Darker Side A continuous flow of eco-friendly industry statements, persuasive court documents, de- tailed white papers and global news releases are emanating from LG associations and producers as well as from the mining community. What isn’t continuous or consistent, however, is the message. LG and mined producers are at- tempting to simplify and satisfy the question of carbon—the carbon footprint, to be exact. How large and damaging might the carbon footprint be? Who’s leaving the bigger one—how and why? For that matter, what is a carbon footprint? Acarbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases (specifically CO 2 as well as methane, nitrous oxide and others) that are pro- duced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of CO 2 . It includes direct emissions, for example, from fossil-fuel combustion in manufacturing, heating and transportation, as well as emissions required to produce the electricity associated A reminder of how vast and expansive mining operations presently are at ground level and deep below the earth is seen here at Karowe, Botswana. (Photo: Max Pinckers for The New Yorker) with goods and services consumed. In short, your carbon footprint is your impact on the envi- ronment and global climate change. The smaller the footprint, the better is life on our planet. Speak Loudly and Carry a Big Umbrella I once worked for Barry Diller, creator of Fox Broadcasting and USA Networks. A hard-edged boss with few words, he knew how to succeed in the brutally competitive broadcasting and en- tertainment industries. His mantra was “Always carry an umbrella,” a phrase that was as much a metaphor for personal and corporate policy pro- tection as it was a reminder to keep his $5,000 suits from getting wet. Diller’s actual umbrella was golf-size, but he declared, “Gauge how wide your umbrella really is at all times,” i.e. “be aware of all the factors at play within your virtual circumference.” He con- tended that holding your own umbrella meant that circumstances should be kept under your control. “If you get soaked, it’s your own fault.” Imagine, for a minute, that you are holding a huge umbrella covering the critical components of the diamond world. You’re in control. Holding it is also to shield yourself from an opponent pour- ing cold water on you. The diamond world’s umbrella is “sustainabil- ity.” Those, who think we can all get under one big umbrella and not get wet, are all wet. Today we are each in a sustainability storm and we can’t realistically expect any association or lead- ership group to provide an umbrella. You need to get your own protection. But that’s not so easy. Each LG producer must promote their own gen- uine accomplishments in the realm of sustain- ability. It’s important that you don’t just cut and paste from a competitor’s website or ad, and it’s essential that you don’t make false or mislead- ing claims. Rather, you should insist on what is real, and be ready to carry that message. This article can help in that regard. The diamond sector defines “sustainability” as giving back to Nature, addressing global warm- ing and protecting the Earth. But sustainability must also address harmonious, continued ac- tivities in all links of the diamond supply chain, within all cultures and generations. Regardless of which side of the diamond production and dis- tribution you are on, managing your own mes- sage while walking in step with fellow umbrella users, helps ensure that everyone stays dry. A Lot of Heavy Upper Hands Current research reports provided by estab- lished diamond industry associations should nor- mally be a great place to look for transparent and accurate data on sustainability. While this is precisely where my research be- gan, it quickly became obvious that one group has the stronger upper hand. Leveraging public relations prowess and decades of profitability power, the sheer amount of public discourse on this subject is delivered mostly by natural dia- mond miners. Their reach is far greater than what the LG sector offers. Mining-oriented membership groups are plac- ing what appears to be a permanent and heavy thumb on the sustainability scale. How so? It’s simple math: More groups equal more people. More people equal more money. More money equals more voice. The global membership groups praising all that is mined include the Diamond Producers Asso- ciation (DPA), the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), the World Diamond Council (WDC), the Diamond Manufacturers and Import- ers Association of America (DMIA), the Diamond Council of America (DCA), the Indian Diamond and Colored Stone Association (IDCA), the Is- rael Diamond Institute (IDI) and the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA). In addition, local power groups are dominating major markets and strong regional pro-mine parties have plenty of mud to sling at the LG side. >>