Cell phones

A few days ago I watched a Sundance Channel series called "EcoTrip". It is a fantastic series and I applaud NBC productions for producing it. One of the episodes deals with cell phones. I've contemplated getting rid of my phone for personal reasons many times (I dislike feeling like I HAVE to answer my phone or be contactable at all times). But...the ability to stay in touch with family, friends, etc greatly outweighs the inconvenience. After watching this episode though I am once again contemplating my phone.

The inner workings of a cell phone are made of many toxic materials. According to Clean Calgary Association (CCA) most of the toxins found in cell phones are also found in our bodies. These toxins include carcinogens, hormone distruptors, respiratory toxins, reproductive/developmental toxins and neurotoxins. Some of these toxins include arsenic, zinc, antimony, beryllium, colton, copper, cadmium, lead and mercury. Additionally cell phones are often treated with flame retardant which has been proven to be toxic to humans and the environment for many years.

Additionally, since 1996 the mountain gorilla population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been declining precipitously. This decline is as a result of increased mining for colton (a mineral used in creating cell phone and portable electronic capacitors). According to CCA "colton is legitimately mined in Canada and Australia, 80% of the know reserves are found within the borders of the DRC; and because colton is not regulated under the Global Metals Treaty rebel groups have used profits from the illegal mining of colton to fund their war efforts. It is estimated that 4 to 10 million civilians have been slaughtered since 1996 when the war began, with a great deal of non-human lives lost in the crossfire" (http://cleancalgary.org/index.php/highlights/single/cell_phone_recycling/).

Potential health risks include brain tumors from the radio waves, acoustic neuroma (a tumor on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain), reproductive problems, nervous system problems, a weakened immune system, to name a few.

Environmental risks include the pollution of groundwater and the air when persistant bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) are released from cell phones. The above mentioned toxins fall into this category. What this means is that these toxins commonly find their way into the ecosystem, then into the food chain and then into our bodies (thus we are potentially being assailed from two directions...our food and our phones). Radiowaves are another source of potential environmental pollution. I think the jury is still out on whether evidence proves conclusively that radio waves kill birds and bees but the possibility is out there. Also, farmers who graze their cattle near cell phone towers claim that their cows are more likely to suffer from spontaneous abortions, have still births or suffer from developmental or behavioral problems (http://environment.about.com/od/environment/a/cell_phones.htm).

So, what am I, an eco-conscious girl striving to be as sustainable as possible to do? I don't have a land line (well, I do but I am currently living at my parents' house and it is inconvenient for us all to depend on the same phone). In my quest for eco-answers I found EarthTones. They are a cell phone company that donates 100% of their profits to grassroots environmental organizations. Groovy. I don't see any of the handful of environmentally "friendly" phones but they do a good thing with their money. Nokia, Samsung and Sprint all have created phones that are "more" environmentally friendly, but in ways that could (and should) easily be applied to all cell phones. Thus, I have come to the decision that if I need a new phone it will be one with only one LCD screen (that is where many of the toxins are), low specific absorption rate (SAR) (go to CNET reviews to see cell phone radiation reviews) and hopefully will be made with some level of recycled or bioplastics and come in less packaging. Ultimately just using the phone less and using my phone for as long as possible is the "greenest" action I can take.

You can peruse "eco-friendly" cell phones here, it is a short list.