thank you for replying to this. like I said, I don’t know much about the issues involved.
Using that reasoning, one should abandon all tech (computers, tablets, phones) due to the exploitation of child labor (at times slave labor) in the Congo. 70% of all cobalt mined in the world comes from Congo; without cobalt, no tech devices.
I understand the reasoning behind making use of ethical reasoning in the use of and purchase of things. I do that myself. But there is hardly any industry in the world that does not have some kind of behavior or policy that honks off some sector of the population.
Since we cannot all return to an agrarian way of life wherein we grow our own food or hunt for it, make our own clothing, build our own homes and buildings using sustainable materials, use physical libraries and walk to work, we have to draw the line somewhere.
Child labor is an evil; likewise slave labor. But abandoning tech won’t alter either’s existence. They will be used regardless.
How to resolve these ethical dilemmas or establish some kind of balance between use and boycotts… careens this thread into serious off-topicness.
One place to start for those of us who live in representative democracies might be to (a) use all this tech to find out what relevant advocacy organizations recommend and (b) contact our elected representatives and ask them to take appropriate action.
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It’s now official.