Value Beyond Price
Many people are aware of the technological revolution that
is benefitting millions of lives around the world. With major advances in
almost every field of science and technology from medical to particle
physics, the recent boom of technologies available to aid human progression is
astonishing. However, few people are educated on the actual value of many of
the raw materials that these advances depend on, an ignorance that has had
irreversible consequences. Those consequences are the global ravishing of
earths natural recourses, especially concentrated on a small group of elements known
as rare earth metals that drive our technological progress.
Despite our infatuation with modern technology, little attention is payed to the the costly and inefficient process
of mining and refining the metals that they depend on. This process is extremely detrimental to
the earth and her natural recourses, taking in decades what took millions of
years to create. The products then created from these metals are extremely
problematic throughout their life-stream, creating an immense amount of waste
from start to finish. It is almost impossible to repurpose many of the rare
metals that exist in our consumer products, especially that of electronics. All
of these products exist in a system that is complaisant with planned
obsolescence. Creating product comprised of long lasting, rare earth metals, but only having a life span of about a year.
This creates a dangerous combination that has led to the fastest growing waste
stream with the least potential for recycling and the highest cost to our global
environment and progression. trail-of-toxic-e-waste
The majority of consumer products are not built to last, especially our personal tech-devices. When a small part breaks, we dispose of the entire product (if we’re not just upgrading). Cell phones, tablets, TV’s and computers are just some of the products that depend on a large amount of rare earth metals that are being needlessly disposed of. Without proper ways to recycle the rare earth metals, these and many other electronic devices comprise the issues of e-waste that continues exponentially.
However with China controlling the majority of rare earth metal exports and their trade regulations increasing cost around the world, everyone is looking towards alternatives. From major corporations like Toyota to minor Upstarts like Phonebloks, companies around the world are striving to reduce their dependency on rare earth metals without compromising the convenience of their technologies. All with the hopes to one day ending the need for non-renewable recourses.
Next Week; What to do as consumers
The majority of consumer products are not built to last, especially our personal tech-devices. When a small part breaks, we dispose of the entire product (if we’re not just upgrading). Cell phones, tablets, TV’s and computers are just some of the products that depend on a large amount of rare earth metals that are being needlessly disposed of. Without proper ways to recycle the rare earth metals, these and many other electronic devices comprise the issues of e-waste that continues exponentially.
However with China controlling the majority of rare earth metal exports and their trade regulations increasing cost around the world, everyone is looking towards alternatives. From major corporations like Toyota to minor Upstarts like Phonebloks, companies around the world are striving to reduce their dependency on rare earth metals without compromising the convenience of their technologies. All with the hopes to one day ending the need for non-renewable recourses.
Next Week; What to do as consumers
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