Another factual study, another blow to the E-Waste Hoax. Basel Action Network has already admitted they made the statistic up, that 80% of used TVs etc. are exported for dumping. It was never economically possible (see Monkeys Running the Environmental Zoo), it was not supported by BAN's own study (Kenya 2006), USITC and UNEP studies in Africa found it bogus. The "kids at dumps" are best explained by the cities, like Lagos... 6.9 Million households with TV in 2007. China throws away far more, and exports used CRTs to South America and Africa.
Now yet another very long and arduous study (to read that is) has come out, from MIT, NCER and StEP.
Quantitative Characterization of Domestic and Transboundary Flows of Used Electronics 12/2013
Huabo Duan, T. Reed Miller, Jeremy Gregory, Randolph Kirchain
Once again, the facts say that exporters WERE PROBABLY INNOCENT. The methodology by Interpol's young Emile Lindemulder, in the infamous 2009 "Matrix" Report is prima facia silliness. "The Africans PAY for the TVs and the Shipping, payment shows organization, and since 80% is criminal dumping, it's organize + crime = ORGANIZED CRIME!" Along with the "Away is a Place" halloween language by Jim Puckett, the anti-ewaste-export hoax has been blown out of the water by the MIT study.
It's a late footnote to the "Bullyboy" series of blogs. What in the heck is "E-Steward" besides a whites only country club? If 80% of recyclers were indeed primitive dumpers, the badge had meaning. Now all we have are people organized to beat an old war drum about "e-waste" exports, with no habeus corpus, no crime to speak of, except that anything above zero is suspect. It's easier to do a DNA test than an export certification. CBS 60 Minutes created this mess, and won't go back to correct it.
Now yet another very long and arduous study (to read that is) has come out, from MIT, NCER and StEP.
Quantitative Characterization of Domestic and Transboundary Flows of Used Electronics 12/2013
Huabo Duan, T. Reed Miller, Jeremy Gregory, Randolph Kirchain
"The results show that approximately 258.2 million units of used electronic were generated and 171.4 million units were collected in the US in 2010. Export flows were estimated to be 14.4 million units, which is 8.5% of the collected estimate on average. On a weight basis, 1.6 million tons of used electronics were generated in the US in 2010 and 0.9 million tons were collected. Of the amount collected, 26.5 thousand tons were exported, which is 3.1% of the weight collected."
- Conclusion
Once again, the facts say that exporters WERE PROBABLY INNOCENT. The methodology by Interpol's young Emile Lindemulder, in the infamous 2009 "Matrix" Report is prima facia silliness. "The Africans PAY for the TVs and the Shipping, payment shows organization, and since 80% is criminal dumping, it's organize + crime = ORGANIZED CRIME!" Along with the "Away is a Place" halloween language by Jim Puckett, the anti-ewaste-export hoax has been blown out of the water by the MIT study.
It's a late footnote to the "Bullyboy" series of blogs. What in the heck is "E-Steward" besides a whites only country club? If 80% of recyclers were indeed primitive dumpers, the badge had meaning. Now all we have are people organized to beat an old war drum about "e-waste" exports, with no habeus corpus, no crime to speak of, except that anything above zero is suspect. It's easier to do a DNA test than an export certification. CBS 60 Minutes created this mess, and won't go back to correct it.
