Exported Waste Africa

Tom,

 

Thank you for sending me the article. These are some of the problems I was faced with on my last visit to Nigeria.  There is a place called Computer City in Lagos, Nigeria where all the recycle computer parts are store for resale. Not only is it causing big environmental issue it is also health problem. It is an issue that needs to be address now. It should be shipped to an industrialized developed country that will utilize the recycle part not Africa that is just developing. Global Warming is a Global Issue, No Nation should be left behind. Sending all these garbage to another country is not going to turn the Earth Green. What people need to understand is that we share the Oceans and the Earth. Our Globe is becoming smaller and smaller as people travel all over the world. If any disease breaks out we are doom to be affected. Going Green should be a Global compaign. This issue require a big attention before it gets out of control.

 

This is one of my concern regarding United Nation(UN) why are all these leaders gathering together and deciding on issues relating to Green and implementing the opposite. I think, we need conformity uniform global rules and regulation on Corporation setting new manufacturing plants including imports & exports of raw material and recycle material, carrying a penalty for any country that violate the law. 

 

Emission Control:

Update, do you know that all those cluster cars were shipped to Africa and other developing countries. Is this the perfect way of going GREEN or just a slogan of

"Not in my backyard" can the world leaders explain what they meant by cutting emission of CO2. for developed countries only. I do not think this is a perfect way of solving this Global Warming Issue at all. Moving a problem from one side to another side does not solve the problem instead it is going to build up and explode to a bigger problem that will be too late to handle.

Let me use Solar training term -laugh. it is just like connecting black (hot) & white (neutral)cable together (Explosion) This is a problem that does not required a rocket scientist to solve at all. We all need to make this place a better place for us to live. Since we begin the Green campaign it has increase the quality of life of some people and longetivy. Yes we can live to be 120 years. It happened in our forefather days as written in the bible. Women were even having children at 70yrs old. Let us allow nature to take it course.

 

Again, thanks for sending me the article. It did lifted my spirit and passion for the environment as usual.

 

Judith

 

On Sat, Sep 26, 2009 at 6:21 PM, Tom Huggett <thuggett@sol-training.com> wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/science/earth/27waste.html?_r=1

Judith;
This article from the New York Times addresses some issues that you are passionate and made me think of you.  It mentions Nigeria at the very end.  I was hoping you would write an article for our solar  blog.
~Tom

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Solar Program Designer & Instructor
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Exported Waste Asia

                                                                        


                                                                      EXPORTED WASTE

The third world countries have been recipients of these commodities for more than three decades now. These are the junks of more advanced countries that are mostly sold and shipped to countries like the Philippines. Commonly exported junks are used computers and television sets, old cargo trucks and tractor heads, old cars and vans, used engines, used heavy & construction equipments like excavator/loaders, loaders, dozers and cranes, really old junk cargo ships and self-propelled barges, and near expiring medicines.                                                                                                                                                                             Unaware of toxic effects, or simply myopic, the government has allowed unabated entry of such goods into the country for so long. Some however, are smuggled through different ports by unscrupulous traders.                                                                                                                                                                                                                These oldies (televisions & computers) are very saleable and normally end up in garbage piles. More often than not, those used engines that repowered cars and buses and trucks are heavy polluters carbonizing both the highways and lungs of the daily commuters. The other oldies are deployed in the cities and provinces spewing carbon dioxide and leaking engine oil to the ground, and rivers & bays. Junk cargo ships are good source of scrap metals, plastics, wood, etc., for recycling into deformed bars, copper bars, aluminum and cast iron. However, these ships are also laden with asbestos, acids, nitrates, and other toxic chemicals. Ordinary workers and welders chop them into pieces and those harmful materials are ditched on the ground. One worst pollutant that most people are unaware of is the expired medicines that get to the dumps and waterways.                                                                                                        Those countries made huge profits while they moved their garbage next door, but the ecological damage is global and certainly, will also be in their backyard.
 Poor recipients, not only are they choking due to toxic waste, they are limping too, because their factories that used to manufacture those products had all shut down.
wilfred                                                                                                                                                                                     9/30/09

Wayne & Francisco

(Late post~Tom)

Francisco,

Right on you the Man.Congratulations on the start of your new career.

 

As for me ( Wayne Ward ) i'm working for solar city out of Berkeley.2 weeks now.Completed 2 residential installations and now i'm on a 6 week ground mount project in Livermore hills. Thanks again for all the Great training you have taught us Mr.Tom Hugget.

 

Wayne

Tony and Steve

Good Day Tom,
This is one of the roofs of a church/school in Livermore where we are installing the mounts for the racking. There are four total.
This one has the least slope but is the highest up. 4 guys using cordless impact wrenches done this roof in about 6 hrs. Monday we go back to continue there are 8 guys from VEP on this job, 4 SolarCity employees.  Hopefully I can come and ring the bell on Fri. If I'm still working. The last one @ Real Goods only lasted 1 day.

Happy Holiday, Steve

Jon is hired

(~Tom is late posting)

Hey Tom - as of this week, I'm working for Marin Solar,

 working on a 12:12 pitched roof in san fran - big project

racking done, just installed enphase micros today for the most part.

I am working through the week with them and still weekends at the restaurant

 so not much time to do much but I hope to hear from you soon - take care!

Jon

Sam's update September 3

(Reply by Roberto follows~Tom-is late posting)
Sorry for late replay first time checking email in a month. Im beat, tired but doing well working 50+ hrs. Work and sleep is my week. I love it Solar City, I gotten to work with some good crews. I've done a lot in the last 3 weeks from a 37kw sys on  a comp shingle with perlins to 35kw ground mount. Solar City is massively hiring and I hear being really really persistent is key in getting a interview. In all honesty being really fit is key in getting in with out experience, this is a hard job my first day I saw someone go to the hospital for heat exhaustion so keep it in mind. All new hires are really in shape so you need to be when coming in for an interview.

Good Luck people;

Sam