60 Minutes is one of my favorite shows and easily on of the best on TV.
Recently, correspondent Scott Pelley went to Guiyi, China to document the lives of Chinese e-waste workers there. He was able to get footage of what these pits, which process much of the toxic electronic scrap that we in the West throw away, despite being jumped by angry e-waste lot owners and nearly having his camera confiscated.
The Chinese men who attacked them were trying to keep mum on the lucrative business of mining e-waste for valuable components, including gold. According to Jim Puckett, who works for a group working to stop the dumping of toxic materials in third world countries, “A lot of people are turning a blind eye here. And if somebody makes enough noise, they’re afraid this [business] is all going to dry up.”
The workers who sift through these e-waste pits get paid about $8 a day. They use caustic chemicals and often burn plastic without any type of protection uniform. The air is full of toxins, potable water needs to be trucked in, and pregnancies in the city are six times more likely to be miscarriages. All to deal with the mess we give them.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that even though we don’t see our trash anymore, it still exists. And even though America has laws against e-dumping, companies constantly ignore them with little repercussions.
The segment airs tonight so be sure to watch it after all the football late games are over.
And I will now get off the soapbox I’ve been on all weekend!!!!!
Tags: 60 Minutes, attacked, China, e-waste, Jim Puckett, Scott Pelley, workers, worldgaming
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