[kictanet] My Take: Affordable computers

[Bill Kagai]

On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 9:17 AM, Leonard Mware<mleonardo at yahoo.com>
> Used cars? Used computers? Used clothes? Why are they there? Affordability?
> Need?

Used cars and clothes do not contain contaminants such as cadmium,
lead, mercury and flame retardants that can cause some serious heath
issues and pollute the area in which they are dumped. I think we
cannot solve this collectively...but individual effort can go a long
way. Just do your part.

http://environmental-activism.suite101.com/article.cfm/ewaste_an_environmental_disaster

Most Americans get a new computer every three or four years and some
get rid of their old cell phones for the newest technology every one
to two years. Individuals are responsible for creating piles of
e-waste and corporations creates even more. This leads to a very large
collection of e-waste and since garbage collectors usually will not
accept it there is a conundrum as to what to do with it. It can be
sent to recyclers that will process the parts legally and safely, but
that costs money. There is usually a fee to get rid of electronics in
this manner. Therefore, e-waste is being sent to third world countries
as “donations” so poor communities can have computers and cell phones.
Unfortunatley, most of these devices do not work, or are obsolete, or
they can’t be fixed.

In the video “Ghana: digital Dumping Gound, Frontline World Storeis
from a Small Planet”, (June 23, 2009); Peter Kline reveals the fact
that many corporations and even the US government are sending barges
of e-waste to Ghana and other poor countries including China.

Children play what used to be a soccer field in Ghana finding their
ball through the haze of smoke from smoking piles of flame retardent
plastic casings from computers and monitors. They are taking a break
from scavanging in the massive electronic dump yard for things they
can take and sell in order to get food for them and their families.
They often “melt down” electronics irregardless of the chemicals
immited when burned to find melted metals.

E-Waste in Ghana, China, and India

Countries like Ghana accept old computers and accessories as donations
but instead of contributing to the well being of their people, e-waste
is creating miles and miles of piles of garbage. Interestingly enough
some of the e-waste in Ghana was tracked back to the United States
Government by a group of US students.

Mountains of e-waste have taken the place of rice paddies in China.
Young women sit over hot plates melting down circuit boards filled
with toxic materials to extract usable metals while their baby’s sit
next to them teething on a circuit board.

India is producing its own e-waste even though they are still
accepting those “donations”. Some of the people participating in the
canabalization of this waste know it is dangerous to their health, yet
they still do it because they need money to buy food and other
necessities.


Read more: http://environmental-activism.suite101.com/article.cfm/ewaste_an_environmental_disaster#ixzz0PYD1idUa