If so—and if you have not already watched it—take the time to
watch excerpts from the November 9th 60 Minutes show exposing what’s
happening to victims of ill-conceived e-waste-dismantling efforts made possible
by fraudulent exports from the US.
Go to “The Electronic Wasteland” to watch the segment.
While the show takes a Colorado-based recycler to task for
his illegal activities, to me the real culprits are the supposed caretakers of
our discards, the MSW officials who apparently turned a blind eye to the fate of
the hazardous materials.
In my September 2008 Editor’s Comments entitled Why Let
Stewardship Get in the Way of a Quick Buck? ,
I called attention to the situation by asking the question, “Is
this what you and I had in mind when we supported rising tide of
environmentalism back in the 1980s and ’90s, or were we mistaken in viewing the
hierarchy as a means of forwarding and rewarding stewardship?”
I
followed this up with my thoughts on the situation:
“I don’t know how
much faith you and I should place in diversion figures from around the nation,
but supposing they’re accurate, how germane are they if
we’ve relinquished the ability to participate responsibly in their return to the
world of commerce? To me that’s
the real issue, and I’m not sure those responsible for the supposed success of
recycling really want to know the answer.”
Clearly, those who waited in line to deliver their e-waste
expected that it would be properly handled, but those responsible for the
travesty portrayed in the segment—and I don’t mean the smugglers, but rather the
MSW agency under whose auspices the event was conducted—are the ones who should
be held accountable.
Please view the segment and then give us your thoughts.