It comes as no secret that a cell-phone can threaten one's
peace and quiet, but now a new twist is coming our way: cell-
phones threaten the survival of the African mountain
gorilla!
Even cell-phones are produced out of metals. Coltan is one of
the types of metal found in the jungles of Africa and is used
to produce cell-phones. But mining it poses a threat to many
species of wild animals in the area, including gorillas,
chimpanzees and elephant herds, casting doubt on its
continued use.
Cell-phone cables contain a part that protects the
electricity charger. This part is produced from a type of
metal called Coltan. Eighty percent of all Coltan quarries
are located in the Congo.
This material is used for a number of products, including
electronic equipment, optic fibers and computers; its
importance is unquestioned. The site of the main mine of this
important ore is located in the Kahouzi-Biaga National Park,
which is also the main habitat of the mountain gorillas of
the Congo.
The furnaces are taking over the jungle and destroying them
outright. This systematic destruction is leading to the
disappearance of the gorillas and their rapid extinction -- a
conflict of interests between advanced communications
technology and the preservation of nature.
A Congolese researcher reported to the BBC that 80 percent to
90 percent of the world gorilla population has been
annihilated over the last three years alone! The number of
gorillas has dropped from at least 8,000 to 1,000, and the
mountain gorilla is now on the verge of extinction.
The United Nations, as part of its environmental plan, has
organized a special project to ensure the survival of the
large primates. The project would focus primarily on Africa
and Southeast Asia. According to the plan corridors would be
set up to connect dispersed gorilla habitats and to merge
them into a single, concentrated unit.
The World Preservation Society recently contacted the
international community, asking it to stop purchasing Coltan,
since mining it is a flagrant violation of the limitations on
the use of all of the protected regions of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. The organization is primarily
concerned over potential harm to natural assets of two places
that UNESCO has declared "part of the human legacy": the
Kahouzi- Biaga National Park and the Okapi Nature
Preserve.
