Agbogbloshie: The World's Largest e-Waste Dump

kc123 writes "Photographer Kevin McElvaney documents Agbogbloshie, a former wetland in Accra, Ghana, which is home to the world's largest e-waste dumping site. Boys and young men smash devices to get to the metals, especially copper. Injuries, such as burns, untreated wounds, eye damage, lung and back problems, go hand in hand with chronic nausea, anorexia, debilitating headaches and respiratory problems. Most workers die from cancer in their 20s."

Comments

Most workers die from cancer in their 20s

[Anonymous Coward]

If any statement needs a fact checking, that one does. I call bullshit.

What's the point of this?

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the point of this story? For us to feel bad or even guilt? What, am I suppose to give up computers, phones and basically all modern tech simply because some country with fucked-up environmental and working standards has people dying from toxins?

Awareness perhaps? Awareness is only useful if it can lead to change for the better. Knowing about this is not helpful, at least to me. I was already aware that there's several countries in the world which have areas of e-waste disposal so lacking in basic safety for its workers that things like this will happen, but again, what can I do to commit chance? Give up using tech? Fuck no, it's my career and not a realistic solution anyway. Hold onto the tech I already have and not buy new stuff so often? I do so already and it's good advice in any case, so I'll give it that.

But FUCK YOU if I'm gonna feel sorry for these guys. I'm sorry they were unlucky to born in bumfuck, Africa and don't have much hope anyway, but that's life.

Re:What's the point of this?

[FictionPimp]

It could inspire us to support companies that actually do recycling rather than dumping. It could inspire you to pay to recycle your phone rather than toss it in the trash. It could inspire you to push for consumer options that create less e-waste. It could inspire you to donate to a research project or start one to find a industrial use for e-waste.

It could even just be simply to inform you that people are suffering because of greed. News does not always need you to take action. Sometimes its purpose is just to inform.

Re:What's the point of this?

[Garridan]

Right... so... you want to be sheltered from the worst news from the unprivileged, because you feel powerless to stop it? Tell that to the people in that situation, with significantly less power to stop it! Yes! Let's not talk about the bad things in the world unless the newspiece has a button that you can personally click to solve that problem. That's exactly how problem-solving works. Who knows why the press never thought of that!

Re:What's the point of this?

[DarwinSurvivor]

Yes, that would have been a very good message to give, had they listed ANY reputable companies as alternatives. This article gives practically no information. Other than photo captions, the slashdot "summary" is actually LONGER than the entire article.

This is nothing more than a heart-string sensationalist article to up their viewership. Had the author actually cared about these people they would have listed the companies responsible for this crap, and the reputable companies that actually recycle the materials properly instead of literally putting the people on little monitor-soapboxes (yes literally, check out the photos) and adding sad captions like some twisted version of lolcats.

this should be illegal.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sorry it should not be legal to enable the killing of others!

Re:I try to do the right thing

[wonkey_monkey]

American-looking PC chassis

As opposed to the foreign-looking ones they have in other countries?