Dear Typical American Consumer,
I have something to say, and it is not pretty. As a society, we have become so caught up in the convenience of our technology that we fail to look at the consequences of our actions. Take out your cell phone. There’s blood on your hands.
I have something to say, and it is not pretty. As a society, we have become so caught up in the convenience of our technology that we fail to look at the consequences of our actions. Take out your cell phone. There’s blood on your hands.
There is
something precious inside your phone, or at least something precious in the
eyes of the technology market today: Coltan. Coltan is a metal ore used in the
making of the iphone’s circuit board. It
is also used in most computers, tablets, and smart phones due to its strong ability to
store energy and its resistance to heat. Consider the fact that google estimates about 6.8 billion phone plans in existence; that means there's a lot of Coltan in all those phones.
So, where does
Coltan come from? A primary location is
the Democratic Republic of Congo, where many miners are forced to work at the
gunpoint of guards to extract the ore.
The wages are poor and the conditions are poorer. The average wage is between $1-$5 a day, but
even this little bit is subject to corrupt taxing and theft from guards. Is it really “free” labor if you are
being watched over by armed militia and might not get paid?
This ore funded
the second civil war in the Congo (officially ending in 2002). Millions lost their
lives due to this civil war, and many continue to lose their lives today. The war was
funded by external sources hoping to hold the Congo down in poverty so that
Coltan prices may stay low as well. One
man’s cheap i-Phone is another man’s life.
Civil war and unrest still ravages the country today, much funded by the unfair trade of the countries "blood mineral".
These social impacts are beyond disturbing, but what about further environmental impacts? Extreme soil erosion is occurring due to the lack of environmental regulations. Poverty and lack of resources has lead to more hunting of the endangered lowland gorilla, elephants, and many other local sources of bushmeat. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? You can hardly blame the people of the Congo.
Where should the blame go then?
I cannot answer this question fully, but it sure gives you a lot to think about. In our society, phones and computers are not only considered a convenience, but also a necessity by many. This is the way of The Social Order of Convenience. That is, we are so set in our ways of living that functioning in another way seems like an unfathomable inconvenience. This all seems rather hopeless at this point. But, of course, as a consumer you have a choice.
There are some things you can do. For a start, you can be a conscientious consumer. Look to buy products that are conflict free (meaning you can trace the sources of the minerals). Another step is recycling your old phones with environmentally friendly companies. Lobby for stricter laws on the monitoring of the origins of precious metals. Lobby for alternatives to mining altogether! The issue may seem out of your hands, but, as consumers, we have the power to make decisions that will not only affect ourselves, but the world over. We can change the technology we use.
I would like to recognize that there is no way that I am able to cover the vast amount of information and issues related to this topic. These issues plague many undeveloped and under-developed countries, not only the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a student, I feel just as much responsibility (and guilt for that matter) about the results of my actions as I seem to be calling out from you. For more information on the topic or what you can do to make responsible decisions, check out the links below.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Student- Emily
http://www.okayafrica.com/news/what-does-the-congo-think-about-apples-iphone-announcement/
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/the-environmental-costs-and-benefits-of-our-cell-phones.html
No comments:
Post a Comment