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The World’s Electronic-Waste Dump
environmentalgraffiti.com — Guiyu was once a peaceful rice-growing village located in the eastern province of Guangdong, southern China – that is - until a surge of broken computers and laptops arrived from the Western World. Since then, Guiyu has been proclaimed the World’s electronic-waste capital.
ToeCracker- 784 diggs
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- ToeCracker, on 07/04/2008, -7/+31This is bloody appalling . . . For around $1.50 USD, around 60,000 local workers including children risk their lives and limbs to scramble for anything of value out of your old computer.
- terrya64, on 07/06/2008, -4/+5I think if you asked the people getting the $1.50, they would say they are happy to get it.
- cheezintern, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2They probably like eating..
- gn0stik, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2You know, electronics recycling is safe and lucrative if done correctly. I don't understand why we're shipping our waste over there in the first place. Just another example of us shipping our jobs overseas. A proper recycling plant could handle all of this in a safe, and clean manner, and employ people locally. I find it odd that there is no mention of the companies who entered into these contracts, and shipped the stuff over there in the first place. China subsidizes the oil it takes to ship stuff over there so it's stays cheap. Pretty soon, they won't be able to do it anymore.
This is not only bad for their health, but our economy, and the environment as well. Pretty much like any deal with China has been. - xptoast, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2I thought the worlds largest electronic waste dump was the internet...?
- terrya64, on 07/06/2008, -4/+5I think if you asked the people getting the $1.50, they would say they are happy to get it.
- PhuzzyDay, on 07/04/2008, -1/+14I've contributed a share too. I makes me feel better, though, to know that newer computers are lasting longer between upgrades, slowing the trash. Of course, at the same time, more people are using them, which probably compensates anyway. This is terrible.
- yuanzhoulu, on 07/06/2008, -2/+2actually, i doubt US electronic waste goes to Guiyu; US electronic waste usually goes into the ground and infiltrates our forests and other species with lead instead.
- DCJoeDogaswell, on 07/04/2008, -25/+30As bad as that is I have to worry about how bad things are here in America, we can't worry about other people UNTIL we get our own problems sorted out first. I know it seems cold but the truth usually is. We have a dying economy, oil crisis, war, drugs, education problems, etc, and you want me to worry about some village I will never set foot in my entire life, sorry but I can't do that. Go ahead and digg me down, but I want to fix our problems first.
- LostRiot, on 07/04/2008, -10/+20that's a pretty ***** up attitude you've got there, I assume you don't give any of your money to charities based in the US either, well not until you're living in a mansion with more money than you ever need and no problems in life.
The problems of America are nothing compared to that of some areas of china and the developing world, they'd swap with you in an instant, but just because they didn't happen to be born on the same mass of land as you, you don't think raising awareness of their situation is important?- DCJoeDogaswell, on 07/05/2008, -22/+3boo-hoo. look at me ***** crying
I don't give a ***** about a country that gives even less ***** about us, ***** them. - cygnus2112, on 07/06/2008, -2/+16My compassion doesn't cease at an invisible make-believe lines called borders. While it's true that we should take care of the problems locally, it's pretty damn ignorant to not give two ***** about the lot of other human beings.
But I can already see what your attitude is and realize your type of attitude is one of the main reasons people like this suffer in the conditions that they do.
"***** them" indeed. ***** you, buddy. - AchaIemoipas, on 07/06/2008, -3/+8China's problems aren't caused by a lack of ressources. They are caused by inhumane policies and a complete disregard for all forms of life.
And let's not pretend China is a human rights champion. Tibet and Darfur come to mind. Not to mention that they are the world's top consumers of endangered species.
Help those who help themselves.
Don't help immoral or unethical regimes.
If Nazi germany had suffered from famine, would you send food to the regime?
And caring about your own before caring about others is only natural. In fact it's why we have races and different ethnicities and societies. If your kids were hungry, would you feed the neighbor's kids first? - ChileanGoD, on 07/06/2008, -2/+7^ And that's why, sir, we're the ***** species that we are right now.
- yuanzhoulu, on 07/06/2008, -0/+6When it comes to improving human lives, I treat humans as one united species. I don't care about country borders when there is suffering, my help goes first to my family and friends, then those humans who need it most. "my" country is no closer to me than any other.
- yuanzhoulu, on 07/06/2008, -1/+6achalemopias: china's situation is not necessarily worse than the US. both countries have problems to solve.
the US, for one, has about 4x greenhouse gas emissions per head than China from an article i saw recently. and i can tell you China's government will have a MUCH easier time implementing renewable energy than the US.
also, let's not pretend US is a human rights champion either. Patriot Act. Foreign policies. Police brutality stories. Unhealthy and unregulated working hours in many jobs. and over history, slavery, injustice toward women, dangerous industrial conditions, and other bad things. Just because China has some problems now doesn't mean they are a bad country; the government has problems just as any other and they may well correct their problems in the decades to come just as the US and others may.
meanwhile, this does not preclude my willingness to care about the civilians and people of any country. - AchaIemoipas, on 07/06/2008, -6/+2"let's not pretend US is a human rights champion"
What the ***** does that have to do with a country helping itself before helping other countries? The US should deny itself help? That's a non-argument. - gn0stik, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3yuan, per capita carbon emissions is bogus considering that china has a third of the entire world population. If every person and every city in China behaved like Shangai, or HK, the earth would be well on it's way to becoming the next Venus.
As to US and Human Rights. If there is a country anywhere on the planet that is a Human Rights champion, it's us. In spite of the Iraq War, and Guantanamo etc. There is no other country on the planet that gives more money to Human Rights causes around the world than the US anually. Look it up.
The thing is, the best thing for both countries and the rest of the ***** world at this point, is to just stop doing business with them alltogether. Tax the ***** out of companies that ship jobs overseas, and give incentives to companies that move them home. This little problem would disappear immediately. Along with the soaring oil prices and impending economic collapse here within a single year. You worried about the environment? Bring the jobs home where we have regulation.
That town is nothing compared to the towns in china that mine lead. All these greenpeace ***** have no idea how to deal with these problems. These problems are there because we enabled them to with our global trade policies. Do you think that villiage would be in the condition it's in if we didn't have them manufacturing all of our electronics in the first place?
Same goes for india. Bethlehem Steel just closed down not too long ago because we were handing out contracts to indian governement subsidized indian steel companies to make manhole covers. For what? To save 2 cents on the dollar. And we lose an American company who's held this contract for ever. Pathetic short sighted idiots. END THE GLOBAL ECONOMY!
- DCJoeDogaswell, on 07/05/2008, -22/+3boo-hoo. look at me ***** crying
- mccraig416, on 07/06/2008, -2/+5As bad as things are right now for you as an American, I would have to agree with LostRiot that the issues you face pale in comparison to what a majority of the world faces every day. I think a balance can be reached whereby you can be aware and concerned of your own problems, while at the same time being compassionate and helpful to others around the world who don't have a voice. Remember, American's voices are louder and resonate more around the world then those in Guiyu, or other unfortunate regions of the world. Do what you can. Make people aware.
- chedabob, on 07/06/2008, -2/+4Good point, except America is contributing to the problems in that village.
- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/06/2008, -3/+4Yeah, that villages government has nothing to do with it.. I mean we just secretly drop waste on them without any type of contractual obligation to pay them for it..
- chedabob, on 07/06/2008, -1/+4There wouldn't be any waste in the village if America didn't put it there...
- CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/06/2008, -3/+4Yeah, that villages government has nothing to do with it.. I mean we just secretly drop waste on them without any type of contractual obligation to pay them for it..
- hummingbird, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4I think he has a bit of a point. Think of how many countries are hugely affected by american policy. Think of how much power america has over the imf and the world bank and how those institutions have managed to help drive dozens of countries close to famine. Think of how american governments have helped to install military dictatorships all over the place. The way the world economy is changing though, america is less insulated from the world’s problems and it doesn’t look like that trend is going away. Improving how america works will improve the world imo.
- zarvensha, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Lets not worry about our neighbours lets worry about ourselves eh?
So if their house is on fire, stuff em?
And then the flames spread to your house, oh ***** eh?
What happens to your neighbour will affect you, one way or another, so help or pay the consequences.
Isolationist policies have never worked and never will, take a look at the country your TV,DVD player and computer were made, Welcome to the wonderful world of global trade.
