a walking contradiction...
Current iTunes:
Howie Day's Collide
I'm currently doing research for my environemntal politics paper. My topic is on the export of toxic electronic waste from developed countries to developing countries and its effect on the global environment. I'm looking at a specific case study on Guiyin, China because the situation there is absolutely horrendous. Every day, tons of old computers, printers, TV monitors etc. are transported from North America and Europe to towns such as Guiyin, where they are disassembled using primitive and unproductive methods in order to salvage the bits of gold, copper and lead from these parts.
Between 50-80% of computer/TV waste collected for 'recycling' in North America are exported to Asian destinations. The result? Mountains of computer waste are piled in poor villages where workers work for $2/day, disassembling computers and collecting the few bits of valuable gold and lead found in computer chips. Through this process, many suffer respiratory complications (the emission of sulfur dioxide), cancer, skin diseases and the consequences of water and air comtamination.
Everything is a business. Everything involves politics. The value of money is so high that there's always a market for it. It's a cyclical cycle. But who is to blame? Is it the producers? The politicians? The consumers? The willing?
But in fairness, who are we to deny these people to earn a decent living? Yes, they are endangering their own health and yes they are endangering the environment BUT, many have no choice but to do what they do. Their social and economic circumstances have placed limits on their well-being. And who are we to judge their actions in polluting the global environment when the developed nations have already done their fair share of it during the industrial revolution. Who are we to limit their chance for growth?
This is my dilemma.
How do you find a solution for pollution, AIDS, poverty, sustainable development etc. with these conflicting paradigms?
The more research i do, the more pessimistic i become towards the human population as a whole. The further i go into my studies as a poli sci student, the more skeptical i become towards institutions and state policies. The more i want a career in international development, the more critical i become of my own lifestyle and the choices i make everyday.
As i stare at the unused coumputers, printers, and fax machine in the study, and the fact i'm listening to my iPod and typing on my labtop...I can't help but feel like a walking contradiction.
Photo Credit: Basel Action Network
Photo Credit: Basel Action Network
Photo Credit: Basel Action Network
p.s. I'm not feeling sorry for myself or looking for a pat on the back. These are just some issues i've been struggling with and hopefully someone or something can give me some direction on it.
Howie Day's Collide
I'm currently doing research for my environemntal politics paper. My topic is on the export of toxic electronic waste from developed countries to developing countries and its effect on the global environment. I'm looking at a specific case study on Guiyin, China because the situation there is absolutely horrendous. Every day, tons of old computers, printers, TV monitors etc. are transported from North America and Europe to towns such as Guiyin, where they are disassembled using primitive and unproductive methods in order to salvage the bits of gold, copper and lead from these parts.
Between 50-80% of computer/TV waste collected for 'recycling' in North America are exported to Asian destinations. The result? Mountains of computer waste are piled in poor villages where workers work for $2/day, disassembling computers and collecting the few bits of valuable gold and lead found in computer chips. Through this process, many suffer respiratory complications (the emission of sulfur dioxide), cancer, skin diseases and the consequences of water and air comtamination.
Everything is a business. Everything involves politics. The value of money is so high that there's always a market for it. It's a cyclical cycle. But who is to blame? Is it the producers? The politicians? The consumers? The willing?
But in fairness, who are we to deny these people to earn a decent living? Yes, they are endangering their own health and yes they are endangering the environment BUT, many have no choice but to do what they do. Their social and economic circumstances have placed limits on their well-being. And who are we to judge their actions in polluting the global environment when the developed nations have already done their fair share of it during the industrial revolution. Who are we to limit their chance for growth?
This is my dilemma.
How do you find a solution for pollution, AIDS, poverty, sustainable development etc. with these conflicting paradigms?
The more research i do, the more pessimistic i become towards the human population as a whole. The further i go into my studies as a poli sci student, the more skeptical i become towards institutions and state policies. The more i want a career in international development, the more critical i become of my own lifestyle and the choices i make everyday.
As i stare at the unused coumputers, printers, and fax machine in the study, and the fact i'm listening to my iPod and typing on my labtop...I can't help but feel like a walking contradiction.
Photo Credit: Basel Action Network
Photo Credit: Basel Action Network
Photo Credit: Basel Action Network
p.s. I'm not feeling sorry for myself or looking for a pat on the back. These are just some issues i've been struggling with and hopefully someone or something can give me some direction on it.
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