E- Waste in Ghana
Due to the fact that this class is specifically
focusing on Digital Waste for a two-week period I decided to do more research.
When you type a broad subject such as Digital Waste into a navigation bar you
expect to get lots of results with a wide variety of information. To make my
research easier I decided to specifically narrow my research to dumping grounds
in Ghana. Part of the reason I specifically chose Ghana is because right on the
outskirts of the country the most polluted body of water on earth Is located,
The Korle Lagoon. Inside of Ghana there is an area called Agbogbloshie, this
area is known as one of the world’s major digital dumping grounds.
What sort of disgusts me the most
is that developed countries in some ways trick Ghana’s citizens into allowing
their homes to transform into digital waste-lands. What major exporters will do is label digital
waste junk as donations. Ghanaians will then welcome these donations because
they think that they are to help bridge the digital divide. About 50 percent of
the junk received is salvaged into some sort of use. For example; Boys will
burn old foam on the tops of computers to melt away plastic, which leaves them
with scraps of iron and copper that they are able to sell. The remains of what
is not used and the 50 percent of imported complete junk are dumped in a
burn-site right out of town.
Young
Boys are forced to work in these burn-sites to earn a living. They are surrounded
by toxic waste and do not even realize the health implications from working
there, their bodies are still growing and toxic fumes are always inhaled into
their lungs. Boys that are not even old
enough to help burn waste at the burn cite are given magnets to attract metals
that are left behind and can be sold. The entire community is effected by our
waste and they don’t have a say on whether they want their bodies to be
polluted let alone do they know that they are endangered.
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ghana804/video/video_index.html
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