One Planet, no choice sunshine - Math, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2These are your problems. You just shipped them to another country so that you wouldn't have to deal with them.
- LostRiot, on 07/04/2008, -10/+20that's a pretty ***** up attitude you've got there, I assume you don't give any of your money to charities based in the US either, well not until you're living in a mansion with more money than you ever need and no problems in life.
- rtknox00, on 07/05/2008, -2/+10Brutal
- Nudar, on 07/05/2008, -1/+13Isn't there a way to build a machine to do all the work?
- Naelphin, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2It is much cheaper to pay humans 1.5 USD a month. Why bother with a robot when you have a cheap, renewable labour source?
- yuanzhoulu, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2yup, exactly same in India, there's a reason why people still farm using oxcarts and children there.
- 007isbond1, on 07/06/2008, -0/+5but then you would need workers to dismantle and that machine when it gets too old.. conundrum
- Foamator, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1It'd have to have a really cute name and big eyes...
- WebWorker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2They should make a movie about it and make me feel emotion for it too.
- KingGorilla, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Isn't there a machine we could build from all of this junk? I remember an episode of Swat Kats where this happened
- Naelphin, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2It is much cheaper to pay humans 1.5 USD a month. Why bother with a robot when you have a cheap, renewable labour source?
- bwdd, on 07/06/2008, -3/+21Just keep all your old computer ***** in the basement, kay?
- AmericansRevolt, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1+1
- AUniquePerson, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1-1
- AmericansRevolt, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1+1
- ivan423, on 07/06/2008, -1/+14They also heat old boards to melt and extract the lead, so they end up poisoning themselves by inhaling the fumes.
- kanundro, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Yeah and it sucks that china doesn't have an organization like OSHA mandating safety guidelines. But then again these people aren't working for a company but merely independently as scavengers which an OSHA wouldn't really do much for.
- zer0bit, on 07/06/2008, -9/+10 I don't understand the outrage here. If anything improving the safety of their work should be paramount. Are these people being forced into this labor? If they've elected to do this work instead of farming why should someone else interfere?
- kanundro, on 07/06/2008, -1/+13In China, anything to do with safety is never paramount or even first priority. Government regulation and standards differ very much here in the states vs china. They have local agencies to deal with safety but a lot them are so ripe with corruption that they're pretty much useless (as demonstrated with the szechuan earthquake.)
It may very well be the fact that they didn't clearly understand the risks involved with what they were doing. Leave it to the Chinese government to be so informative and caring about occupational safety (which they won't and don't care). And chances are the people if they're doing that kind of work i'm willing to bank that they're not really well educated so that's another factor of them not knowing. Poor children... 82% hit with lead poisoning.... that's appauling.- aenegeling, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3totally agree with you mate. hit the nail on the head.
- ubundriva, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Very nice of you to adeptly spin this around. Whatever goes wrong, blame the Chinese. You are talking like there's a way for the children to live safely in a city buried by electronic wastes, or it would be perfectly okay if those people sitting in the dump are perfectly trained on occupational safety.
- kanundro, on 07/10/2008, -0/+0For your information i am chinese, secondly i know the government doesn't give two ***** about its people so i have every right to blame the chinese government for not stepping in. So don't go flipping this around into me being racist.
- passedoutghost, on 07/06/2008, -8/+1You really are ignorant aren't you zer0bit? This is one of the very few ways of earning money in a poverty stricken area. The people are uneducated and are living in squalor. They often don't have any land to do farming on thanks to Mao Ze Dong's 5 step initiative and "Great Leap Forward". I'm not saying it's all Mao's fault, but he knocked over the first domino in the long chain which lead to people living the lives that they do today in China.
Get out of the basement and take a trip to China and then finally maybe you might have something correct to say. - Bloodboiler, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Think for a moment just how extremely poor these people are and just how many of them there are (c. 1 billion poor or extremely poor). To farm you need good piece of land, few kids to help on the field and some kind of water buffalo or other strong animal. All of those are far beyond the means of average Chinese.
And yes they are forced to do that work. It's the only available way to stay alive and feed the kids, unless the Chinese government forced them to move somewhere else.
- kanundro, on 07/06/2008, -1/+13In China, anything to do with safety is never paramount or even first priority. Government regulation and standards differ very much here in the states vs china. They have local agencies to deal with safety but a lot them are so ripe with corruption that they're pretty much useless (as demonstrated with the szechuan earthquake.)
