Business Studies

Read the Central Case Study – Mining for …Cell Phone? in Chapter 11 of your course textbook. Explore the implications of the excessive demands for resources from Western nations. Share other newsworthy cases of conflict minerals and how these are extracted from the earth in order to create the products that are purchased by citizens from affluent nations. In your research, explain why the mineral in question is deemed a “conflict mineral” and address the issues that are created socially, economically and environmentally when these raw minerals are extracted. Share some possible solutions to alleviate the damage done to the environment and the people who are directly impacted by the extraction of conflict minerals.

ANSWER

Conflict Mineral

Tungsten mining

Cell phone manufacturing requires using some minerals and metals that are naturally and rarely found on earth. Among the minerals and metals needed is tungsten, most found as a compound combined with other elements as an isolated metal. The metal is significantly dense and considerably more durable than titanium; hence is used in the phone’s vibrator as a weight. Other characteristics that make tungsten are the high melting point, high erosion resistance, and inability to react with oxygen and water.

Implications of Tungsten High Demand

The primary producer of Tungsten is China, and due to the high demand for the mineral, most sources have exhausted and attained limits to supply the market. However, tungsten mining causes some damage to miners, especially loss of appetite, cough, nausea, pulmonary fibrosis, skin, and eyes irritation. If exposed to the soil, Tungsten in large amounts triggers microbial changes in the ground and destroys bacterial components, leading to increased fungal biomass.

Tungsten is termed among conflict minerals due to conflicts associated with the mining and consumption of the mineral. Apart from China, other tungsten producers include Russia, Bolivia, South Korea, Portugal, and North America. In countries like South Korea, citizens are forced to work in the mining fields for long hours to meet high western demand. Child labor has also been used in some countries on tungsten minefields due to the high demand.

Possible Solutions

The government systems of countries producing tungsten should ensure that involved foreign companies do not exploit miners. The government should stop using citizens and tungsten-producing communities by providing significant medical services to exposed miners and providing quality education.