Environmental issues Flashcards
What is E-waste?
E-waste is the remnants of former electronic devices which need to be disposed of.
Give 3 examples of countries where E-waste may need to be disposed of.
Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and other countries in that region. Also accept Nigeria, Congo and other valid countries in Africa.
Name 3 issues which are environmental regarding E-waste disposal.
- The toxic chemicals in E-waste (like chromium) can seep into water supplies, contaminating it.
- The now toxic water could be taken in by wildlife (or humans) in the area. This could kill them.
- If that water gets into the hydro logical cycle, then we could consume it. Some compounds are carcinogenic and others are toxic. This could, therefore, cause disease.
- Plants and crops could take in this water and either die or pass them on further to the animals that eat them.
Why do companies prefer to ship E-waste to LEDCs?
The overall price is cheaper due to the reduced price of labor and the lack of rules; cheap techniques can be used.
What wage do some Hong Kong residents working with E-waste have?
£0.01 per month.
Why is it more sustainable to recycle E-waste rather than to put it in landfill?
This is because the raw materials like copper used can be re-used in new products rather than being continually extracted from the ground.
What is the issue with constantly extracting new materials like copper?
It will eventually run out entirely. There will be no more ore left.
How do some people make a living in LEDCs?
By picking toxic materials from E-waste. This could make them very ill.
Why do these people still pick toxic, possibly radioactive material if it makes them ill?
- Because they don’t know that it is toxic - they may not have been educated on it.
- Because they are desperate for money needed to survive or raise a family.
What is another possible environmental implication of technology other than E-waste?
The greenhouse effect; factories emit greenhouse gases like CO2 in production of devices.
Also, ores of metals like copper and aluminium are being used up unsustainable so they could quickly run out.
How could you ease the effect of usage of metal ores?
By recycling old devices; no new materials will need to be extracted to make another device.
Why would low power batteries reduce the greenhouse effect when used in thousands of devices worldwide?
This is because less power will need to be generated by fossil fuel power stations and so less greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere.
Why would having a low-power battery in a chain of computers ease the greenhouse effect?
If less power is consumed by the computers, then power stations will need to produce less electricity to charge them. Since the main power stations in the world are fossil fuel powered, less power means that less CO2 is released into the atmosphere
What could be an indirect effect of technology?
Deforestation- the space here will need to be cleared for ore mines or landfills to deposit E-waste. This could then worsen the greenhouse effect or destroy habitats.