- Thrilltone, on 07/06/2008, -9/+4Before you spend too much pity on them, better check how much improperly stored nuclear waste is sitting in your backyard.
- monsterette, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2....indeed....agreed...what kinds of waste are in our yards?
- bdpf, on 07/06/2008, -9/+4how was the electronics shipped to China?
Did I ship an old computer there?
No I did not. I did not force them to do this.
Who brought the electronics there?
Those people caused this problem.
I install Linux on old computers so they can still be used.
Parts are every where waiting for the next computer to bring back to life.- Rain12913, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Knowledge is not always a prerequisite of complicity. While you personally may dispose of your own computer waste yourself, there are countless others who think they are helping out by donating their old computers to these recycling initiatives. While they clearly have no intent to have this happen, it is still their responsibility to be aware of what was going on. The only way they would lose all blame is if they asked where the computers went and were lied to.
- jgambleii, on 07/06/2008, -11/+4You would think some brilliant young kid would wander in and build a huge robot with all the extra parts... Or even better, a huge MC HAMMER robot. Oh yeah!
- mrjit, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Funny joke if this wasn't the disgusting atrocity that it is. TLDR?; Too soon.
- GordonClass, on 07/06/2008, -4/+8This is totally on the Chinese government. They have the power to change it.
- uracre, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Well they won't. The government is busy being a great power and all that. Apparently, rather than improving its citizens' life conditions, catching up with the military expenditures is more important.
- JoshChan, on 07/06/2008, -7/+11nobody forced them to do it. They do it because they think they are better off living on electronic waste than going back to the village to grow rice. This means the freedom of choice and the western people are fulfilling the duty to help them achieve freedom, and liberty.
- xtothepowerofx, on 07/06/2008, -1/+3i pity anyone whot diggs this up and agrees with this (im still hoping that JoshChan was being sarcastic). sooo... because we found some people that were poor enough that they would be slightly better off by goin through our garbage (because we are unfathomably wasteful) that we should consider sending them our waste as "help" ?!..
- frankb00th, on 07/06/2008, -3/+3I don't think Josh Chan was being sarcastic. it's a pretty typical apology from a person disconnected with reality. There is a nationalistic euphoria going on right now in that country where they are actually believing that it is "their turn" at achieving a western level of living.Screw the fact that for each affluent Chinese, there are hundreds if not thousands that have to live in conditions that would appall most westerners.It is exploitation of man by man at it's most basic and anyone entertaining illusions that this grotesque farce has any sustainable momentum is quite delusional.China has become what it is today because they were the only ones that would make goods cheaper than the Mexicans. The North American Free trade agreement had about ten years to profit from sending manufacturers there but once the shareholders started demanding more performance, the only place willing to undercut a Mexican sweat shop owner was , you guessed it , China.
Under what conditions must a worker toil in order for a manufacturer to undercut a Mexican manufacturer, where is there room to cut , really ? I dint know and by all mans provide me with a rosier picture because the next stop on this particular train is slavery.
So please if you are not kidding, keep the "it's their choice....liberty bla bla bla...." you are a a child if you truly believe that.and save yourself further embarrassment.
- frankb00th, on 07/06/2008, -3/+3I don't think Josh Chan was being sarcastic. it's a pretty typical apology from a person disconnected with reality. There is a nationalistic euphoria going on right now in that country where they are actually believing that it is "their turn" at achieving a western level of living.Screw the fact that for each affluent Chinese, there are hundreds if not thousands that have to live in conditions that would appall most westerners.It is exploitation of man by man at it's most basic and anyone entertaining illusions that this grotesque farce has any sustainable momentum is quite delusional.China has become what it is today because they were the only ones that would make goods cheaper than the Mexicans. The North American Free trade agreement had about ten years to profit from sending manufacturers there but once the shareholders started demanding more performance, the only place willing to undercut a Mexican sweat shop owner was , you guessed it , China.
- xtothepowerofx, on 07/06/2008, -1/+3i pity anyone whot diggs this up and agrees with this (im still hoping that JoshChan was being sarcastic). sooo... because we found some people that were poor enough that they would be slightly better off by goin through our garbage (because we are unfathomably wasteful) that we should consider sending them our waste as "help" ?!..
