Baotou, in Inner Mongolia, China is the world's largest supplier rare earth minerals, the fundamental ingredients in producing tech gadgets. These elements also can be found in green technologies such as turbines for wind power and electric car. In 2009, China produced 95 % of the world's supply of these. The rare earth mining have played a key role in the economic growth of China over the last decades. But the cost of the mining is horrify.
The environmental issues can easily seen at an artificial lake located in Baotou, which is created from waste byproducts of rare earth mining. It's scale is about 5.5 miles and totally toxic with black sludge and dangerous chemicals. The toxic in here was found to have radiation levels 3 times than the background radiation level. The pollution also occur in the air, with coal dust and sulphur smell.
One of main rare earth minerals that Baotou produced is neodymium, which has a numerous applications from making lasers to electronic devices such as headphones, microphones. Neodymium magnets also are vital component of wind farm turbines and electronic car. But to extract this rare elements, the progress dissolve a vast amount of poisonous waste. Another element that Baotou export is cerium, mainly using to polish touch screens on smartphones and tablets. The progress is also dispose numerous of toxic waste direct into landfill.
With the growing demand for new technologies as recently, rare earth minerals will be more and more be extracted. The rare earth mining has serious impacts on environment as well as human health. We need to change the way we consume and demand for new gadgets. Before knowing Baotou, I change my Iphone every year, to upgrade new version of it. But now, I should think careful before purchasing any new gadgets.
References:
A.Tan, 'This Toxic Lake of Black Sludge Is the Result of Mining to Create Our Tech Gadgets', April 2015.
<http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/toxic-lake-black-sludge-result-mining-create-tech/story?id=30122911>
T.Maughan, The dystopian lake filled by the world's tech lush, April 2015.
<http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth>
R.Ryan, 'Baotou is the world’s biggest supplier of rare earth minerals and it’s hell on Earth', April 2015.
<http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/baotou-is-the-worlds-biggest-supplier-of-rare-earth-minerals-and-its-hell-on-earth/story-e6frfqb9-1227308456947>
A.Tan, 'This Toxic Lake of Black Sludge Is the Result of Mining to Create Our Tech Gadgets', April 2015.
<http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/toxic-lake-black-sludge-result-mining-create-tech/story?id=30122911>
T.Maughan, The dystopian lake filled by the world's tech lush, April 2015.
<http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth>
R.Ryan, 'Baotou is the world’s biggest supplier of rare earth minerals and it’s hell on Earth', April 2015.
<http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/baotou-is-the-worlds-biggest-supplier-of-rare-earth-minerals-and-its-hell-on-earth/story-e6frfqb9-1227308456947>