Explicit and Implicit Connections between Technology and Socio-

Environmental Problems

Exploring the Externalized Costs of Mobile

Communication Technology

Contents

Introduction

• Exploring the Externalized Costs of Mobile Communication Technology

Coltan

• Coltan, short for columbite-tantalite, is a naturally occurring metallic ore from which valuable tantalum is extracted. The primary end-use of tantalum is for capacitors in electronic circuits , as its high capacitance properties allows the storage and instantaneous release of electric charge with minor power loss.

• Tantalum from coltan is used in consumer electronics products such as cell phones, DVD players, and computers.

Coltan in the Congo

• In Focus: Congo’s Bloody Coltan-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OWj1ZGn4uM&feature=channel – Featured on “Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria” in the fall of 2006.

• The Dirt in the New Machine- http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/12/magazine/the-dirt-in-the-new-machine.html?scp=1&sq=coltan%20congo%20magazine&st=nyt&pagewanted=3

• 2001 UN security council report – http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2001/357e.pdf

Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of

Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• UN Security Council report from April 12, 2001

• Provides systematic and in-depth information on the exploitative Coltan mining networks.

• Provides the names of many key individual actors including top army commanders and businessmen who, with the help of corrupt government structures, have been the engines of systematic and systemic exploitation.

Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of

Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• “The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has relied on its minerals and mining industries to finance the war. Between 1998 and early 2001, the strategy for financing the war was based on three pillars, namely (a) search for cash through the attribution of monopolies; (b) direct and indirect uptake of funds from parastatals and other private companies; and (c) creation of joint ventures between parastatals and foreign companies in countries allied with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

• Parastatal - an entity that is treated by national laws and regulations to be under the guidance of the government, but also separate and autonomous from the government.

The Supply Chain of Tantalum Powder Production

China and Congo’s Coltan Connection

• http://project2049.net/documents/china_and_congos_coltan_connection.pdf

• The focus of public pressure against electronics manufacturers reflects the role of the international private sector in human security. While governments and international institutions should be part of the solution, multinational companies and global consumers, who hold the ultimate purchasing power, may prove to be the most able to enact real changes by demanding conflict free materials from producers throughout the supply chain

• There is a “clear geographical correlation between the activities of illicit armed actors and areas of natural resource exploitation. Control over territory has proven to be the key factor enabling armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to profit from the exploitation of natural resources” United Nations Security Council, “Interim report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1698 (2006)” (S/2007/40), January 31st 2007,

Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009

• Sponsor: Sen. Samuel Brownback [R,KS]

• A bill to require annual disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission of activities involving columbite-tantalite, cassiterite, and wolframite from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and for other purposes.

Breaking the disposable technology paradigm: opportunities for sustainable

interaction design for mobile phones

Abstract:

This articles presents a qualitative study of mobile phone ownership, replacement and disposal practices geared towards identifying design opportunities towards sustainable mobile phone interfaces. It investigates how people understand the lifespan of their phones, what factors, such as style, service contracts, and functionality, affect how they attribute value to their phones, and their awareness and actions regarding mobile phone sustainability. The findings reveal the complexity of the actions and decision-making processes involved in phone ownership and replacement. We use these findings to present open areas for sustainable interaction design and generate seed ideas for designs and services to provoke thought and further exploration towards more sustainable mobile phone interfaces and practices.

http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1357054.1357110

Report from the Conference on Human Factors in Computing

Authors

– Elaine M. Huang, RWTH Aachen University, Motorola Labs, Schaumburg, IL, USA– Khai N. Truong, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Element Use in Wireless Technology Harmful Effects

Lead Used primarily in soldering of circuit boards and other device components

Extremely harmful to the human body; damages both the central and peripheral nervous systems; can cause seizures, retardation, high blood pressure, damage to the kidneys and liver; adversely affects child development.

Beryllium Forms significant portions of electrical connectors and battery contacts

Long term exposure can be carcinogenic, especially for the lungs. Extreme exposure can lead to a potentially fatal condition known as Acute Beryllium Disease.

Arsenic Used in some integrated circuits and semiconductors

Arsenic is a notoriously potent poison; causes severe damage to the digestive tract.

Mercury Can be found to a degree in batteries and circuit boards

Attacks the central nervous and endocrine systems; harmful to mouth, teeth and gums; poses risk in the neurological development of the unborn.

Antimony Used in production of diodes and batteries. Pure form used in semiconductor production

Toxic to humans in ways similar to arsenic; fatal in large doses.

Cadmium Used in soldering, semiconductors and chip resistors

Potentially carcinogenic; Repeated exposure can damage the lungs, kidneys and liver.

“Open” Databases on LCA

The openLCA project will create, in the coming 1.5 years, a modular software for life cycle analysis and sustainability assessments. The software will be available as open source, and will be available for free.

Initially, a basic framework for life cycle assessment (LCA) calculation and two plug-ins will be implemented, a format converter and an uncertainty module. The format converter serves to convert relevant LCA data formats from one to the other, in a loss-less manner. The uncertainty module will help to specify, calculate, visualize and interpret uncertainty in LCA product systems.

http://www.openlca.org/index.html

“Open” Databases on LCA

Earthster

• Without a measurement tool such as LCA, companies that are asked to improve their environmental performance are lost. They may spend extensive resources on an initiative that produces little return while ignoring easier targets. This project, an initiative of New Earth, aims to give life cycle evaluation and publishing power to all companies, along with other ways to document and market their environmental and social performance. And it equally aims to enable buyers around the world to evaluate and identify the products and producers that meet their environmental and social goals.

• http://www.earthster.org/index.php

Earthster

Build Your Process: Drag and Drop your product's purchases, emissions, and extractions onto a canvas to build a representative life-cycle assessment model.

Contribution Analysis: See who is contributing most to the environmental impact of your product. Is it you? Or is it one of your suppliers? This step helps visualize the environmental hotspots.

LCA Initiative

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) launched an International Life Cycle Partnership, known as the Life Cycle Initiative, to enable users around the world to put life cycle thinking into effective practice.

Goals• To provide reliable information in an accessible format• To support good business practices• To contribute to continuous improvement• To prepare industry for growing pressure from consumers• To ensure worldwide applicability and dissemination

• http://lcinitiative.unep.fr/default.asp?site=lcinit&page_id=15CFD910-956F-457D-BD0D-3EF35AB93D60

http://inhouse.unt.edu/Image/MillionCellPhoneRecyleBag.08.jpg