Unintended Results From U.S. Hardware Dumps In Asia

Izeickl writes: "The BBC has a thought provoking story about old hardware being dumped in parts of Asia. The report 'details a group of villages in south-eastern China where computers from America are picked apart and strewn along rivers and fields.' the article also states 'The report suggested that as much as 80% of the America's electronic waste collected to be recycled is shipped out of the country.'"

Comments

CNN has coverage too . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

For more reading see this CNN article (picked up off AP).

out with the old

[Anonymous Coward]

It is only thought provoking if you are like most americans that have never travelled outside the US to see these kinds of things first hand. It actually says more about your lack of awarness than it does about any sort of industrial posture. Russia dumps subs off Japan and Korea. Britain dumps medical waste off the coast of Sri Lanka...Australia dumps scrap metal into the South polar seas...New York City dumps commercial waste into the Atlantic. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's new or newsworthy. Get outside and take a look for yourself. Visit India and the Balkans and the South Seas and Asia. Waste has a meaning you obviously missed during history class.

Full Report Details

[phil_atk]

For reference, the source of the BBC report can be found at www.ban.org

I think two points are worth noting - firstly, for better or worse, the source of the report and its tone are set firmly within the environmentalist camp.

Secondly - this problem is probably the tip of the iceberg, and is certainly a very real threat to the environment in the next few decades. I personally believe we should take significant action now to prevent the need for another Kyoto (where this would be a serious issue) ten years from now.

Re:That sucks

[RazzleFrog]

Not sure about recycling but the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey was taking donations of old computer parts for learning purposes. I am not sure if they still do or not. Check around your area to see if there is a similar program.

Re:India, too

[sphealey]

The article is The Shipbreakers in The Atlantic Magazine.

sPh

I think it was a cooperative effort with NYTimes

[sielwolf]

If any of you get/read the New York Times, they have an article on the same topic:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/25/technology/25T OX I.html

NYTimes registration yadda-yadda-yadda.

Read the actual report, not the CNN/BBC article.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why does Slashdot insist on distributing metanews?

Most people here complain about media consolidation, information tracking and privacy infringement. The first step to counter these problems is simply to obtain information from the authoritative source.

Looking up this report took approximately three minutes. Why not improve the quality around here by putting researched items on the front page?

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalitions Techno Trash Report

Re:Oh come on

[FFFish]

America -- all too willing to tell other countries how to run themselves *EXCEPT* when the atrocities work in the US's favour.

Stop shipping garbage that''s loaded with heavy metals and poisons to the second-most unethical country in the world? Hell, no! WTF would any American care about the deformed babies that will result?

Only thing less ethical than a country that would allow a business to accept that shit and scatter it into the rivers, is the country that allows a business to send that shit there in the first place.