Personals on Ivon's Blog

Electronic Waste Goes to Developing countries

infoivonblog.nkfjt@aleeas.com (Ivon Huang) — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 06:01:30 +0800

Imagine this: In order to go to pay your tuition, you have to pick up valuables for reselling in landfills every day. Many rich countries, including Taiwan, illegally export their electronic-wastes to poorer countries to deal with. This makes these countries become recycler’s dump site extensions. We should recycle electronic wastes decidedly, or they will destroy our Earth. I will focus on three major negative impacts of electronic waste: How does it harm , local environment, global economy and the local worker’s rights.

1. Effect on the Environment
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Improper disposal of e-waste has bad impact on the Earth. Most of e-wastes contains toxic materials such as lead, zinc, nickel, chromium. After being deposited in landfills, the toxic materials contaminated land, water and the air. In the documentary “Toxic City in Ghana”, a German expert stated “The recommendations of WHO of lead in part of soil is 100. And in here there are 3000 of them.” Besides, Mijke Hertoghs of UN’s ITU indicated that developed countries that signed the Basel convention have their own recycle system, while in many countries don’t. In Ghana, waste-pickers who live next to landfills are inevitable to suffer from infertility, miscarriage, tumors, endocrine diseases and birth defects. To sum up, without formal recycling system, the environment will be devastated by e-wastes eventually.

2. Effect on Global Economy
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E-wastes that buried in landfills leads to globally economic loss. A UN report indicated that every year, at least 10 billion dollars’ worth of precious metals are dumped. The total value of these is estimated at US$47 billion, which is greater than GDP in most countries. But another report said that only 17.4% of 53 million tones was recycled in 2019, just $10 billions of precious metals were recycled. This leads to $47 billion economic loss and lots of precious metals. In short, e-wastes that are not properly recycled can harm global economic to some degree.

3. Violations of Local Workers’ Rights
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Rights of e-waste recyclers who are exposed to dangerous toxins are sacrificed. E-waste industry in developing countries is a surviving matter. Because of the lack of formal recycling system, 40% of workers who work in landfills in Ghana are children. While in India, about 35,000 to 45,000 children involving in “waste-pickers”. What’s worse, workers do not have technologies to process e-wastes in a responsible manner. Men and children use primitive skills to extract metals. Thus, they are more likely to develop chronic diseases. Plus, only a little they will earn from reselling precious metals. In Guiyu, China, e-waste pickers earn $1.50 a day, according to ILO’s report. In brief, worker’s rights in developing countries were not guaranteed because of informal recycling system.

Conclusion
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In conclusion, we should recycle e-wastes more aggressive or they will destroy our Earth. People should know what will their electronic devices go, and who and what will be affected. First, e-waste disposal in improper way will damage the Earth. Second, e-wastes that are not recycled are great waste of resources. Third, e-waste pickers’ rights got violated in the toxic working environment. Just like Pam Shoemaker once said “When you put the whole picture together, recycling is the right thing to do.”

References
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Many rich countries, including Taiwan, illegally export their electronic-wastes to poorer countries to deal with. This makes these countries become recycler’s dump site extensions. https://e-info.org.tw/node/115315
In the documentary “Toxic City in Ghana”, a German expert stated “The recommendations of WHO of lead in part of soil is 100. And in here there are 3000 of them.” https://youtu.be/mleQVO1Vd1I
Mijke Hertoghs of UN’s International Telecommunication Union indicated that developed countries that signed the Basel regulation have their own recycle system, while in many countries don’t. https://energyindemand.com/2020/07/04/record-53-6-million-tonnes-of-e-waste-dumped-globally-last-year-says-un-report/
Waste-pickers who collect precious metals and live next to landfills are inevitable to suffer from infertility, miscarriage, tumors, endocrine diseases and birth defects. https://www.somo.nl/european-e-waste-damages-health-and-environment-in-ghana/
A UN report indicated that every year, at least 10 billion dollars’ worth of precious metals like copper, silver, gold, palladium, iridium, are dumped. The total value of these is estimated at US$47 billion, which is greater than GDP in most countries. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/02/10bn-precious-metals-dumped-each-year-electronic-waste-un-toxic-e-waste-polluting
But another reported said that only 17.4% of 53 million tones was recycled in 2019, just $10 billions of precious metals were recycled https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/global-electronic-waste-recycling-management
While in India, about 35,000 to 45,000 children involving in “waste-pickers”. https://twosidesna.org/US/e-waste-children-how-it-is-harming-future-generations/
https://www.somo.nl/european-e-waste-damages-health-and-environment-in-ghana/
Plus, only a little they will earn from re-saling precious metals. In Guiyu, China, e-waste pickers earn $1.50 a day, according to ILO’s report. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-beijing/documents/publication/wcms_361136.pdf

Should Red Light District be set up in Taiwan?

infoivonblog.nkfjt@aleeas.com (Ivon Huang) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 04:01:30 +0800

Chinese version

Lying and waiting is underprivileged groups’ deal. In order to improve and protect the rights of sex workers, Social Maintenance Act Article 91-1 legalized the red light district and it can be set up in Taiwan. However, there are still no red light district to be set up in Taiwan as most mayors opposed. In 2018, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said that because the case of setting red light district involved the Law on SOMA and other relevant laws and regulations, and it has not opened the addition of business items in the “sex work industry”. Eventually, the proposal of COWAS was declined. The further amendment of the law is necessary instead of hastily setting up red light district. Some mayors said that if the central government could make related measurements, they would not opposed to setting up red light districts. The Red light district should not be set up in Taiwan because of the unclear law management methods. I will focus on three aspects: the live hood of sex workers, health issues, society problems.

