End of 2009: Year of the Gorilla

I know I arrive a bit late but what matters is the thought. Some days after having begun 2010 I would like to wish it to you.

Year after year, one that comes another that goes, that's life: someone comes, someone goes. I have taken advantage of the last post of the year to dedicate some words to the animal of the year 2009: The Gorilla.

This is not the first time I make a reference to this animal but sadly, this species like many other big mammals are on the brink of extinction and I think it is a moral obligation to me to remind my readers the nowadays situation of one of our nearer relatives in the Line of Evolution.

I always insist in the same words: The Change has to come out from everyone of us and this is usuful for different aspects of life. We don't have to wait for the Messiah, just live in the way we would like things to be. And of course I'm not the author of this quote, it is the philosopher Kant and it is something that I try to put into practice every day:

Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.

If continue reading, below you'll see I have left several links to information about the gorilla although we could reduce its problems to deforestation and it has three main causes:

1. Search of wood for furniture for rich people (WE).


2. Search of wood for cooking and meat for the ones who are very poor (THE OTHERS).


3. Coltan minery for the posh people who want to change their mobile at a good clip (and I say mobiles for not saying more electronic devices).

So if you consider yourself a responsible person:

• Buy wood when really necessary and take into account its origin. Look for FSC certificates or at least ask the shop assistant about any other warranties: Get the word out.

• Reuse, try to buy second hand furniture. You can find some good oportunities with a bit of patience.

• Calm down with your mobile and don't be so flashy, take profit of it for at least two years if possible and ask your mobile provider any kind of certification which shows that the coltan in your mobile has been taken out under environmental and social responsibility policies because not only elephants and gorillas are killed but also children and farmers are made slaves.

I also want to pay tribute to Dian Fossey who gave her life for defending these incredible animals and without her sacrifice gorillas would've been wiped out. Here you are some links: Wikipedia, the charity which takes her name and another where I've got the picture below.

We also have to pay tribute to Jane Goodall: link 1, link 2 and link 3. You are her foto below and one of her books made me think twice about the way I was conntected to the world and also made me give the first steps to become vegetarian.

Finally, as I paid tribute to the bucardo (link in English), I'd like to do the same with Digit because I think is not fair they fall into obscurity because of a world plenty of "noise", vanity, shallowness and greed. To those who don't know it, gorillas almost don't fight for food, their territory or mating, but leaders put into risk their lifes for trying to stand the group together. Digit was a leader whose loyalty to her family brought her to death when in 1977 she kept a tight rein on six pouchers and their dogs. Her death highlighted the inexorable human interference into the mountain gorillas habit in Central Africa. I hope Gaia has Digit in its glory and from this moment in our hearts.

In the name of gorillas (maybe they can't understand this lines but sign languaje) and mine, we would like to appreciate this time of reading and I sincerelly wish you a very happy 2010.

P.S. Here you are the link to the picture of Digit's tomb: click here.

Take Care With Your Xmas Gifts

Now it's time to buy many things as a gift to our mates and folks. And now more than before, we have to take into account things on the background of the things we get. Remember you have many things to say with your buy. You can decide the politics of many companies getting some products instead of others. And of course, think twice before getting something. Think that doubling the time you use something you are reducing twice the quantity of waste. And of course, if you are getting electronic devices, take also into account the word coltan.

I leave you a video to think about my words.

Coltan, Congo coffins?

Some time ago, I promised to my friend Paqui to comment some things about how the irresponsible consumption of mobiles had, has and will have, if nothing stops it, its repercusions in the environment and so far they don't seem to be perceptible to this very well-off society. I don't properly know the reasons, but maybe because of comfort, indifference or another unknown question, many people don't want to speak about some subjects because they say they go bad, but, as somebody said once: no to think in what you go bad is what hurts you.

From time to time you can see ads to change your "old" mobile for free. For sellers it will be a good thing but not for the environment. One thing annoys me: when somebody says to me that my mobile is as heavy as a brick..... go to hell!! Let's continue because I'm getting angry....

According to figures in Spain in August 2006, the mean of mobiles updating was one a year to the 59% of population and in that way, we accumulated a mean of 3.7 mobiles per person. Respect to recycling the device, it is the best option to get rid of it, but we have to take into account that we need energy and we still depend the most on fossil fuels, so you continue polluting.... A lot of plastics are impossible to be recycled because they are polluted by some of the metals that the mobile contains, but it is a minor problem because what it's really important is to recover half-precious and strategic metals. So let's see, what's the relation between this and Congo? That among those half-precious metals is coltan.

Coltan is a compound which presents a lot of resistance against heat and that extends batteries life. 80% of the coltan comes from Africa and the worst is that it comes from high conflictivity places as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last figures I've got, say that more than 10.000 miners are working under subhuman conditions to extract coltan clay. In 2003, in response to several reports on injustice, corruption and violence, the most important mobile makers got measures to prevent that the coltan they used didn't come from Congo (in this way, I sent an e-mail to Nokia and nobody answered... did it get lost?). If I haven't misunderstood, 27 companies were accused of importing coltan from Congo, it is not strange.... the mobile makers want to reduce costs at any price, I suppose, and it seems that what it's happening in Congo is not a big deal... The question is that they can sell cheaper and get more benefits.

According to what I'm seeing I understand that the message is: we need progress at any price. What the hell does it mean for you that mines are run by guerrillas? The question is that belgian, dutch and german companies are feeding the subject. Some time ago BBC reported that in some places of Congo, childrens and farmers were obliged to work in mines, but it's not only a human rights problem but also an environmental one. As we know, miner industry is very agressive not only by sight but also in this case Kauri Bieja and Okapi National Parks have been invaded, destroying ecosystems and sensitive elephants and gorillas populations. In 2003 companies as IBM, HP, Compaq, Nokia, Ericsson or Siemens were involved. As you can see gold, oil and water would be comparable to the coltan because from a mobile, the internet or sending a rocket to the space... the coltan is necessary.

Another alternatives to the coltan have been taken into account, alternatives like copper... but it seems not to be as effective as the coltan, or litium, which is monopolized by two companies so it supposes high prices, and in that way, we have to remember that mobile makers only want to cut down costs....

Well, four things to finish:

1. Try to take profit of your mobile as long as possible.
2. Recycle your mobile when you want to get rid of it. Here an example.
3. Environmental costs should be reflected in the final price of the devices.
4. Watch the following video... something much better than my words.
   

EOF.