- vw2005, on 07/06/2008, -3/+28Where's WALL-E when you need him?
- bosssmiley, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Skiving off in orbit with his hovering robo-floozy, the lazy little slacker!
- mark101, on 07/06/2008, -2/+3The government should make it illegal to export toxic waste (of old PCs) with incentives (subsidies like to farmers) to recycle the valuable metals in old PCs in their original country.
- YZBot, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2It's worth more to sell the scrap. Besides, the metals would just end going back over there anyways. They are the ones manufacturing most of the goods we buy. If they don't want the stuff they should have import laws preventing it from coming in. The truth is, they want the stuff. They just have crappy laws regarding worker safety. That's on their hands, not ours.
There are machines that grind up the electronics and use chemicals to extract the different metals, and they do have and use those machines over there. There are however these isolated places where cheap labor is used instead mechanization. Again, they need to solve that problem over there.
- YZBot, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2It's worth more to sell the scrap. Besides, the metals would just end going back over there anyways. They are the ones manufacturing most of the goods we buy. If they don't want the stuff they should have import laws preventing it from coming in. The truth is, they want the stuff. They just have crappy laws regarding worker safety. That's on their hands, not ours.
- pauls88, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1electro heaven
- metalhead3767, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1or hell
- Infinitedigga, on 07/06/2008, -7/+1Add to that used car tires that accumulate on our earth every day in huge numbers. The end is near my friends and we are the cause of it.
The worst that will happen is those people gonna develop some new viral diseases that has no cure like AIDS and spread it all over the world.
Look at the world from broader perspective no doubt that everyone feels deep down inside that humanity is moving in the wrong direction. Prosperity in one country is the cause of suffering in another. But lets not forget we all are ONE we share same planet and eventually we gonna pay for that. - calinthematrix, on 07/06/2008, -5/+0Hey, that's funny, I don't see anything about this place listed here.....
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsv ...- MuskokasFinest, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Huh?
- franlee, on 07/06/2008, -12/+6More worthless American propaganda about China. China is far less polluted than America. America is still the largest polluter in the World.
- baconz, on 07/06/2008, -4/+4I'm not sure why you are getting dugg down. Oh yea, you're speaking the truth and americans don't like to hear the truth.
- yuanzhoulu, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1yeah, agreed. per capita, America is one of the top few worst polluters in the world in terms of greenhouse gases. it's fact, it's been measured numerous times by many studies, accept it.
China is damn clean compared to the US. the cities may be polluted and there may be problems/loopholes in the government causing situations like Guiyu, but the countryside is on average pretty damn clean from a nature standpoint.
on the other hand, here's the US, who drives to work every day, 1 person per SUV, throwing greenhouse gases into the environment like mad, using paper plates and styrofoam boxes as a cultural standard when reusable plates are readily available, leaves lights on at work at the end of the day, and desires to chop down a whopping acre of forest just to have a tiny house and a huge lawn for the children to play. - carpespasm, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1yuanzhoulu, Please just remember that not all Americans are like this and that those of us who aren't are doing what we can to influence our fellow countrymen to use less. A major problem here is that for the last 60 years we've been sold a story of "the American dream" where everyone _needs_ to have a single family home in a planned subdivision in the suburbs and drive the largest more luxurious vehicle plastic can buy to feel happy and successful. It's made our cities spread out and inefficient. Living in the 2nd largest city in the US by land area, I can tell you this from personal experience, and it pains me to have to drive 30+ min to get from one side of town to the other at freeway speeds. I'm not sure what else to say, but I just wanted to make it known that we're not all jackasses speeding around in hulking SUVs.
- frankb00th, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0carpespasm
Why are you apologizing ? You can be assured that the Chinese are doing everything in order to close the gap in terms of wasteful living standards. Huge land developments are going on right now where they are building MC Mansions by the hundreds and cheap cars by the hundreds of thousands.You have no lesson to receive from the people that post on forums telling us day after day how bad we are. Where we are bad, they're be worse a hundredfold. but since we were bad first it's all good.
- yuanzhoulu, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1yeah, agreed. per capita, America is one of the top few worst polluters in the world in terms of greenhouse gases. it's fact, it's been measured numerous times by many studies, accept it.
