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We started with some common tech challenges: Janet discussed her anxiety with – and issues with – an Apple OS X upgrade. Ugo talked about how hard it can be to source good spare parts in the “wild” Android ecosystem.
Then we discussed our incipient collaboration with Amnesty, Global Witness and Wikirate, which are working to rate companies on their sourcing of minerals. We also talked about an Amnesty report that came out this week on abuses in the supply chain for electronics, specifically, in artisanal cobalt mines in Katanga province, DRC. You can read more about both.
And we couldn’t help but talk about the IKEA executive who caught headlines when he said that in the West, we may have reached “peak stuff” in households.
For reference, in order of our discussion:
- Our post on tracing minerals and ethical gadgets
- Wikirate
- Good Electronics
- Amnesty Report on cobalt and human rights in DRC
- Global cobalt reserves and production
- How cobalt is used in electronics (PDF)
- Guardian coverage of the “peak stuff” comment
- Audio of IKEA chief of sustainability from Guardian Sustainable Business (starts around 1:11:00)
[Feature image “Capacitors!” by Flickr user MightyOhm is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0]
