Are you wise to "blood electronics"?

Broads.ie

Five years ago, "blood diamond" was the buzz word. Now it's "blood electronics". :eek:

It's pretty much guaranteed that your laptop or phone has minerals that were extracted from a ravaged Congolese village mine, where kids dig for coltan or gold instead of going to school because their parents have been shot and raped to bits by the rag tag militia that "protects" the mine.

There's not much you can do about it, but are you aware of this at least?

By the way I don't work for Congo.:pac: I just think everybody should know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF-sJgcoY20

Johnny Foreigner

Broads.ie wrote: »

Five years ago, "blood diamond" was the buzz word. Now it's "blood electronics". :eek:

It's pretty much guaranteed that your laptop or phone has minerals that were extracted from a ravaged Congolese village mine, where kids dig for coltan or gold instead of going to school because their parents have been shot and raped to bits by the rag tag militia that "protects" the mine.

There's not much you can do about it, but are you aware of this at least?

By the way I don't work for Congo.:pac: I just think everybody should know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF-sJgcoY20

Yes, I am aware.
F*ck them.

Dotrel

Shocked.

I will only use Crips Electronics from now on.

ronnie3585

I love blood electronics. They're delicious.

bitemybanger

They better keep digging cause I'm upgrading my phone and laptop

senorwipesalot

kkk electronics for me.

badgerbaiter

OP, how many of these "blood electronics" do u own?
anyway is been proven that childrens blood improves efficency

PseudoFamous

Shut up and dig. I need a second monitor for my computer.

Broads.ie

Hey! I'm not asking you to boycott the bleedin electronics! I'm going to continue using my laptop and phone, I'm not one of those crushty #Dame Street people. I knew I'd get a load of replies like "wehhh you also own electronics weehhhh"

I was just wondering if you were aware of it. It would be stupid for us all to throw out our phones and laptops, stop being thick.

I've been on a Congo buzz all day, here's another video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhlLuBwOtE

There's also a petition to Tim Cook (Apple CEO) you can sign if you're arsed. http://www.change.org/petitions/ceo-of-apple-inc-make-a-conflict-free-product-that-includes-minerals-from-eastern-congo#

And if you can't be arsed, then shame on you.

Chuck Stone

It's not cool.

padma

it's cobalt, not coltan, its been going on for years now, Awareness is a step towards understanding the companies we depend on for modern technological goods. Awareness and enough people writing letters to these companies does create a force which can make a change for the better for all. Just look at Nescafe, there now selling fair trade coffee, giving a fair price for the coffee they buy off poor small farmers in African countries. Everybody benefits.

mattjack

Are you telling me there's a gun in my phone ?

Broads.ie

padma wrote: »

it's cobalt, not coltan, its been going on for years now, Awareness is a step towards understanding the companies we depend on for modern technological goods. Awareness and enough people writing letters to these companies does create a force which can make a change for the better for all. Just look at Nescafe, there now selling fair trade coffee, giving a fair price for the coffee they buy off poor small farmers in African countries. Everybody benefits.

It's Coltan.

But you are right about awareness being the first step.

senorwipesalot

Congo buzz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYj5o4kQsXs

4zn76tysfajdxp

Broads.ie wrote: »

Hey! I'm not asking you to boycott the bleedin electronics!

Blood electronics. Come on, you're the one who's introduced us to the term in the first place.

Capt'n Midnight

There is no point in singing that online petition, the laws have already been passed. If you have evidence that Apple & co. are not using due dillegance to make sure they aren't using conflict minerals then report them to the US / EU.



Easiest and most practical solution to conflict minerals is to recycle your old electronics.




http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-01/apple-intel-backed-ban-on-conflict-minerals-may-help-spur-exports-to-asia.html?cmpid=yhoo

Rules backed by Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Intel Corp. (INTC) to stop sales of minerals used in electronics from funding war in Central Africa took effect today, forcing miners from the region to seek new buyers in Asia, according to exporters.

It's 2012, and use of conflict minerals by electronic companies was legislated against back in 2010. This is from philips, mentions the laws and such
http://www.philips.com/shared/global/assets/Sustainability/Philips_position_on_conflict_minerals.pdf


http://eicc-gesi.resolv.wikispaces.net/Home+Page - general info

padma

Broads.ie wrote: »

It's Coltan.

