CRI - China Sends Smuggled Waste Back to Netherlands

In a past post, I discussed e-waste that is illegally sent to Ghana.  This issue is causing environmental and human health problems, due to the ways Ghanaians find to deal with this waste.  This week, I am writing about a similar issue that is brought to my attention through “China Sends Smuggled Waste Back to Netherlands” in the English section of China Radio International.

In China, there are laws that control what waste enters the country, not allowing anything that cannot be used as a raw material, or anything that will severely affect the environment.  An investigation showed that a trading firm called Hepu hass been buying waste through a company in Taiwan.  This company then finds whatever is valuable in the waste to sell at exorbitant prices, then dump the rest without any thought of its effect to the environment.  In response to the findings on Hepu, Chinese authorities shipped 753-tonnes of waste back to the originating country of the Netherlands on June 1.

This is a great step for the Chinese government to prevent waste in their country.  Whether locals are encouraged to prevent waste is something I do not yet know, however based on this particular law, if they are not yet, this is something that is to come.

Jerry Rawles says it well:
People throw all sorts of good stuff away and I thought no point in having that in a landfill when I can do something with it

AA - Cote d'Ivoire President Ouattara Sacks a Minister Over Toxic Waste Dumping Scandal

This week, I am looking at a press release about a situation in Cote d'Ivoire from this past May, called ‘Cote d'Ivoire: President Ouattara Sacks a Minister Over Toxic Waste Dumping Scandal’, and the title surely informs of the problem.  The press release does not give any information as to what the toxic waste scandal is, but it is comforting to know that President Ouattara is ready to terminate any Minister involved in wrongdoing.  The Minister of African Integration, Adama Bictogo, is the person involved in this particular case.

It seems Bictogo resigned from his position prior to appearing in court.  This particular case of wrongdoing reappeared after Jeune Afrique, a French news magazine, published an article that quoted an eyewitness who accused Bictogo of accepting money originally meant to compensate victims of the toxic waste.  Fraternite Matin published another article that mentions advice by President Ouattara's, that any government official violating the code of ethics, or who is suspected of misconduct must be let go and by letting Bictogo go, President Ouattara seeks to keep his promise.  This brings into evidence that when a state goes through a change, such as the recent change in Cote d’Ivoire, good things can come of it!  Let’s hope this continues both for the citizens of the country, as well as for the natural environment.

An article in L'Intelligent d'Abidjan looks at both sides of the issue.  The author wonders whether Bictogo was truly guilty.  The author also states that by letting Bictogo go, President Ouattara has opened a can of worms, in that other dignitaries have a higher chance of also being let go.  By letting Bictogo go, though, President Ouattara has made clear that he is “listening to the voices of ordinary people", rather than allowing himself to be affected by those surrounding him.  As this is a part of the press release, I do not know what the tone of this article is, but based on these two statements, I personally see this as a good thing.  This means that by listening to those who tend to be ignored, i.e. the general public, and by dismissing those abusing of their power, President Ouattara is making evident that he is taking his position as president seriously, rather than taking advantage of the situation.

An article in Le Nouveau Courrier does bring to light that though there has been a dismissal and an investigation is taking place, this does not mean he will be held in custody, as the law stipulates as the action to be taken.  Bictogo is known for having great financial powers, as well as intimidation abilities.  The author does also request that all of Bictogo’s bank accounts, at home and abroad, be frozen in relation to the investigation.

This press release brings to light the complexity of any situation.  We must always be aware that reading one or two news articles does not mean we understand what is going on in any situation.

This week’s quote is by an unknown person.  Chances are the figure is not fully accurate, but it does give us an idea as to the extent of the problem:
$43 billion worth of unopened and unused food is thrown into landfill sites in the US every year, enough to end world hunger.