60 Minutes report on China mirrors SVTC's findings in India
| From: |
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (svtc@svtc.org)
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| Sent: |
Mon 11/10/08 5:44 PM |
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60 Minutes report on China mirrors SVTC's findings in India
Last night’s CBS 60 Minutes segment was about electronic waste in
China. They showed a film crew attacked by gangsters in Guiyu, China
and reporter Scott Pelley incredulously referred to the village - a hub
for illegal e-waste recycling - as "the most toxic place on earth."
The 60 Minutes crew captured scenes of women burning circuit
boards over open coal fires and using acid baths to recover copper and
other precious metals. Unfortunately, these scenes don’t differ much
from the film SVTC shot on India that will premier this Saturday under
the title: "Citizens at Risk: How Electronic Waste is Poisoning India’s
Pathway from Poverty".
SVTC and the Basel Action Network were also in Guiyu in 2001.
Despite more than 12 states passing e-waste recycling laws and numerous
accounts of similar horrendous recycling activities in India and
throughout Africa, the situation has worsened in the past 7 years. The
account of the situation by the Government Accountability
Administration - cited in the 60 Minutes episode - testifies to the
eroding condition of enforcing e-waste laws and how our government is
turning a blind-eye to the issues.
Keeping e-waste in the U.S. would create more American jobs
and put pressure on product manufacturers to reduce the amount of
toxins they put in their products and design electronics to be easily
recycled. The George W. Bush administration has failed to ratify the
Basel Convention and stop U.S. e-waste from leaving our borders.
Like most in the U.S., I am inspired by the recent
presidential election and the prospect for change in US environmental
practices at home and around the world. Recyclers in India, Africa and
Asia have hopes and dreams and see recycling as a means to improve
their lives. I am incredibly optimistic that we can change ewaste
recycling from an illegal and dirty activity to green jobs in the U.S.
and abroad.
To watch the documentary film from our investigation of
e-waste in India, please join us this Saturday, November 15th at the
Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Ca.
More info at: http://www.etoxics.org/site/R?i=tLeZUYJgOy8EwlJIYFoZjQ.. - svtc.org/event2008
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