Nat'l Geographic Online Feature: Toxic Computer

[EvDownJr]

Check out this link:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ng...teractive.html

I don't want to contribute to "unnecessary doomsday" thoughts. Thought since we've become so sensitive to "who knows what", doesn't hurt to be aware of potential toxins in products. Now rest assured, most of these threats would tend to be released in landfills. But I always ask myself that "what if", on appliances and materials sitting in the home long enough.

[Kritters]

Evan,

If only there would be a way to sock it to them. To really put it out there to the masses. To make the people stand up and take notice and understand what is really happening and why when we watch people on the streets, walking around, totally oblivious to the reality of why they will, within 10 years of their lives, if not sooner, have a disease or die.

How can we do that?

Ignorance is bliss. And it comes with a price.

Kritts

[tcmgpt13]

Yes, you have to wonder. We are exhorted to recycle our trash into different bins and boxes for curb pickup to recycle some of it. Meanwhile home appliances which used to last twenty or more years (remember the old Maytag ads?) are so carelessly made (mostly overseas, at the cost of jobs to those at home) that many have a predicted life span of 7-9 years. I guess that is so we may keep the economy going at the price of a huge overseas deficit. Also they can distract us from the real problem with landfills which is that many big ticket items are going into them which are not properly recycled including it would seem computers, cell phones and other items, at least those not sold to questionable overseas sources for careless recycling of their more dangerous elements. It goes on and on and all circles back to uncaring corporations, who take more and more from us. Personally I resent paying ever increasing prices for appliances which break down sooner and faster. It is another way of taking money from our pockets. If it is not that it is yet more taxes to make up the deficit from the slowing economy. Some of taxes are neatly hidden, such as the latest move from the newest congress of the hidden tax we pay for energy. Yes, they slammed those bad old oil companies with extra taxes on their corporations, which of course they passed on to the consumer. Suddenly the consumer blames the oil companies. Meanwhile congress, who actually caused the increased cost for energy, sits back blame free to the average consumer. Yes, it is a tax hike, and a large one, but it is a hidden tax and it filters into the whole economy as higher prices for nearly everything and inflation to boot. This is how corporations and government legally pick our pockets. Nice guys. And the problems with the leaching of toxic metals into the landfill. Well it is just the fault of us bad old greedy consumers, despite the fact that manufactured goods are often so shoddy is it not worth repairing them.