For information on conflict minerals visit the links below.
http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/initiatives/conflict-minerals
http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/conflict/conflict-minerals
http://conflictminerals.org/
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The True Cost of Cell Phones
One of the most fascinating topics presented in our class so far has been the idea of externalized cost. Externalized cost refers to the social cost, or an additional cost of a product that effects a third party. The externalized cost for cell phones are the violation of human labor rights in central Africa. Many of the materials used in the construction of cell phones are called conflict minerals because they are mined in under conditions of labor abuse and armed conflict across this region. The four main conflict minerals are: Coltan, Cassiterite, Wolframite, and Gold. These minerals are mined to produce tungsten, tantalum, and tin, which are integral to other technologies such as laptops and mp3 players.
The three main countries that extract conflict minerals are from the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Many of the workers in these mines are children, and sometimes work up to 48 hour shifts. These mines have no safety regulations and are susceptible to mudslides and collapse, also the majority of the mines are under constant surveillance by armed guards.The profits obtained from the extraction and sell of these minerals are used to fund the military groups which replenishes their resources for armed combat instead of funding infrastructure, health care, or education.
The next you pick up your phone, think about the true cost that went into the creation of that device. Think of the countless labors endured by the miner who extracted the material to create a device that provides convenient communication for western society.
For information on conflict minerals visit the links below.
http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/initiatives/conflict-minerals
http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/conflict/conflict-minerals
http://conflictminerals.org/
For information on conflict minerals visit the links below.
http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/initiatives/conflict-minerals
http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/conflict/conflict-minerals
http://conflictminerals.org/
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It seems like one of the best ways to remedy this problem of conflict minerals is to stop buying things created from conflict minerals, or to ask companies to produce conflict-free electronics, as it states on the blog for Congo. One of the reasons companies might not want to do this, however, is if the cost of switching to conflict-free products is greater than the benefit of using them. By this logic, it would seem that the benefit of keeping the products made by conflict minerals outweighs the lives taken to get these minerals. In other words, saving money is more important than saving lives. This is just one of the things I thought about when I read the post.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ideas that come to mind after reading the post is that i feel as if there needs to be a better understanding/ responsability of certian companies to keep their eletronics conflict free while eduating the public about conflict minerals mined by child laborers over seas. If the public becomes more aware of the situation caused by these conflict minerals, it will allow them to gain an interest in finding out if their product of choice is conflict free or not, thus, influencing the ultimate pruchase of a product on the shelf at the stores.
ReplyDeleteEmma makes a good point on how companies would not want to make the swich from buying the cheaper materials in order to "save money rather than save lives." But instead of "asking" the companies to stop buying conflict minerals, there needs to be laws strictly put in place that prevent electronic companies from buing minerals from countries that use child laborers such as the ones stated in the article.
This has been one of the more eye opening topics discussed in class for me as well. When the Story of Stuff documentary introduced the issue of externalized cost using the example of the five dollar radio this was really my first time thinking about the subject. Up until this point I had been essentially oblivious to the fact that the raw materials used to manufacture electronic items that provide an ease of living were in many cases obtained by countries that employee underage age children and distribute profits to militia groups. As I began to read further into this topic outside of class I discovered that despite the numerous number of organizations and campaigns established to create awareness for the detrimental impact of conflict materials, I discovered that finding a solution to this issue may not be as straightforward as one would think. Despite having the best intentions, anti-conflict minerals campaigns can in fact harm the country they intend by damaging the already fragile economies of the countries that produce these materials. Although the advocation of human rights is essential and without a doubt of primary importance, this topic must be viewed from many different angles in order to find the most effective and overall beneficial solution.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of using child labor in order to produce products such as the iPhone really gets my attention. If we did not have these children working such rigorous hours then we would not have the luxuries that we do. Sometimes people take for granted the items that we use in our day to day lifes that are worth a lot more then we paid for. If we add up all the different stages of the production process it would come out to be far more expensive then the actual price.
ReplyDeleteI would think our best next step in this situation would be to approach to companies producing in these harsh labor conditions and try to get them to change. Economically, if the companies buyers stop buying from them, they would be forced into changing how they produce their products. However, for students at DePauw, the best thing we could do would probably be to simply avoid purchasing goods made from conflict minerals.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the best way to combat the external costs of cell phone production is to research new elements that can sustain a healthier social environment in these countries along with providing the services that we have come accustomed too. Without the demand for these minerals, military regimes in places such as the Congo would no longer be able to fund their tyranny over there countrymen. However, it will be very challenging to reach this point as companies have become very accustomed to the lower prices created from the slim pay these children and other workers receive.
ReplyDelete