Overconsumption: Its Impact on Society, Politics, and the Environment - Essay Sample

Introduction

Consumption of various products in our life may create a habit which we cannot control; it is, however, surprising that what we consume involves a chain of production steps and one of the steps or the whole process of production may be the cause of social, political and environmental issues. A huge number of health and environmental problems have been considered as major issues affecting humankind; this is as a result of overconsumption or consumption habits without consideration of the side effects as well as the threats associated with the production process. In my life, I have always liked purchasing new devices such as laptops and mobile phones as soon as they hit the market. Every year I spend much money on purchasing advanced devices based on their performance and ease of handling. Currently, the demand for computer devices has grown exponentially, leading to a high demand for raw materials used to make these devices. Most of the institutions such as banks, government offices, and schools require these devices. Unfortunately, the high demand for these products has led to constraints in the production of Coltan in Central Africa; its production has led to the destruction of the environment and war. Our daily consumption and demand for these products have been of great significance in our lives; however, on the other hand, it is the root cause of human problems in many countries. This paper investigates the social, health, and environmental threats of Coltan production based on the high demand for computing devices such as mobile phones and laptops.

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Threats of Coltan Production as a Result of High Demand for High-Tech Devices

Coltan is a mineral that is used for making high- tech computer devices such as phones and laptops. It is mined in Central Africa (Congo). Children, teenagers, and adults are forced to work in mines. There are so many social, political and environmental problems associated with the mining process of Coltan; this is a result of the high demand from all around the globe for manufacturing of various electronic devices especially in the United States and other leading manufacturers of these products. These products reach to the markets with great value with the advancement in performance, leading to an increase in demand. The price of Coltan has constantly increased from $65 to 600 dollars per kilogram (Schulz, Piatak, & Papp, 17). Most of the mineral products and such as diamond are mined in DRC, the mineral site for Coltan is located in the eastern Congo, this activity has caused great destruction in the ecosystem.

Congo basin rainforest is known as one of the most affected ecosystems; Congo is ranked as the 7th in the top ten countries in the world with high cases of deforestation (Gould, 18). Illegal lumbers hired by the mining associates to clear the forest to create more space for mining sites; this involves cutting down of trees and clearing of the vegetation. The people involved in this operation; however, do to consider restoring the environment for the benefit of the people living in around these regions. Cell phones and many other electronic devices are manufactured with capacitors; this component requires tantalum, which is an extraction from coltan. DRC contributes to high production of Coltan in the world, and as a result, most of the companies producing tantalum related products project their demand on this nation. This has led to pollutions and destruction of natural habitats for gorilla and other wild animals in the region. The area where mining of Coltan occurs is known as a home for many species of animals in Africa. Strict policies and regulations need to be established to intervene and provide a sustainable economic and environmental platform.

Most of the Coltan mines in Congo are owned by the rebels; Coltan mines are the major source of revenue for rebel groups such as Congress for the Defense of the People- CNDP in Congo. The conflicts in DRC has caused much destruction, peace between Congo and the neighboring countries has been lost as a result of struggles over valuable minerals. This situation is fueled by the demand of this mineral from the foreign states. This country does not care about the stability and destructions caused by this operation; instead, the demand for Coltan raise every day. Mining of Coltan is one of the causes of the Congolese war, which has been a major problem with the neighboring states (Smith, James 21). The increase of wealth as a result of Coltan mines have led to political and economic differences in the country, rebel groups, armies, and militia has shown intense aggression for this wealth in the areas of mines.

Despite hostility caused by Coltan mining, the trade has never stopped, and instead, the demand for this mineral increase with an increase of innovation in high technology devices in western industries. The emergence of modern technology such as smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices provoked high demand for coltan. In addition, high demand for Coltan provoked the emergence of Coltan fever, the communities living in the eastern part of Congo became involved in the mining of Coltan. School dropouts, shepherds, farmers have left their farms for the interest of this operation.

From the point of extraction to manufacturing of electronic devices, Coltan minerals pass a chain of intermediaries before reaching final consumers. Some of the intermediary activities are illegal; in some cases, it involves blood shade (Schulz, Piatak, & Papp, 20). Extraction of this mineral may at times involve illegal procedures whereby legally mined ores are mixed with those that are mined illegally. The transformation of Coltan into Tantalum (a product used in making electronic devices such as microchips) also involves a chain of corporations which do observe the effective implementation of policies. For these reasons, therefore, the environmental and economic impacts of Coltan extraction and trade should be considered as a threat to the stability of this nation and ecosystem, and it requires attention from both the government and the traders (Gould, 16). The international community should strategize approaches to manage the situation and stop any form of funding rebel groups directly or indirectly; the western corporation must be involved in this process. Mining of Coltan mineral is of great importance in the development of various high-tech devices and economic growth of the nation and the companies involved; however, the negative impacts of this operation must be stopped. The legal production has to be promoted and avoid factors which fuel negative impacts and conflicts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the products that we consume and the habits of our consumption may, in another case, have negative effects which require attention. High demand for electronic products and the development of technology has led to a high demand for coltan minerals. This economic situation has led to political conflicts and wars in the Congo. Children, teenagers, and adults face challenges in the process of mining this mineral; they are being forced to work in mining sites. Also, the most alarming problems associated with Coltan mining in DRC is the destruction of the environment. Rebels groups should be cut from receiving direct funds from Coltan mining operations. Corporations and governments should provide policies and effective guidelines for Coltan trade.

Works Cited

Gould, Amanda Starling. "Restor (y) in the Ground: Digital Environmental Media Studies." Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network 9.5 (2016).

Schulz, Klaus J., Nadine M. Piatak, and John F. Papp. Niobium and tantalum. No. 1802-M. US Geological Survey, 2017.

Smith, James H. "May it never ends" Price wars, networks, and temporality in the "3 Ts" mining trade of the Eastern DR Congo." HAU: Journal of ethnographic theory 5.1 (2015): 1-34.