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Story of Coltan

Story of Coltan . By: Melanie Babi, Joyce Attey and Lyona Elie. What exactly is Coltan?. Do you have a cell phone? Or a laptop? Or an xbox ? Do you know how your cell phone destroys the rainforest? Its ALL cause of Coltan. Coltan can store and release electric charge.

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Story of Coltan

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  1. Story of Coltan By: Melanie Babi, Joyce Atteyand Lyona Elie

  2. What exactly is Coltan? • Do you have a cell phone? Or a laptop? Or an xbox? • Do you know how your cell phone destroys the rainforest? • Its ALL cause of Coltan • Coltan can store and release electric charge. • Coltan is an ore from which tantalum is made. • Tantalum is used in cell phones, video games and other types of electronics.

  3. What are the environmental consequences? • Forest clearance to expose substrate for mining • Pollution of streams by silt from washing process; • Reduced productivity of fish stocks in lakes and rivers affected by silt pollution • Ecological changes due to loss of keystone species such as elephants and apes • Long-term changes in watershed due to rapid run-off in deforested areas

  4. What are the cultural consequences? • In the Congo, where most of coltan is mined, though it provides jobs, it also provokes • Corruption, drug abuse and crime • Minerals exploitation • Mining of coltan is one of the driving forces in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. • Lusting foreigners , rebels and government strip the land of its natural resources.

  5. How are industries reacting to the problem? • Many nations aren’t helping out with the problems going on in the Congo. • They are benefiting from the conflict and the vast resources that many are dying over.

  6. What are some solutions? • Recycle Coltan • Recycle electronics • Companies shouldn’t use the idea of planned obsolescence. • SAY NO! to perceived obsolescence.

  7. Mama Doudou • Coltan miners working in the forests are in need of wives to cook their meals, carry their water and keep their beds warm at night. • Doudou Wangonda or Mama Doudou, provides prostitutes for these men for the price of a kilo of coltan. As prices for coltan rise, as do the prices for the prostitution. • Money is not the only thing that spreads. STIs like gonorrhea are quickly spread through the Mama Doudou community. • There are many economic benefits from mining but also many social and humanitarian consequences too.

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