Maybe we should stop importing oil from countries with poor human rights policies . . .

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brian Ellis
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:31 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] Conflict Minerals

I've been having a wee think about this. Firstly, what is a conflict area? OK, the DRC has been cited but this is world's primary producer of cobalt and is also high on the list for copper. According to http://www.cfr.org/africa/africas-conflict-zones/p14543, Africa alone has 16 conflict zones, some of which are very important producers of minerals, including fossil fuels. So, if a metal is smelted with energy from a CZ fossil fuel, where does that lead us? And what about tin? 
Colombia springs to mind as an up-and-coming major producer, but there is also the perpetual conflict between "pirate" alluvial tin ore miners and the authorities in countries like Indonesia.

Worse than conflict minerals, what about those mined by kids? 
http://framework.latimes.com/2011/05/14/in-india-coal-towns-many-miners-are-children/#/0
is related to coal but I wouldn't mind betting that some of the gold on those connectors you use was mined by kids subjected to mercury or cyanide, whether from a conflict zone or not.

Then there are minerals from countries with a despotic dictator. Should we support their use?

Introducing ethical standards into the origin of materials, including conflict zones, is a bottomless can of worms being opened. If it is to be considered, it must not stop at countries in conflict but extend to all non-ethical treatment. This includes transport (most conflictual material is transported using energy from countries which are not ethical by our western standards, if only because they deny rights to women).

Where does it logically end?

Brian

On 29/03/2012 15:44, Blair Hogg wrote:
> We have been receiving requests from customers for statements thta our products do not have any content of minerals from conflict areas, e.g. Congo. Anyone else getting these? How are you handling them?
>
> The point behind this is apparently to avoid providing funding of aggressors through the purchase of minerals from areas in conflict. A quick glance at this makes it look even worse than RoHS, now it is not simply the materials in the components, but from where they originate.
>
> Blair
>

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