Think about this when buying your next computer
 

Just that.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...665061,00.html

And think even more when considering different options of how to discard your old computer.

Why do you want us to print that page?

Worthy subject, anyhow.

I dont know how much truth that article holds.

I know here in florida at least there are very stringent regulations and processing agenceys / plants designed and operated with the sole purpose of dealing with discareded electronics of all types, computers included.

For anything that 'slips by' the original screening the landfill dumps are constantly 'patrolled' and any discarded electonics from an AA battery to large televisions are extracted and sent to the processing plant.

A good deal of time and money is spent by the goverment to assure that we are not 'posining' anything.

correct.

I dont know how they do things in Sierra Leone but over here we dont allow that sort of thing

no sympathy from me.

maybe if they quit fighting each other, and move into the 21st century and manufacture something the world wants... they wouldn't be our dumpsters.

same goes for every other backwards country.

Like the USA?

Having laws and treaties (or not) is one thing. Reality is a different thing.

You guys now see the problem?

Yeah because it's better to let those poor kids starve to death than allow them to do a potentially dangerous job. :doh:

Planning to go there and starve kids? Usually it's napalm for the kids when it comes to you Americans.

More then potentially dangerous, are you aware of the kind of stuff found in electronics like circuit boards and how they extract the valuable material? The stuff is full of mercury, lead, and other toxins (plus plastics, etc) and the valuable metals are usually extracted by burning it in an open fire. Its pure explotation and circumventing environmental regulations.

This is just like how they dismantle ships in the various third world countries. Absolutely no regard for the workers or environment, only money.

natural selection at work.

i dont see the problem.

if you know the socket has electricity in it, and you still put a fork in it... why should i care?

Funny how the US is catching alot of blame here - but we have put forth alot of effort to insure that such things are dealt with appropriately.

Also - the "40 million" pc's a year? How many of those are "retired" pc's that still function, but are replaced by consumers or corporations? My company sanitizes the machines of data, then donates them to various charities. Some of those charities do send the pc's overseas. But not for destruction. They are donated to help run health offices, schools, etc.

In fact, I recall a couple of years ago one charity notified us that they were not going to send any overseas that year because the PC's had been stolen once there - by the locals - to "harvest" for their valuable innards.

So gee, its not always a question of dumping. Its often people who CHOOSE to expose themselves to the hazardous materials simply to enrich themselves in the short term. This often also occurs - as in the case I know of - where they do so at the cost of their society.

Not meaning to sound harsh - but they choose that - and somehow its the evil US corporation that caused it - when all we were doing was trying to help the local people have a more modern level of health care.

I have to agree with gutted - that is the very picture of pulling yourself out of the gene pool.

:nope: (the above quote is to be seen in the context of the situation and discussion)

Sometimes I stroll over such brilliant comments that they make me wish the author a bad, poor future to suffer - so that by that suffering he gets a chance to learn some things for the better.

Some people live in such miserable places in the world, in so deep and dark hell holes of poverty and misery, that they have no choice if they want to survive the running month, laserbrain. Thats true for chinese coal miners. that's true for child slaves doing child labour. That is true for poor people working in India's shipyards and Gana's computer "business".

Or did you think they do that just as a hobby?

Yes. They choose that.

:dead:

I don't think US corporations are only to blame, there is plenty of blame to go round the world for all the countries (including the countries where it happens, we all know its not the workers who are making money off this). Sure there are sincere attempts made to deal with the material properly, but there are also plenty of corporations that will do their very best to circumvent it just to save a bit of money.

I don't see choice entering into the picture though for the workers. For one thing they are not educated anywhere near enough to be truly aware of the danger they face, or to be able to understand it. Also even if they do, what choice to they have? Either they do it, or they starve to death. That is what makes it exploitation.