But you are right about awareness being the first step.

Cobalt too, from the congo, we learn something new every day huh

starbelgrade

I blame the parents.

Broads.ie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

There is no point in singing that online petition, the laws have already been passed. If you have evidence that Apple & co. are not using due dillegance to make sure they aren't using conflict minerals then report them to the US / EU.



Easiest and most practical solution to conflict minerals is to recycle your old electronics.




http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-01/apple-intel-backed-ban-on-conflict-minerals-may-help-spur-exports-to-asia.html?cmpid=yhoo

It's 2012, and use of conflict minerals by electronic companies was legislated against back in 2010. This is from philips, mentions the laws and such
http://www.philips.com/shared/global/assets/Sustainability/Philips_position_on_conflict_minerals.pdf


http://eicc-gesi.resolv.wikispaces.net/Home+Page - general info

Wait then, why is there still a live petition (endorsed by the Enough Project) with 50,000 signatures? Is everything all rosy now? Interesting links, I'm not convinced though hmmmmm.

edit: I mean like I'll research it a bit more. I'm not putting my fingers in my ears and going LALALALALALALA.

Capt'n Midnight

padma wrote: »

it's cobalt, not coltan, its been going on for years now, Awareness is a step towards understanding the companies we depend on for modern technological goods.

Coltan is a mineral, it is a source of Tantalum which is used to make those small yellow square capacitors in phones and laptops.

Tantalum
Tin (ironic since lead free solder was supposed to save lives :rolleyes:)
Tungsten
Gold <--- no need to tell folks that this stuff means €'s

Awareness and enough people writing letters to these companies does create a force which can make a change for the better for all. Just look at Nescafe, there now selling fair trade coffee, giving a fair price for the coffee they buy off poor small farmers in African countries. Everybody benefits.

The boycotts of Nestle started in 34 years ago.

They are still selling powdered milk in countries with shocking infant mortality rates :mad:

http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=93040

“In poor nations, formula-fed infants are four to six times more likely to die of infectious disease than breastfed babies," said Gray. "The problem is not with the formula, but with the preparation," he added.

If Nestle were to fund clean water schemes in a serious way ...

padma

My point on Nestle is really just to illustrate the bad ass companies within time usually give a token probably just to appease people, though if enough folk buy the fair trade stuuf, they could turn fully within time.

Broads.ie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Stuff about the new law

Just a recent development on this Conflict Mineral Law (3pm today):

Conflict minerals crackdown backfiring in Congo: U.N.

A U.S. crackdown on so-called "conflict minerals" in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has backfired by pushing trade deeper into the hands of criminals, including at least one former rebel leader, a U.N. report said on Friday.

The finding underscores the difficulty faced by both the United States and Congo governments in choking off funding to eastern Congo's roving armed bands, believed responsible for thousands of rapes and killings of villagers.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-congo-democratic-untre7bt14r-20111230,0,7052634.story

I was wondering though what would happen to the ordinary folks working on the mines if nobody was purchasing the ore? They would literally starve to death.

Mike 1972

Broads.ie wrote: »

There's not much you can do about it, but are you aware of this at least?

I am aware yes

Something like five million killed in the Congo and neighbouring states over the last decade or so but seeing as how theyre mostly dark skinned it doesnt qualify as a holocaust or anything.

Loomis

Will Leo be in the sequel?

badgerbaiter

what about blood textiles eh? everyone knows we walk around on soles made from souls

Eric Cartman

If it means cheaper electronics for me and others in rich countries the. Im all for it, couldnt give a toss

Dudess

Indymedia twats will be destroying their laptops now... except they won't.

ScumLord

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Easiest and most practical solution to conflict minerals is to recycle your old electronics.

So it'll be sent to India where they poison the water supply with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals to remove the valuable parts. There's no way around it a child will have to die to appease the internet god.

Liam Byrne

Given the amount of murders we've seen in Iraq for Bush's "blood oil" is there any commodity that isn't unethical ?

Hell, a look around for the last few years highlights that the getting of money itself involves a lack of ethics.