The report from Fair Trade Recycling's visit to Agbogbloshie, Ghana, is nearing completion (60 pages). Final draft abstract below.
"There is no evidence that Europe’s WEEE testing measures reduce the spoilage or benefit Africa, or that they are based on knowledge of supply and demand in the African market. Evidence supported some Africans’ speculations that those profiling Agbogbloshie as a significant story (reporters, policy makers, anti-gray-market manufacturers, shredding companies, metals recyclers, environmentalists, photojournalists) personally benefit from false or exaggerated portrayals. The report recommends incorporating Africa’s Tech Sector in managing Africa’s growing scrap generation, rather than impugning it. The burden of proof on allegations of shipping junk should be born by the accusers who benefit from the reduction in trade."
By taking extra months to finish the report, I could find more secondary resources outside the "waste" world - e.g. Odaw River sample data from the 1980s, rate of TV imports in the 80s and 90s, urban development reports, World Bank Data, etc.
This will be the worst single embarrassment to our environmentalist community if we don't get out in front of it, apologize for our implicit racism in profiling Africa's Tech Sector, and call off the dogs. I'm serious, people. I don't want this to come out in Rush radio. We need to deal with this and stop this McCarthy tactics by certain ENGOs. We were not immune from implicit racial profiling, and we need to show the guts to admit it and get in front of this story now.
FREE JOE "HURRICANE" BENSON. Sign the petition to the top right of this blog.
Before you assume an old computer that you expected at your waste shredder was purchased and shippped by Africans as junk, look in this pile. Until we count them here, the "export percentage numbers" are just speculation.
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