Coltan
Did you know that there is a mineral,
coltan, that is in just about every (if not all) cell phones and
electronic devices? It is used because it is a FANTASTIC conductor for
the electrical appliances that used to use lead in them. The change from
lead to coltan has created a boom in the demand for coltan.
(http://caa.eurosur.org/coltan.jpg)
Coltan is commonly found in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. There are about 1,000 people per day who
die in coltan mines in the DRC.
(http://blog.kir.com/archives/images/CellPhones.JPG)
I have to ask myself: "Is it REALLY worth it to have a cell phone that is aiding in the deaths of so many people?"
(http://www.ultimorecurso.org/drupi/files/image/DSCN1081.JPG)
The pictures of the miners crawling into holes in the ground left an impression on me. I wouldn't want to crawl in those holes.
(http://www.dizolele.com/UserFiles/Image/DSCN1111.JPG)
(http://www.bgr.bund.de/DE/Themen/Min__rohstoffe/Bilder/LF____COLTAN__Mutala__k,property=default.jpg)
