Discover The World Around You Discover The World Around You
Rebel Shop Geek Store

Subscribe

How To: Build Quality Links For Better Search Ranking [Infographic]
How To: Build Quality Links For Better Search Ranking [Infographic]

Richard Darell Twitter Promotion Ad
MOST RECENT RETWEETERS
Retweet Match Help Button
 
Default Retweeter Profile Image
Tweet Article To Promote Yourself Here
Default Retweeter Profile Image
Tweet Article To Promote Yourself Here
Default Retweeter Profile Image
Tweet Article To Promote Yourself Here
 
 
 
Previous Article
Check Out More Of Our Geekery
Next Article
share
Pin It

Ghana’s eWasteland: Living On The Legacy Of The Digital World

Computer Wasteland In Ghana

The shocking pictures below by Andrew McConnell were taken at the Agbogbloshie dump in Accra, Ghana. It’s a place where much of the discarded computer equipment and other electronics from the United States, Europe and other countries ends up. Over 3,000 people live here, in the slums, and they make their living by burning this electronic waste to salvage small pieces of metals and other material they can hopefully sell. On a good day, a person might find $2 worth of scraps.

The whole area is polluted beyond belief. Toxins like lead; cadmium and mercury in this area are in concentrations greater than 100 times what is considered normal. Black smoke can be seen for miles, and the nearby river has computer keyboards and other electronics floating in it. Children walk through the waste without shoes and search in the burning metal with their bare hands to hopefully find something they can sell.

Jim Puckett is the executive director of the Basal Action Network, which monitors electronic waste around the globe. He said, “It’s the only part of the world where you’ll go and see thousands of women on any given day that are sitting… basically cooking printed circuit boards. As a result, they’re breathing all of the brominated flame-retardants. You smell it in the air. You get headaches as soon as you enter this area. It really is quite sad.” Apparently hundreds of containers leave North America every day full of electronic waste. Once those containers are delivered to the recyclers in Ghana, and they have gone through it all to salvage what they can, it gets dumped here to be burned. This is sad beyond belief.

Computer Floting In The River

Computer  Wasteland In Ghana

Elephants and Computer Waste

Computer Garbage In Ghana

PC and Mac Garbage Ghana

PC and Mac Garbage Ghana

PC and Mac Garbage Ghana

PC and Mac In Ghana

PC and Mac in Ghana

PC and Mac In Ghana

Via: [ABC News] [The Pollution Blog] [Ghana Web] [NPR] [Amusing Planet]


You Might Also Like...
Bit Rebels
Smartphone App Provides An Accurate Urine Analysis Using Your Camera
Smartphone App Provides An Accurate Urine Analysis Using Your Camera
SHARES
192
World’s Fastest Cockroach Robot Was Designed To Save Lives
World’s Fastest Cockroach Robot Was Designed To Save Lives
SHARES
153
Weird Festivals Around The World [Infographic]
Weird Festivals Around The World [Infographic]
SHARES
106
Common Myths That Turn Out To Be False [Infographic]
Common Myths That Turn Out To Be False [Infographic]
SHARES
210
DIY Doctor Who “Crack In The Universe” For Your Own Wall
DIY Doctor Who “Crack In The Universe” For Your Own Wall
SHARES
249
 
 
Author Avatar Image Representation

Author: Diana Adams


As the editor and global advertising director for Bit Rebels, Diana spends her days fine-tuning the content for Bit Rebels and working with established companies, startups, app developers and Internet entrepreneurs who want to be associated with the Bit Rebels brand. Diana started with Bit Rebels in July of 2009, three weeks after the site launched. She brought fifteen years of Information Technology experience and a love of everything considered geek with her, and she enjoys the journey each day as the site continues to reach more people and progress at a very fast pace. You can usually find Diana working in the Bit Rebels office located in Atlanta or sitting in the corner of a downtown Starbucks somewhere with her MacBook, iPad, iPhone and a Grande Caramel Macchiato. You can reach Diana at diana@bitrebels.com.

Leave A Comment