Foxconn Wisconsin Factory's Environmental Impact Criticized By Environmental Protection Organizations

According to foreign media reports, according to foreign media reports, Foxconn's LCD display in Wisconsin — a device used for smart phones and other devices — collects 7 million gallons of water from Lake Michigan every day. This plan was criticized by environmentalists a few days ago. More experts said that Foxconn's water consumption is only the tip of the iceberg of smart phone production.

The Wisconsin State Department of Natural Resources approved Foxconn's water transfer request last Wednesday, claiming that the pumped water accounted for only "0.07% of the surface water of Lake Michigan." According to Foxcon, about 2.7 million gallons of water evaporated by the factory's 7 million gallons of water each day disappeared, and the rest was processed before returning to the lake.

According to Digital Trends, a technology news website, Foxconn can easily obtain approval due to regulatory loopholes. In general, industrial companies must obtain approval from all eight states around the lake to divert water from Lake Michigan. Because the Foxconn facility is not yet to be built outside the boundary of the Great Lakes Basin, the factory only needs to apply to Ratkin, Wisconsin, and Republican Governor Scott Walker for approval. Can use water. Allegedly, given some incentive incentives for Foxconn, the governor is facing resistance from local voters.

Local media group Wisconsin Gazette said environmental groups including the Sierra Club opposed Foxconn's water requirements because it circumvented the multi-state agreement that restricts water use in the Great Lakes. In addition, environmental activists are concerned that this approval may set a precedent for similar requests in the future. According to the data from the Great Lakes Commission, as of 2016, only 10.8% of the water extracted from the Great Lakes was used for industrial purposes, and nearly two-thirds of the water was diverted to power plants.

Foxconn's water consumption is just the latest example of how the smart phone industry can pay for ecological homes.

According to Greenpeace, humans have produced 710 million smart phones since 2007 — enough for almost everyone on the planet. However, as consumers seek newer and higher-performance products, new devices such as the iPhoneX continue to be produced.

"This greatly amplifies the problem," said Alex Sebastian, co-founder of Orchard, a Canadian smart phone distributor. "The desktop computer that most people use is always used by people. I can't use it until now, but people are accustomed to changing the phone every one or two years."

This is largely due to the speed with which Apple, Apple, Samsung and other companies have introduced new smartphone products, and has attracted consumers to speed up the handset replacement cycle. The data collected by the second-hand equipment trading company HYLA Mobile shows that the average service life of smart phones traded in April, April 2017 was 2.58 years. The used iPhone has often been used for a longer period because it is generally more expensive.

Unfortunately, when consumers switch to new products, very few people recycle the replaced smartphones. A 2014 study by the United Nations research agency UNU predicts that less than 16% of e-waste will be recycled, generating only 3 million metric tons of e-waste in 2014 alone. Most of this waste enters landfills or is destined for developing countries to dismantle the metals.

However, if these wastes are not handled properly, it is highly likely that heavy metals such as cobalt or tungsten will infiltrate into groundwater and cause adverse human health effects. Sue Williams, director of documentary filmmaker and science and technology's "Death by Design" movie, said: "There is no way to get rid of heavy metals."

In addition to the smart phone being discarded, it can cause pollution. Exploiting the metal needed to produce the cell phone also destroys the ecosystem. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the world’s largest cobalt producer is Congo (King). Cobalt Rechargeable Li-ion battery for smartphones and other electronic products.

The independent non-profit research network organization SOMO stated that cobalt ore companies often defy the country’s laws designed to protect natural resources and citizens, and cobalt mine wastewater has already polluted the country’s drinking water resources.

For environmentalists, this is a difficult battle. Although the impact on the environment is deeply worrying, smart phones have become an indispensable evil. According to a study by Bank Of America last year, nearly one-third said they now interact more with smartphones than with friends and family.

According to Greenpeace, most (73%) of the carbon dioxide associated with smart devices is emitted during the manufacturing process.

However, the research report shows that, although there is still room for improvement in the recycling of electronic waste, in the United States product category, the recovery rate of consumer electronics products has grown fastest.