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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.'"
Some old linux disks are getting sent over with all that computer hardware. Then all they would need is a reliable source of electricity and a net connection and they could be sending the US *THEIR* trash in 20 years.
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
In what way is this informative? The BBC site has proven itself /. and even 9/11 resistant. Are you saying that a site running these operating systems isn't up to the job? Should they switch to IIS?
PS Can anyone get karma this way?
"Under the iron bridge, we fist" - The Smiths, Still Ill
Buy, buy, buy for America! And don't forget to fly around too! Lets roll baby!
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Ya, I know, it was just him but Clinton, George I and Reagan.
Guess we can also thank M$ for helping out by pushing the "upgrade cycle" to new heights.
I wonder how many of thoses 486s and Pentiums I could have be used as linux workstations.
No wonder the rest of the world dislikes America.
sigh
They are being dumped in India and China. Already the local population is protesting the long line of ships waiting to unload the crap.
While people are concerned about pollution at WTC site, nobody cares about where the waste is dumped.
Whatever goes up must come down -- even nations and civilizations.
I think I'm experiencing what we Europeans call an Ugly American moment.
It'll pass.
Why do I keep hearing about USA having not ratified this and that? 'Not ratified' is a nice phrase that doesn't sound like "I'm a greedy, weak coward", which it really means in contexts like this, IMHO.
If you're so big and mighty, wouldn't you feel obligated to be the force pushing those conventions and agreements, not the one trying to squeeze out every last buck you can on the cost of the health of our Mother Earth and living conditions of developing countries?
Think Kyoto treaty for example. I'd be embarrassed to live in the States.
I mean HOW LOW CAN YOU GO, USA?
On the other hand, I'm only waiting for people to start showing what they feel about this madness like they did in 60'ies and 70'ies. That's an era that american PEOPLE should be proud of.
Act before it's too late, THE WORLD BEGS YOU.
Good, for you europeans and our 'Ugly American' attitudes, are you so naieve that you think that China cares about its citizens ? Do you think that a bunch of communist hard liners arent getting rich as hell off this dumping ? Do you belive that the US wouldnt dump it on their own soil if China wasnt WILLING ?
I love european attitudes, we save, nearly single handedly europe, not once but twice, in the last 100 years, AND protect it for another 40 years from russia, you dont think Stalin wanted it ALL, and your peoples charm was stopping him from having it all ?
The US, like the UK, is always up for the 'Good Fight', with the way the euortrash is acting nowadays, it saddens me we lost so many family members in WWII protecting the very people that turn on us, shoulda let Hitler or Stalin have the whole mess, You know the funny thing , if that woulda happened your euro ass wouldnt be on the INTERNET right now calling us 'Ugly Americans' genius boy.
Sig went tro...aahemmm.....fishing........
booohahaah...
those US dorks are dumb as hell, stink like a heiniken brewery and can't cook, but at least they know how to make fun of themselves.
Onward with the humor, my friend, more of this !
When will I end this grieving ? When will my future begin ?
No wait, I can feel it solidifying into a deep and abiding contempt. Not for your country, it's much more personal than that.
Actually it does absole the US, Think for a moment, whose job is it to protect Chnina's citizends, from what you are saying its the US's to some degree....horeshit....
Caveat Emptor.
WRONG, we HAVE evidence if it is HANDLED IMPROPERLY IT IS DANGEROUS !, THAT my friend is a REGULATORY ISSUE , and as such an internal issue for China.
The US has for many years, longer than anywhere else, been recycling and reclaiming materials from electronics, and safley I might add. NOW things are different now, and it is more profitable to SELL these materials to be recycled elsewhere, the Chineese are fucking bidding for it and winning, willing to PAY more for it, why ? SIMPLE, WITHOUT the stringent saftey checks in place recyclingit is more profiatble, human lives are a commodity , in asia they are cheaper, that sucks but its the truth.
And why the hell should the US ratify something not in their best interests ?
Like that looney hate crime online shit bill in that would violate our constitution ?
Sig went tro...aahemmm.....fishing........
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.
Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's new or newsworthy.
You come across as rather self-aggrandizing as well as patronizing.
First, if you know this is occurring all along and think it's a problem, I would imagine that you would be happy to see this get publicity in order that perhaps some corrective action might be taken. Instead you take the opportunity to point out that you personally knew about the "disposal of computer" problem beforehand, so everyone should have already been aware of it.
Anything that a large part of the population doesn't already know may well be considered newsworthy. Perhaps you should have said that it is sad that this *is* newsworthy.
Secondly, a visit to a particular less-developed countries does not automatically confer knowledge of various environmental disasters in all other countries. Your post really had the tone of "all eco-disasters in third world countries are alike". Each problem may have a separate cause and sure as anything has a different solution. Certainly, different disasters are worth different stories. I'd hate to think a single "Western goods cause echo-disaster" story is all one needs to know on the entire subject.
Lastly, the Americans may be famous for their insularity, but I'd bet money that the BBC was mostly addressing this to Europeans that were unaware of the problem. I know from personal experience that they could certainly have addressed this particular issue to Canadians.
Thank-you for providing a near-perfect illustration of how the USA has come to be despised by nations around the world.
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