Headline January 31, 2018/ '' 'CRIMES -E-WASTE- CRISES ' ''

'' 'CRIMES -E-WASTE- CRISES ' ''

IN TOTAL TRUTH : THE VAST MAJORITY OF POLITICIANS..............

Are environmental hypocrites, weak and devoid of vision, they constitute the very embodiment of  complacency and utter shame......................

RESTORING MOTHER EARTH to health is the first major need of the time, together with a shift in lifestyles, this requires economic systemic change and a reorientation of political priorities.

Knowing there is an environmental crisis, claiming to be concerned but doing little or nothing is pure hypocrisy; to their utter shame the vast majority of politicians are environmental hypocrites, weak and devoid of vision, they constitute the very embodiment of complacency.

They are indebted to big businesses and have repeatedly shown that they cannot be relied on to initiate the radical policies needed to keep fossil fuels in the ground and repair the environmental carriage mankind has caused.

The number one priority around governments of the world is 'the economy'.

This is the sacred cow around which they tiptoe and to whom they make their reverential offerings in the hope of being blessed by limitless economic growth, no mater the environmental cost.   

In 2016 alone, 435 tonnes of phones were discarded, despite containing billions of dollars worth of materials.

WAR must be considered and declared on growing e-waste misery and crisis.

Just as plastic waste has become a hot button issue in recent years, organisers of the call for a ''global reboot'' on e-waste hope governments, businesses and consumers will explore ways of rousing or repurposing electronics to limit the environmental fallout.

Ruediger Kuehr, programme director at United Nations University and an expert in e-waste said :

Better collection networks of e-waste would have a significant impact, as would tech users properly disposing of their gadgets, tather then stuffing them in drawers and cabinets when a new generation comes out.

Health impact : Remember, the average smartphone contains up to 60 elements, mainly metals, that are prized in the electronics industry for their high conductivity and clarity.

So-called rare earth materials used in batteries and camera lenses are increasingly expensive to mine and only exist a handful of places on Earth.

Yet there is 100 times more gold, for example, in a tonne of mobile phones than in a ton tonne of golden ore - it's simply a case of creating enough demand for recycled materials, according to Kuehr.

''If recyclers are tasked with recycling close to 100 percent of materials in electronics they will do their best to do so,'' he said.

''At the moment they don't because there's no demand for it - resources prices do still allow for mining in the ground.

Technologically it's doable to recycle nearly {metals in phones and computers} but it's not economically feasible yet we need economies of scale.''

As well as old-generation phones and laptops, areas of e-waste are growing as society becomes increasingly electrified : toys, medical equipment, furniture and most automotive parts now contain some electronic material that could be harvested and reused.

E-waste also has a significant impact on health : although it represents only 2 percent of solid waste in landfill, it accounts for up to 70 percent of the hazardous material there.

Developing nations such as Nigeria and Pakistan import e-waste for a fee, and an informal economy has grown up as people comb through shipments for items to resell - potentially exposing them to danger.

''We are shipping our excess equipment to developing countries in order to make little bit of money out of it and we see a lot of environmental and health consequences from it,'' said Kuehr.

With respectful dedication to the Leaders, Grandparents, Parents, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.

See Ya all prepare for Great Global Elections and ''register'' on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter - E-!WOW! - the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Temps & Tents '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless