Issues in Guiyu, China
What actually happen in Guiyu is not legal as it is an informal recycling operation of electronic waste. Most of the electronics which are import are actually smuggle from other country into China, Guiyu under the “guise” of recycling. The poor handling of used electronics are applied which they sold to overseas lowest bidder without following any appropriate recycling procedures. The trading was illegal transfer to Guiyu and the recycling was done in primitive ways in result of environmental devastating. This recycling system is a profitable business for recycler which they can earn additional profits by selling these used electronics products to the China. Furthermore, under the guise of recycling operations they are able to avoid any tax from the U.S Federal government.
However, government had notices the health and environmental issues occurring in Guiyu and did some reasonable steps to reduce the burdens in Guiyu such as banning the import of electronic waste. Though the solution which was believed to release the burden and help the people of Guiyu raises the trumps of human rights due to massive revenues. People in Guiyu were willingly to work in this polluted and dangerous land as they earn higher revenues comparing with farmer or other labourers. The revenues were even raises to its peak especially in the rapidly producing of electronic items. Furthermore, banning of import electronic waste raises the issues on shortage of raw materials. Government could not freely enforce any rules on Guiyu as the entire economy is depends on this industry and the livehood for people in Guiyu depends on it. Therefore, Guiyu could never be shut down by the government in consideration of the 150,000 people were em...
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On the other hand, major industry firm should be enforced and pressured to avoid any hazardous chemicals during creating their products. They should prepared plan for electronic waste when they are producing every electronic product. Also, industry and people should ensure that their products are properly been disposed and recycled during the electronic waste procedure.
In 2009 to 2011, China has successfully regulated the e-waste disposal with “Home Appliance Old for New Rebate Program”. Although China had limited smuggle of electronic waste products but it is believed most of the e-waste was produced domestically. China applies and encourages major industry and manufacture to apply low toxic chemicals in their products in regarding of legality and morality. It is important to understand the business ethics where profit is never their major goal.
Gus Lee, who was born in San Francisco in 1946, a pace about his childhood. He wrote a novel named China Boy in 1991 and did a great job in describing a boy who was grow up in San Francisco and the hardships that the little Chinese boy experienced. Based on the history, the push factors that brought the Chinese to America are unemployment, poverty, famine, overpopulation, and political persecution. In another way, the pull factors are the United States has plenty of work opportunities, the idea of the gold mountain, steamboat ads and the illusion of equality. Gus Lee describes Kai Ting as a representative Chinese boy and growing up in the United Sates, and how he overcomes the difficulties that he faced in the United States. The novel shows
Even though electronic waste contributes one percent of waste as discussed earlier, it poses a significant threat to the environment. “RCRA does not, however, cover electronic waste except CRTs, nor does it regulate electronic devices donated for educational or charitable reuse.” The RCRA should implement rules to govern e-waste because e-waste not only affects lives in the United States, It affects everyone globally. E-waste typically finds its ways out of the United States and ends up in developing countries like
One of China’s best successes has in turn been one of its biggest downfalls. One of the main problems is China’s greatest success which has been its phenomenal economic growth. This is one of the main drivers of the current environmental problems that the country faces. Factories dump pollutants into the air and water. It is difficult to see the Chinese government making the significant sacrifices required to improve their environment if it means slowing down their economic growth.
The e-waste trade is an exploitative industry in which electronics, circuit boards, old TV’s and desktops that are of no more value, get dumped into third world countries such as Ghana, Vietnam, Malaysia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and many others. The people of these third world countries than burn the electronics in order to collect the remains and scraps of copper and iron that can be sold for money. The smell and burning smolder of plastic from the computers and old TV’s are incredibly toxic, slowly killing the children, women, and men that burn these e-waste remains in order to create a living for themselves. Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim all have theories that can be applied and related to this trade of e-waste. Adam Smith’s theory
...e are now regulations in place dealing with casings and other equipment (Regulations). If there were more regulations like this, there might be less breaks and les contamination. There might also be less spills or related accidents if there were more regulations on the disposing of these dangerous chemicals. How the chemicals are being disposed of should be monitored (Howells).
