This is a short video, with beautiful photography, from a New York Times reporter about tin ore extraction, take a look.
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This blog has been created as a forum for students at the University of Michigan enrolled in a course titled "Technology and The Environment", designed by Professor Joe Trumpey within the school of art and design. This section is lead my graduate student instructor Ashley L. Lieber
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It is appalling to me that a material as seemingly basic as tin is harvested by people who live in such unimaginable conditions as those depicted in this video. The village itself is so remote and hard to find- what if someone was injured and needed medical attention? Are they just left to fend for themselves or die? How can a government idly stand by while such horrible atrocities occur within their borders?
And how can companies live with themselves if they contribute to this horrific cycle by buying their tin from this obscure mine hidden in the Congo? Even worse- do I own things that are made with this very tin?
This is just one more example of something I was completely unaware of before this class. It makes me wonder just how many situations like this one exist in the world that most of us are completely ignorant of. I’m so grateful that there are journalists in the world willing to uncover the truth about what is going on in countries like the Congo where this mining is happening. Hearing her voice along with seeing the pictures really allowed me to connect with the story in a deeper way than I would have just reading an article. Without journalism like this, how could we even know stories such as these are taking place in the world around us?
The video posted is one horrifying example of the atrocities being committed in unheard-of mines lost in the depth of the Congo. What better example of distancing and shadowing--where literal obscurity hides this knowledge from the people of the world who have the power to demand different, fairer and much better methods of extraction. How horrible is it that people, young children barely adults, must endure the awful working conditions and abominable pay just so they can attempt to support their families? And it is fueled entirely by the greed of citizens living thousands of miles away! By me, when I use toothpaste, or tin cans, or silverware. I read another article describing similar conditions as the New York Times journalist witnessed--unsafe mining tunnels without room to breathe, that collapse and bury miners, dangerous treks carrying pounds of tin on their back. In the Fortune magazine article I read, the young boy interviewed said he was paid 14 cents per pound he brought, enduring a two day walk with the heavy weight on his back. Because of tin's increasing value as a commodity, prices have risen drastically for it since 2002, to about $7,000 a ton.
But the worst part is that the large companies buying the tin don't actually know that the metal they're purchasing are being mined in such atrocious conditions. Even with 10-15% of the world's tin coming from the Congo, heads of companies deny buying from Africa. The reason, according to the article, is because the tin is being illegally smuggled from the mines in the Congo to legitimate metal markets in Malaysia, Belgium, or South Africa.
As long as theirs demand, this will continue. And it seems impossible not to stop this, when tin is being used in circuit boards of basic electronics that are used every day! Without knowledge of what is happening, we can't possibly hope to end this degrading and dangerous mining.
I cannot believe the conditions in Africa. I have never learned much about their present livestyle, but this class is uncovering much of the problems and poverty many Americans are unaware of. The tin ore extraction in Congo, Africa is hidden from the rest of the world in the middle of a forest. The conditions are so poor and the workers are starved and overworked. It's terrible to hear about such hard work and physical exhaustion is not being repaid to the workers. The missionaries take most of the profit, leaving a small amount for the workers to live off of. Most can barely afford to live in a mud hut and eat rice.
America is such a materialistic country, constantly buying more and more without any knowlege of where it comes from. I had no idea where tin ore came from, and I never really thought about it. And I bet the majority of other Americans are unaware as well. I feel selfish and spoiled to live the lifestyle i am, when so many others have so little.
These problems in the world need to be realized globaly and, we need to take action to control it. The conditions of the Cono workers are so poor and so unsanitary.
I complained every day about my job over the summer at a party store. I complain about school work, or not getting enough sleep. I complain about having to clean, or do the dishes, or take out the trash. I look at myself now and realize how pathetic that is. So many people just happen to live in a 3rd world country and raised in a poor community. They don't have the money to find a home elsewhere. They are stuck and must live with what they have, struggling to survive, and keeping a roof over their heads.
Issues such as this occur not only in Congo, Africa, but in many other places in Africa, and many other countries across the globe. We cannot ignore these issues. We cannot sit back and watch tv and go shopping for unneccessary items when problems like this occur. We need to find away to make Americans more aware of these problems, and help put an end to them.
I never thought about mining tin or what it is used for. I had never really considered where my computer or cell phone came from or how the materials were extracted from the earth. I was in shock watching this video. As I sat here on my computer with my cell phone next to me I wondered if the tin used in my computer came from the mine in Congo. It made me want to shut off both my computer and cell phone and not use it. I wanted to boycott the technology but couldn't. Without computers I would not be able to do half of my work, like turning in this response. Without my cell phone it would be harder to communicate with my family and friends.
I wonder how the soldiers live with themselves watching the workers day and night. I know I would not be able to let this go on. I wonder if they know what they are doing is illegal. I wonder what other illegal operations are held around the world that affect me. Where my other materials are coming from, and if the fact that I own something is directly hurting another human.
As I am typing this review I am thinking about those images I saw and the people working in the mines. They are people and they deserve to be treated humanely.
It was horrifying to hear that they are in hand dug tunnels 600 feet below surrounded my toxic gases. Even if there were no toxic gases, the fact that they are working in dark unstable tunnels is unacceptable. They are doing everything by hand without modern technology without electricity. I am in a state of shock right now, completely outraged. I wonder what I could do to help this, but it seems that it will not stop. There is a high demand for computers and cell phones, why would the owners of these mines shut the business down? They clearly do not care about the lives of their workers. As long as there is a demand for tin this will keep continuing. More publicity needs to invade these areas to get the truth out. If people know what is going on then this could be stopped. There has to be a better way to extract tin without harming the lives of other people who deserve to live.
This is a short video, with beautiful photography, from a New York Times reporter about tin ore extraction, take a look.
There are so many disturbing things that humans do to other humans, to the environment, to themselves. The questions I am always left with are what can we do? Is there actually a way to stop these things. The amazing thing is how our bodies adapt to such terrible situations. The humans who are subjected, the humans who subject, and the humans who see the subjection and do nothing about it. In the film, we see soldiers who are participating, but like the workers who are subjected to these mines, are the soldiers given a choice? Again, I'm left with a taste in my mouth that is sour. What is there to do? Should I quit school?
Tin extraction is something that is demanded by the developing and the developed world. And the result is humans who have very few rights subjected to what amounts to forced labor to fulfill the demand. The film is shocking, but my mind has grown used to the shock value. Do you think that even if the entire world knew about these injustices that something would change? I am doubtful, and I wonder what the alternative is.
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