IN THE SCHOOL where I’m working, the students were given a very interesting project. They were told to research about the production of phones and how it affects the demand of Coltan.
First off, what IS Coltan?
Columbite – tantalite, or “Coltan” for short, is a metallic ore found in the eastern areas of Congo. It can hold an electrical charge, and it is used in most cellphones, laptops, and other electrical devices.
Coltan is the reason all our phones “upgrade” every year. Like most natural resources though, it is being exploited.
To mine it, Congo’s national parks and forests have been leveled to the ground. Even some villages are vacated to make room for mines. This has caused starvation and poverty among people living in those villages.
Smuggling is also a major problem caused by the demand for Coltan.
One part of the students’ research was a reflection on how buying too many phones or gadgets can affect the demand for Coltan. I think it’s great that at a young age these children are made to understand the consequences that their privileged lives have on others, how giving in to their desires to have the latest gadgets can greatly affect people in another part of the world.
These children will have more wisdom than the adults now who buy a new phone every time a new model comes out just because it is “more functional”, or those people who allow their households to have five smartphones, three laptops andtwo tablets, or those who give in to the siren call of four back cameras and two front cameras.
The question remaining now is, how can we be more sustainable in this ever developing world?
We can’t expect technology to go backwards so these gadgets will be around till the foreseeable future.
Well, one thing we can do, against popular opinion, is reuse old gadgets.
Yes, your phone or laptop from five years ago may be old-school, but if it still functions properly, then you don´t need to get a new one just yet.
Also, when you do get a new one, consider buying second-hand or pre-loved from a reliable source.
I don’t want to sound self-righteous, but I recently bought a second-hand laptop and PlayStation4. The fulfillment I feel is more than if I bought a brand new one from a store. This is also because I was able to help the seller financially.
Then, when our gadgets already cannot function, we should find ways to function the parts inside. You can sell it to technicians who know how to tell the reusable parts (there are several in Marymart) or on a higher scale, local government units could fund a gadget recycling plant.
All of this is possible if we are aware of the consequences of our actions. We may think it’s just small, “One phone more won´t hurt.” But if you multiply this to several hundreds of people that also think that way, then the result is much bigger.
Now, if we change and make an effort to be sustainable, then we can find a solution to the Coltan crisis./PN
