Sunday, October 2, 2011

environmental and human cost of rare earth metals are high. However, the electronics are being built to be discarded, not recycled

The rare earth metals are

, if you read this around. They are on your computer or a tablet or other mobile device. They are in the mobile phone may hold in other technologies based on the tasks of daily life. You can find them in batteries for hybrid cars and a myriad of other places. With the rise of technology has increased the use of rare earth metals, they are fundamental for the construction of some of the many components needed to operate the technology. They may have exotic names that are difficult to pronounce, but which are ubiquitous in everyday life in the communities developed.

Technology

, we are often reminded, is the hope of the future is what we are confident in the great social and political change. It was a particularly important boost in the use of green technologies, and applications of technology to environmental issues. Technology is seen as the solution to many of our problems, but has some problems of their own, some of which are ignored in efforts to promote technological innovation. With technology comes, of course, jobs, which is a particularly serious problem in many areas.

shades darker underlying technology is increasingly dependent on it, there are many labor issues, for example, like many recent revelations about the working conditions in facilities manufacturing to illustrate. The export of labor to countries with low wages and low labor regulation is very common, and consumers do not realize, sometimes deliberately, behind the cost of the technology cheap. Or not so cheap technology, Apple has a long history of human rights violations in its factories in China, and its products are manufactured using cheaper heavily exploited

environmental costs associated with rare earth metals are highly significant. First, it must be extracted. Then you have to purify themselves. After the technology is distributed, often end up in landfills because it is cheaper to just throw the computer recycling. A push in the direction of electronics recycling has come with its own set of environmental and social problems. To answer these questions is not a simple process, especially when consumers do not play an active role. Consumers have enormous power when they choose to use it on companies that sponsor and the types of products they buy, but they need to exercise that power.


and extraction and processing of rare earth metals on the coast that people use electronic devices that the computer reaches the end of its useful life. Technology is increasingly designed to be disposable in nature. People do not solve your technology, to replace him. It is often cheaper to buy new than repair, and people can be encouraged to claim compensation, why would you want to replace the DVD player when the processor is outdated? The phone can not support the latest applications, so you might as well get rid of him if he is going to fail, and replace it with a new one that will do the job more efficiently.

What

electronic thrown about? Some end up in landfills where they create pollution problems of their own and their contents gradually filtered. Many landfills are not equipped to deal covering things like rare earth metals, which means that surrounding communities are sick from the toxins are filtered away. Other Consumer Electronics sent to recycling companies, many feel they do well, I think they should be. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a common expression for a reason, after all.
Some recycling facilities to behave responsibly and ethically. They provide their workers with the protection of toxins that are at work, using pollution controls to limit the discharge into the surrounding community. Others, however, do not. Many of these unscrupulous operators in the developing world where they can pay a few cents. Dirty, dangerous and unsafe equipment stays where it is abandoned, while the toxins and chemicals are filtered, and people are exposed to hazardous materials in their willingness to try anything electronics discarded. The process inevitably creates people from pollution and disease, but they have few options for treatment, environmental protection alone.

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