Science Unit 4 Lesson 9

Question 1

Where does the majority of combat come from?

Answer 1

Democratic Republic of Congo

Question 2

How is combat used in phones?

Answer 2

In lithium-ion batteries

Question 3

What is the ugly truth of colbat mining in Congo?

Answer 3

Paul* was just 12 years old when he was forced to start working in mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country in Central Africa. Day after day, he’d descend hundreds of feet underground without any protective gear. Using a small chisel, he’d spend up to 24 hours at a time searching for cobalt, an essential component of the rechargeable batteries that power our smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices.
Collecting cobalt is backbreaking – and life-threatening – work. At any moment, the mine’s tunnels could have caved in, leaving Paul buried in an avalanche of rocks and dirt. Cobalt miners are also exposed to toxic materials that can cause cancer, lung disease, and other serious health problems.

Question 4

What percentage of colbat do we get from Congo? And about how many kids are working in the industry?

Answer 4

DRC, where 60 percent of the world’s cobalt is mined. The report detailed a number of human rights abuses, including a lack of worker protections and the use of child laborers like Paul. 40,000 kids work there

Question 5

What is the definition of conflict minerals?

Answer 5

minerals mined in areas of violent conflict and sold to fund the activities of violent groups

Question 6

What are the 3TG minerals/conflict materials?

Answer 6

Tungsten Tantalum Tin Gold

Question 7

What do conflict mines do?

Answer 7

Countries in conflict, tax the use of mines and sell the minerals allowing them to buy weapons for armed groups.

Question 8

What is an example of a country the used conflict mines?

Answer 8

In Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), armed militias control certain mines. Taxing the use of the mine and selling the minerals allow the armed groups to buy weapons.

Question 9

How are people trying to stop conflict mining is it working?

Answer 9

Laws now require companies to disclose the source of any conflict minerals in their products. However, as minerals are often mixed together, it can be difficult to know the true source.

Question 10

What is artisanal mining/small scale mining?

Answer 10

Artisanal mining is a small-scale mining method that is common throughout the world. Rather than working as employees of large mining companies, individuals extract minerals on their own, often at unregulated sites/Resource extraction by individuals not working at regulated mine sites

Question 11

Why is artisanal mining hazardous?

Answer 11

Miners often use mercury to extract gold from rock, creating a mix of gold and mercury. Smelters burn this mixture, leaving only the gold and releasing mercury fumes into the air.

Question 12

Why health causes an mercury lead to?

Answer 12

Brain and kidney damage

Question 13

Why can mercury and water cause a big problem?

Answer 13

When mercury pollutes water and land resources, the entire population of the area is at risk.

Question 14

How much e-waste is produced each year?

Answer 14

41 million tons

Question 15

How can recycling e-waste be useful?

Answer 15

Many minerals used in smart devices can be recovered if the devices are properly recycled.

Question 16

What is the definition of e-waste?

Answer 16

electronics that have been discarded or are near the end of their useful life

Question 17

What challenges still exist in establishing responsible recycling programs?

Answer 17

E-waste is often exported to poorer countries where devices may be smashed or burned to extract the minerals. Workers who process e-waste in this way are exposed to dangerous chemicals. Also, devices are often designed to be difficult to disassemble, which makes recycling more difficult.