- cygnus2112, on 07/06/2008, -0/+13"China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/19/ ...
"China 'now top carbon polluter' "
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7347638.st ...
"Just in time for the Olympics: China now world's largest polluter"
http://www.greendaily.com/2008/04/15/just-in-time- ... - Rain12913, on 07/06/2008, -0/+6Well I personally dug him down because this article isn't about pollution, it's about human rights. While the United States does have millions of people who are exploited and suffering on a daily basis, you still can't tell me that China has a better human rights situation than the United States.
- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
Maybe the righteous Americans companies/government should take intitiative, respect human rights, and stop the export of this toxic garbage to China. Oh wait, that would be inconvenient and expensive for us, so we won't do anything.
franlee is actually right about it- this is all AMERICAN garbage being processed in China. I don't see why China always gets all the blame for harming the environment or not respecting its people, while America provokes this ***** by setting up contract deals for this toxic garbage to be sent there in the first place!
- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
- baconz, on 07/06/2008, -4/+4I'm not sure why you are getting dugg down. Oh yea, you're speaking the truth and americans don't like to hear the truth.
- mrzack, on 07/06/2008, -1/+3I feel sad for my Chinese peeps....I will not buy any electronics for one year to honor Guiyu....
- addicted68098, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1good luck
- KingGorilla, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Do batteries count?
- addicted68098, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1good luck
- s4g4n, on 07/06/2008, -5/+1Blame Shara Connor she did it. But it was to save humanity.
- iVone423, on 07/06/2008, -5/+1at least they are all working! and not being freeloaders or beggers!
- SQLserver, on 07/06/2008, -0/+6I'm sorry, but what nerd(aka who on digg...) actually throws out computers??? I've NEVER thrown out a single piece of electronics above a resistor.
If there for some crazy reason absolutely no working parts, it is still fun to take apart and then smash it to pieces, and let it rest in the basement...
But almost all electronics have some fascinating parts that can be reused.- hollyminkowski, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Old computers have nice switching power supplies that you can quickly rebuild for custom voltages...powerful and stable.
You can find many articles detailing how to do this...it involves rewinding small transformers, but it's easy.
There are always a few 12v and 5v cooling fans you can pull out and use.
You can get good USB sockets out of some cases...good for making custom cables.
The drive cables are good to keep...and always keep the pc's power cord as many devices use these cords.
Old hard drives can be used as external drives with a cheap USB 2 adapter cable.
Lots of good parts.... - KingGorilla, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1A la Office Space
- hollyminkowski, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Old computers have nice switching power supplies that you can quickly rebuild for custom voltages...powerful and stable.
- niCK1010, on 07/06/2008, -5/+0que angry digger comments from people that do nothing but sit at there computers and click to the next top 10 list after reading this. This is " appalling " oh thanks for the info. Wasn't quite sure what to make of the pictures of babies sitting in phone cord piles [kinda like my uncles house]...
buy paper computers - knute5, on 07/06/2008, -6/+1During the past 20 years my PCs routinely crapped out sooner than my Macs. These were both generics, screwed together from parts, or the Dells and Gateways (2-4 years usually). Routinely the Macs got handed down to family and friends, the PC hardware went into the trash.
- Sliver85, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4Who the ***** brings a mac vs. pc debate into the comments for a story like this.
- knute5, on 07/07/2008, -0/+0Lighten up, Francis. You hold onto your electronics longer, they don't wind up in these folks' back yard. That was the point...
- Sliver85, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4Who the ***** brings a mac vs. pc debate into the comments for a story like this.
- Akraz, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1Hey look! Its a big pile of dead XFX 680i motherboards!!!!!
- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
Thank god for American consumerism. - malaak, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Not having a basement, our old computers sit around in the garage, waiting to be organ donors when our current machines have components that go on the fritz.
- KingGorilla, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1I bet you do the same with regular organs too
- malaak, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1Hmmmmm...... I don't think they'd keep as well... ;-)
- KingGorilla, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1I bet you do the same with regular organs too
- frankb00th, on 07/06/2008, -4/+1I used to work in the electronic component grey market. ( The grey market is a network of brokers and stocking distributors that provide missing parts for production when a production run of an electronic product runs short of let's say a type of IC. A huge amount of the parts inside these PCs and whatnots get desoldered off the motherboards , cleaned up, sometimes even refinished, re reeled and re sold as brand new.
