'High-Tech Trash"

All over e-waste is choking the landscape and the people who are living nearby. Chris Carroll asserts in "High-Tech Trash" that "People have always been proficient at making trash." Carroll has had first hand experience in this department having travled to Ghana and having seen the endless amounts of old electronics that litter the area. As electronics become outdated and broken, the heaps of trash escalate. Carroll writes, "According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 30 millions to 40 million PCs will be ready for "end-of-life management" in each of the next few years." This does not include televisions or cell phones. Most of these old-fashioned electronics end up in landfills which contribute to dangerous toxins leaking into the ground. Most of the waste that is supposed to be recycled is not necessarily disposed of. E-waste is flowing in and out of different countries. China in previous years has become the hot spot for e-waste. Today, the serious effects of high levels of dioxin in the air and soil are taking its toll on the country. What goes around comes around. Contaminated products will find their back to the United States. Chris Carroll concludes his article by saying, "In a global economy, out of sight will not stay out of mind for long." The effects will soon pile up and changes will need to be made so that the e-waste may flow in a responsible and safe direction.