1. Live hood of sex workers
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Opponents claim that once the prostitution become a normal profession, the sex workers will be less likely to get exploited and have more stable income. It is true that the income of sex workers should be more stable because the prices are regulated by the government. However, though the prices becomes fixed, their income may not increase but get lower. Although ‘Measures for the Administration of Public Prostitution in Taipei City’ writes that “The pick-up fee is divided into A, B, C, etc. according to its regulations.”, sex workers still got exploited in Taipei red light district. In Amsterdam, sex workers need at least 4 clients a day to pay high rents and taxes since they are independent workers. Because of stigmatization of society and privacy issues, sex workers may not register and choose the illegal path. How can we say that the income of sex workers is deemed to increase if the red-light district exists? In conclusion, the live hood of sex workers will not be improved in red light district.

2. Health issues
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Opponents argues that red light district can lower the risk of transmit SPD because Article 91-1 of the SOMA writes that:” A sex service provider shall be registered, licensed and undergo health checkup periodically. One cannot deny that licensed sex workers would be safer than unlicensed for their customers. However the risks are still cannot be ignored. The periodically health check is only required for the prostitutes, but not required for the clients, even in the former sex zone in Taipei. And, 74% of sex workers were unaware of their HIV infection, although most reported they had done tests, according to a research. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are soon to show up in tests, however the most serious HIV takes at least four weeks to show up. Finally, sex workers may suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress, which leads to low confidence on leaving prostitution. In short, the lack of protecting measurements cannot protect sex workers and clients effectively.

3. Society problems
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Opponents argues that red light district can reduce crimes. And sex workers will not be controlled by sex traffickers or brothel keepers. It is true that since the red light district is under watched by police, so the security of sex workers will be protected, too. But human trafficking is still existing in the red-light district For example, it is reported that at least 1,300 Dutch girls got trafficked, exploited in Netherlands in 2017. Plus, because of the high return on investment of prostitution, many poor girls were sent to red light district in Taipei to earn money for their family. The report wrote that “In a room, unlicensed sex workers are ten times more than licensed ones.” Thus they got controlled by the brothel keepers until being rescued by police. In short, setting up red light district cannot improve local security fundamentally.

Conclusion
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In conclusion, before setting up red light district in Taiwan, there must be strict laws and measurements to tackle with the unsolved problems. First, sex workers in red light district will not earn more. Second, the more advanced regulations is in need to ensure the safety of sex workers and clients. Third, local security has nothing to do with the setting up of the red-light district. The pain is under sex worker’s skin but out of their hands, so their working places should have more regulations to practice. That is, their rights will not be tarnished by more people as the environment does change in compare with the past. As Benjamin Franklin once said ”By failing prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

References
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Verscheijden, M.M.A., Woestenberg, P.J., Götz, H.M. et al. Sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers tested at STI clinics in the Netherlands, 2006–2013. Emerg Themes Epidemiol 12, 12 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-015-0034-7
HIV and STI epidemiology in high-risk populations in the Netherlands https://dare.uva.nl/search?identifier=3daa9a9c-35b4-4425-8c48-711c8aefbd50
At least 1,300 Dutch girls per year trafficked, exploited https://www.reuters.com/article/us-netherlands-human-trafficking-idUSKBN1CN1R2
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Amsterdam’s Red Light District but Were Afraid to Ask https://www.eatingeurope.com/blog/red-light-district/
The Audacity of Tolerance: A Critical Analysis of Legalized Prostitution in Amsterdam’s Red Light District https://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledge_detail/the-audacity-of-tolerance-a-critical-analysis-of-legalized-prostitution-in-amsterdams-red-light-district/
臺北市政府回覆日日春互助關懷協會「臺北市落實性交易合法化的具體政策」及訴請市長約見時間之回應 https://www.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=2044902FC839D045&sms=72544237BBE4C5F6&s=F78ED287E4B49AB8
公娼制度是性交易合法化最惡劣的範例 https://radfemtw.wordpress.com/2016/01/12/%E5%85%AC%E5%A8%BC%E5%88%B6%E5%BA%A6%E6%98%AF%E6%80%A7%E4%BA%A4%E6%98%93%E5%90%88%E6%B3%95%E5%8C%96%E6%9C%80%E6%83%A1%E5%8A%A3%E7%9A%84%E7%AF%84%E4%BE%8B%E3%80%80%EF%BC%8F%E4%BE%9D%E5%87%A1%E6%96%AF-2/
地方主導? 北二都.南.高反對性專區 https://news.pts.org.tw/article/175232
基隆設性專區　市長林右昌堅決反對 https://tw.appledaily.com/politics/20180320/FZZ56LRAI3NRYYWRULZVKTPY2M/
設性專區？六都首長沒人挺 https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20150118000308-260102?chdtv
社會秩序維護法 91-1
臺北市公娼管理辦法
沈美貞台灣被害娼妓與政策 (1990)
何春蕤性工作研究 (2003)

Personals on Ivon's Blog

Electronic Waste Goes to Developing countries

1. Effect on the Environment #

2. Effect on Global Economy #

3. Violations of Local Workers’ Rights #

Conclusion #

References #

Should Red Light District be set up in Taiwan?

1. Live hood of sex workers #

2. Health issues #

3. Society problems #

Conclusion #

References #

1. Effect on the Environment
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2. Effect on Global Economy
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3. Violations of Local Workers’ Rights
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Conclusion
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References
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1. Live hood of sex workers
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2. Health issues
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3. Society problems
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Conclusion
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References
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