环球英语 — 474：E-Waste
Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for Spotlight, I’m Liz Waid
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Computers are amazing machines. It is amazing what people can do with a box made of metal and plastic. People create images. They play games. They even communicate with other people across the world. But computers are not all fun and games. For some people, computers cause disease and even death.
Voice 2
In a landfill in Nigeria, young people dig through mountains of waste products such as computers. They are searching for parts of electronics such as computers. They are looking for valuable metals such as copper and cadmium to sell. But getting these metals from the computers releases dangerous chemicals. These young people have great risk. They risk cancer, brain damage, and nerve damage. Today’s Spotlight is on a problem called e-waste.
Voice 1
E-waste is waste from electric devices such as computers, radios, and televisions. Some of the materials in these devices can be very bad for the environment. Computers use metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium. These are poisonous for people and the environment. When people break computers apart, these metals escape into the soil, water or air.
Voice 2
There are over one billion computers in the world. Many of these computers only get used for two years. After that, people put them into large waste areas called landfills. In the United States, people throw out thirty million computers each year. These computers become waste. Many other countries also send their old computers to landfills. In landfills, seventy percent of heavy metal waste comes from electrical devices. Sometimes people will give their old computers to people who cannot buy new computers. But even these computers will become waste when new technology is available.
Voice 1
Not all computers go to landfills in their own countries. Many developed countries send old computers and electric devices to less developed countries. Much of the e-waste is sent to India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. Companies in these countries can make a lot of money from the old computers. These companies use old computers and take out pieces they can use. Then they build new computers with the old parts. They also sell parts of the computers for money.
Voice 2
The process of getting these parts from old computers is difficult. And it can be harmful to people. Workers use many different ways to get the metal, and other pieces from the old computers. They boil, melt, and crush parts of the computer. This process releases chemicals that are harmful to the workers. Many of the workers in computer recycling factories are poor. They cannot get better jobs. And they can not get medical care. Their jobs threaten their health.
Voice 1
The families that live near these landfills and factories are also at risk. They are at risk of cancer, brain damage, and problems affecting their nerves. They are at risk because of the dangerous chemicals and metals in the computers.
Voice 2
Breaking apart these old computers is bad for the environment too. People can only reuse fifty percent of an old computer. They can not use the rest of the computer at all. The workers often burn the extra parts from the computers. Burning this plastic releases harmful chemicals into the air. And the chemicals damage plants and animals.
Voice 1
E-waste was not a problem twenty five years ago. There were not as many electronic devices in the world. But today, humans produce 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste every year. In Europe, only 25 percent of e-waste is recycled, or reused, correctly. In developing countries, only one percent is recycled correctly. Most e-waste is sent to developing countries.
Voice 2
But will the e-waste problem ever stop growing? Well, companies and people must work together. For example, a city in the United States is trying to make sure that people throw out computers correctly. They made a new law. Now, putting computers in landfills is illegal. People must bring their old computers to a special place. There, people will recycle the computers correctly. The city has made it easy for people to recycle their computers.
Voice 1
Many electronics companies are also making it easier to recycle their products. They are removing the dangerous chemicals from things such as computers and mobile telephones.
Voice 2
StEP is a group that is working to fight e-waste. Their name S T E P stands for Solving the E-waste Problem. The group is made of many organizations who care about the effects of e-waste. They hope to solve the problem by working together.
Voice 1
StEP works in many different ways. It is a resource for governments to learn about e-waste and make better laws. It encourages people to re-use electronic devices, like computers. It looks for new ways to recycle e-waste safely. And finally, StEP works with companies to make better, safer electronic products. It is a resource for better thinking, planning and action on e-waste.
Voice 2
But you do not have to own a factory or be a government official to reduce e-waste. You do not have to be a researcher with StEP. There are ways for you to help in your own community. In many cities, there are special places where you can recycle your computer or other electronics.
Voice 1
You may not own a computer, but even radios and televisions can harm the environment. Find out if there is a store or other place that will throw out electric devices correctly for you. Tell your friends to also give their used devices to these organizations. If you buy a new computer, or radio, give the old one to someone who can use it. If you have an electrical device that breaks, see if someone can repair it.
Voice 2
It is easy to put old things in the trash and never think about them again. But most waste, never disappears. A computer you throw away today could be in the hands of a person across the world in a few weeks. Every decision we make with our electrical devices today effects the lives of other people in the future.
