The Dirt in the New Machine
I have a cell phone. Many say they “need” cell phones. I highly doubt that even a small amount of cell phone users has any idea what colton is or where it comes from. I had never heard of it before reading the article. The hardest thing about the situation is that coltan is completely necessary for a majority of electronics that we are “dependant” on.How is coltan bad, anyway? Well, some 20 mines were found that year in the Okapi reserve, destroying wildlife, including eastern low land gorillas and the eko tree, which, in turn, affects the pygmies. they depend on the tree to attract bees and make honey. Coltan “perpetuates war” in the Congo. People are killing each other in order to have access to areas where coltan may be mined. It is also “a win-win situation” for the bad guys, because there is no real government, and many violent people go around threatening others and doing all that they can to take advantage of any and every opportunity to make money off of the coltan.
Is there any way that coltan is good? Well, no, not exactly. However, “there could be worse things that coltan mining.” The people need the jobs. As the article says, “the only thing worse than mining coltan is not mining coltan.” Also, someone in the article pointed out that it is good at least, that the miners are not logging instead. That would case greater damage to the environment. Another thing that is good about the coltan situation is that about half of the world’s supply is produced in Australia, I, as a cell phone user, feel ethically responsible for being informed about my phone-service provider’s stance on using the coltan from the Congo. I do not (as the article suggests I should,) feel very responsible for specifically helping “Mama Doudou” because I received my cell phone in 2003.
Kristine