Unfortunately, the substitution is only discovered once the parts are put in the new product and engineers get failure after failure in testing runs.Thousands of dollars are lost, production time included, reputations are lost and within about two years it has become that industry's little dirty secret. Those unscrupulous chinese distributors see nothing wrong in reselling us our waste as new and thieving people out of the difference between refurbished and actual brand new. They're actually laughing their heads off . These people have been given access to the playing field of the big boys but do not even follow the basic rules of confidence upon which commerce has been conducted for many years.
So little by little, what was the province of the fly by night entrepreneur has become in little less than 5 years the new "norm" Why ? Oh well it is inevitable we're told. Over the next few years, we are going to become acutely aware of how well and truly had we've been had by the proponents of globalization. All it means and the we will see our standards lowered across the board to adapt to whatever it is that passes for "standards" over there.You pity those workers ? Well there's thousands of them for each of you.
What a joke of planetary proportions. - riolio11, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Ah, geez... that's horrible.
I had no idea this was happening. - frankb00th, on 07/06/2008, -6/+1Aaaah I can see that a Chinese apologist has already made sure to post the customary bla bla bla USA this USA that. It's actually funny how much your actual argument sounds like late fifties pre packaged rhetoric.straight out of the Little Book.Chairman Mao would be proud . It's unfortunately true that during the Great March, it must have been pretty much the only thing for dinner so I cannot blame you for the automaton-like quickness with which we've seen your post appear.
Yes there is no pollution in China, it's all pristine clean, The rivers are clear there are bamboo thickets all around where pandas frolic and the distant sound of the clashing swords of a kung fu duel can be heard. Just keep building walls to hide the slums and the filth, cover everything with a nice veneer and voila the new superpower. I was gonna say that Vegas ain't got nothing on wretches that you guys when it comes to the razzle dazzle but at least over there it has been built under basic working standards that are fit for a human being.
Any hoot , since you own a computer and have access to the Internet, chances are VERY good that you are not one of the wretches that has to toil in a pool of toxic wast e and heavy metals leaching into your skin.No those wretches are probably ensuring your prosperity and keeping you in shark fin soup.
Come back when you have more than vague allegations and a persecution complex if you want people outside of malcontents to actually give you the time of day. - winmac96, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2Aw, just look at the cutesy, cheeky, little trash collector. Man, that is just a disgrace to humanity.
- Betrayer, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1I agree with Greenpeace... we shouldnt throw all of our garbage in one place... we should spread the toxins out evenly all over the world.
- peanutsinmypooh, on 07/06/2008, -3/+0Bravo China... Bravo!
At what cost have you decided to place your people in this situation, that in the long run your workforce will slowly die off due to your lack of concern for their health and safety, all for profit. In the end, those Chinese profiteers high up on the chain of command are breathing that very same air in their high rise Beijing penthouse condominiums. Those high up in the People's Republic are not immune to the laws of nature and karma. Eventually, you will pay for this... someone much bigger always makes you pay.
I do not condone this type of behavior for any society, any race, or any color.- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
Maybe you should do something about it then. Write to your government to tell them to stop exporting this *****.- peanutsinmypooh, on 07/06/2008, -3/+0Yes, so these electronic waste items are coming from America or other countries. Why is China ACCEPTING it then? They have over 3 trillion dollars in US Greenbacks.. They DON'T need to accept anyones TRASH anymore.
It's not as if the trash just showed up from the U.S..!! - Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2Oh. So it's COMPLETELY China's fault? Why is USA SENDING them knowing this is happening? I thought the Americans respected human rights and the environment! By doing this, they are supporting this injustice!
- peanutsinmypooh, on 07/06/2008, -3/+0Yes, so these electronic waste items are coming from America or other countries. Why is China ACCEPTING it then? They have over 3 trillion dollars in US Greenbacks.. They DON'T need to accept anyones TRASH anymore.
- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
- lennybird, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Current TV reports on this matter by going there (video): http://current.com/items/76355482_toxic_villages
- FuZi0nDET, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1It's not exactly common knowledge where you can dispose of old electronics properly. Its not like you can just dump it in with the rest of your recyclables on trash day. If companies are dumping electronic components in China then it is on both the company and the Chinese government for these deplorable hazards to peoples health. What's to say that when you drop off your e-junk for recycling that it actually gets recycled and doesn't end up in a town like this?
- BikerDude69, on 07/06/2008, -4/+2This is not the US' fault, it is Chinas fault. Their government sees themas disposable and doesn't care about their health. China is overpopyulated. perhaps they see pollution as a form of population control. What a shame.
- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
How is it not the US' fault? They have the CHOICE not to do this.- BikerDude69, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1China does not have to allow the imports. Your next argument might be, The US does not have to allow the exports. True also, but no one complains when we buy their cheaply made electronics. We also don't have to allow the items to be imported when they are new. We pay China to use their electronics as long as they work. When they break we send them back. Sounds like a $800 lease option to me. Obviously not a bad racket. Have you seen how Chinese cities are growing? Have you seen how polluted they are? Any government that wants to do business with the US should be required to have the same labor and environmental laws. Equality for all, right?
- Wrangler76, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1"The BAN team found that much of the electronic waste came from places like L.A., as well as other American states."
- iambiguous, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1kill themselves to feed themselves.
we see it everyday.
doesn't make it ok.
doesn't mean we have responsibility either. - Infowarmachine, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1how does the stuff end up there?
and worse things could happen than have someone dump tons of salvagable resources on your town
couldve been unsalvagable stuff
in the US we could just move.. hard to understand places like this.. - KIERANMULLEN, on 07/06/2008, -4/+1China's fault for accepting this garbage. They accept it because they still see value in the rubbish and would risk the lives of their own people to do it.
- AmericansRevolt, on 07/06/2008, -4/+0china sucks
- homer082, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Its neither country's faults (between China and US)..Its the electronics companies fault for not thinking about disposal or recovery of their products once it dies out. Every product regardless if it is from the electronics or even the automotive industry should at least make it a sense to put a GREEN in almost all stages of their products. Be it during the manufacturing stage or when it is on its end of life stage.
If China is the e-waste dump, India is also one of the disposal areas for old ships..Even hospital waste are ship outside the country not for proper disposal but because it is cheaper to have it dump somewhere..Japan actually do this..
I can say that nearly all industries has it fair share of disposing waste to other 3rd world country to lessen disposal cost or even retrieval..- Bloodboiler, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Right, but it's too much to expect companies to do it out of kindness. Governments can and many do order them to see that their products are recycled safely.
For example, in European Union countries prices include cost of recycling (e.g., around 5 cents for cellphone so it's practically nothing). Since customers have covered the costs at the moment of purchase, recycling is mostly a matter of having a collecting system and dumping the stuff to a company that dismantles, sorts and recycles raw materials. Its fairly new system, but seeing the collecting phase is at work is almost heartwarming.
- Bloodboiler, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Right, but it's too much to expect companies to do it out of kindness. Governments can and many do order them to see that their products are recycled safely.
- homescrubb, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2If i were them i would be working to extract the copper from all those wires laying around... at $4/lb (and their wage of 1.50/hr) it has to be profitable!
- Frostek, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1I doubt they get paid anywhere near the worth of the metals they're extracting...
- Harbinger67, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2I was expecting an article on 4chan.
- phathead, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1OK... Someone please explain to me how the garbage got From the US to China. Who payed for it to get shipped there? All this article said it came from the west. Couldn't the west be Europe since china is the far east? How do we know the 'west' actually literally means it was delivered by cowboys? Couldn't it actually have just come from Asia, I mean they make most of the electronics used in the west. I don't think the Chinese ever have thrown away a computer either have they? Since Asia creates these products shouldn't they be partly responsible for the disposal/recycle of them...sustainable development anyone?
- Kevin108, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1The computers there didn't just get dumped by some American recycling company. The article is cartoonishly misleading in that respect. OH NO! THE BAD GUYS ARE CUTTING DOWN ALL THE TREES! No, the bad guys work for a timber company and they're trying to scratch out a living. Likewise, somebody in Guiyu owns a recycling company. This company is responsible for the pollution and the unsafe work practices. Don't blame America for this.
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