Category:Business And Politics

Coltan

Most people have never heard of Coltan, but it is a vital component of their cell phones, laptops, game consoles and other electronic devices. Coltan, short for Columbite-tantalite is a metallic ore comprising Niobium and Tantalum, found mainly in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formally Zaire). When refined, Coltan becomes a heat resistant powder, metallic tantalum, which has unique properties for storing electrical charge. It is a vital component in the capacitors that control current flow in cell phone circuit boards.

Many believe that the rising demand for electronics items in the developed world and the consequent increase in the demand for Coltan, has fuelled the civil war in this fragile region quite in the same way as Blood Diamonds have... More...

Global Ecolabelling Network

Ecolabels are labels indicated on products that have a reduced impact on the environment than their counterparts. Their rationale is that consumer preferences for eco-friendly products will stimulate demand for such products. With the German Blue Angel programme in 1977, ecolabelling entered mainstream environmental policy-making. More...

The section Business And Politics evaluates the impact of prevailing practices in these fields on the life of the people, the place and the environment and offers conscious alternatives to reach the same goal.

Every small and large business decision or the decision to not do anything has a huge impact on the environment and society. Articles in this section aim to create awareness about prevailing practices, outcomes and the cost of such small and large decisions. They highlight the choices available to political and the corporate leaders and also to people. They make us aware about how we as an individuals can have a say on such issues.

It also makes us realise that we cannot excuse our own inaction and we as individual can imact the decision of these larger than life entities.

Managing Electronic Waste

• The United States generates more e-waste than any other nation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 4.6 million tons of it entered U.S. landfills in 2000, and that amount is projected to grow fourfold in the next few years
• The average lifespan of computers in developed countries has dropped from six years in 1997 to just two years in 2005
• 674 million mobile phones were sold worldwide in 2004 - 30 percent more than in 2003
• As much as 1000 tonnes of a brominated flame retardant called TBBPA was used to manufacture 674 million mobile phones in 2004. This chemical has been linked to neurotoxicity. More...