The Tang Dynasty (618 -907 A.D), also known as China’s glorious revelation, was a time of major change both politically and economically in the Chinese Empire. During this time period, trade became greater than ever. The military power strengthened. The population also increased during this time period from fifty million to eighty million in just two centuries with its large population base, the dynasty was able to raise professional and conscripted armies of hundreds of thousands of troops to contend with nomadic powers in dominating Inter Asia. The Tang also has a strong influence on its neighboring states such as Korea (which was at the time made if of three kingdoms) and Japan. During this time period the Silk Road expanded and trade
America’s demand for cheap clothes and China’s demand for cheap cotton are a match made in heaven. After China reopened its doors to the world after the transition to Communism, factories were state-owned. The Chinese state exploits the powerless, through the hukou system. Each citizen is registered to specify where they live, and what jobs they have. People with a rural hukou are ‘second-class’, and often migrate to the city to try and work in factories (Rivoli 106-107). Workers in the he yarn and fabric factories work long hours doing dull, repetitive jobs in dangerous conditions. The crushing central planning and human labor left no room for innovation, so the private sector, where innovation is valued, has nearly quadrupled in size (Rivoli 85). Widespread cheating and deception, are becoming common in order to keep costs low, creating a ‘race to the bottom.’ While trying to get on top, factories have destroyed many basic human rights, as well as the environment. It has become commonplace to read news articles about dumping waste into rivers, clear-cutting forests for industrial sites, and heavily polluted air. The humans have hurt the environment, and it may seem as though Mother Nature is trying to bite back. Respiratory diseases from smog and toxic chemicals contaminating drinking water are examples of the environment affecting
China has overtaken Germany as the world’s top exporter of goods, which marks another breakthrough in China’s rise to the top and its ever growing economic influence. As China’s export rates rise to the highest in the world, so does its pollution. Judith Shapiro, the director of the Masters in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development for the School of International Service at American University, states that with “20 of the World’s 30 most polluted cities [residing] in China” it is an easy task to see the severity of pollution (Sharpiro). In order to rise to its high economic position China’s government ignores pollution regulations, allowing the release of waste into the air and water to skyrocket. Lee Liu, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Central Missouri, discusses that pollution has increased to the point where it has caused “459 cancer villages across 29 of China’s 31 provincial units” (9). Cancer villages are small communities near pollution creating factories where cancer rates have soared far above the national average. Most one the 459 cancer villages remain unofficially reported, due to the Chinese government not wanting to own up to its own pollution issues. China’s lack of environmental law enforcement is the reason for its large increase of water and air pollution, which is the cause of the cancer villages.
Since the start of opening their ports to the outside world, China started to mass produce items fast and cheap. China’s natural resources are diminishing quickly with the demand of their products globally. Most factories that produce goods run on coal or some sort of natural resource. Increasing the demand of goods, means that the demand of coal and other scares minerals increase. In Yeh’s paper she sees that since globalization in China, “[Shanghai] has turned shopping into an entertainment.” Places such as Shanghai had rapidly adapted to globalization by accommodating some western ideas to a sacred city. The rapid growth of globalization in China has caused a massive change throughout the country entirely.
Have you ever heard of the term “e-waste”? If not, you’re not alone. Thankfully two very like minded individuals, Annie Leonard, who is the co creator of the Global Alliance for Incinerator, and Chris Caroll, writer for National Geographic Magazine, dedicated their time to enlighten people into the unseen life cycle of outdated house held tech, “e-waste.” In Leonard’s essay, “The Story of Stuff: Electronics,” and Caroll’s short film script “High Tech Trash,” the reader gets an in-depth understating of the tremendous impact the technological empire has on the environment, and the individuals involved in the circulation of their products. Although Leonard and Caroll concede that e-waste is negatively impacting our environment, due to technologies
China has approximately 20% of the world’s population, which is around 1.3 billion people (Morris, 2009, p. 111). Also, China has become one of the worlds biggest manufacturing countries within 30 years (Fawssett, 2009, p. 27). However, such rapid development has come at a cost, which has created various environmental problems. Coincidentally, China has 16 cities on a list of the 20 worst polluted cities in the world (Fawssett, 2009, p. 15). Therefore, this essay will explain the reasons for China’s environmental problems, then evaluate the claim that the Chinese government and people, are tackling these environmental problems. First, crop farming techniques over the last hundred years, and their consequences will be explained. Followed by, how peoples choice in food has changed over the last hundred years, and how this indirectly affects the environment. Then, how a capitalist economy is linked to agriculture, and finally what the Chinese government and people are doing to tackle these problems.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to all consumer electronic products that are ready to be discarded into the waste stream. Once these devices are deposited into landfills, toxic substances leach into the earth and into the water supply. According to a recent study from the Government Accountability Office, 50 million computers become outdated each year, and studies suggest that between 315 and 600 million desktop and laptop computers will soon be obsolete.
There was a cold and brutal murder that involved the strangulation of an innocent girl awaiting her own high school graduation, Hae Min Lee, on January 13, 1999. She was only 17 at the time, with a bright future ahead; good grades, involved in many school activities, responsible, and well-known by many. Only a senior at her school, in a small town in Baltimore, Maryland, she was found dead at Leakin Park, only a few miles away from Woodlawn high school, where she attended until her murder. About 18 years later, her brutal death is still a mystery, and the true question is, who really killed Hae Min Lee and what was their motive? Jay Wilds is guilty of Hae Min Lee’s murder, another student at Woodlawn High School, committed on January 13,
From an analysis of the cradle to grave process, it is evident that while the Macbook Pro is not a recyclable product, the product is valuable to consumers because of various technological advances. However, due to the increasing importance of environmentally safe product disposal, Apple will need to modify the manufacturing process to create a recyclable product. The Macbook Pro will become a more popular product if Apple maintains the high standards of technological development and incorporates a low environmental impact into the cradle to grave process.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd which trades as Foxconn Technology group or as the media calls it Foxconn has been in media limelight recently due to labor problems that have surfaced from the organization. Foxconn is a major equipment manufacturer supplier to electronics giants like Blackberry, Apple, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo Wii. The internet has several articles and controversies regarding the deplorable worker conditions and cases of suicides by the workers.