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<p><!-- Make sure you modify the 4Cast title in this section -->
<span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;
color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;
line-height: 110%;">OPLIN 4cast #368:
Electronics to die for</span><br>
<!-- Make sure you modify the date of the 4Cast in this section -->
<span style="font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal;
color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic;
font-family: arial;">January 15th, 2014</span></p>
<!-- Begin copy of Web Source here -->
<p style="text-align: justify;font-size: 16px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;"><img
alt="DRC flag"
src="cid:part4.04040502.04010809@oplin.org"
align="left" height="88" width="115">At the
Consumer Electronics Show last week, Intel CEO
Brian Krzanich made headlines by <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/intel-conflict-minerals-ces-congo-electronics">announcing</a>
that starting this year, all Intel microprocessors
will be made with "conflict free" minerals.
Conflict minerals are mined under inhuman
conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
then are smelted and sold to electronics
manufacturers, with the profits then used to fund
the continuing armed conflict in the DRC that has
killed millions. Use of conflict minerals in
electronics is a complex and contentious issue,
and with several first-world governments about to
get involved, the Intel announcement was likely
just the first of many.
</p>
<div> </div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;"><a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/conflict-free-minerals-drc-companies-stay">'Conflict
free' minerals from the DRC will only be
possible if companies stay</a> (Guardian
Sustainable Business/Simon Propper and Peter
Knight) "The DRC is rich in tantalum, tin,
tungsten and gold (3TG) - widely used in
manufacturing, including electrical and
electronic products. Many of the mines in the
DRC have been controlled by rebels who extort
money from mine owners and use forced labour to
dig the ore. Because of the chaotic conditions
and weak governments in the region, it is hard
for industrial buyers to tell the difference
between legitimate and conflict minerals. Their
job is further complicated because the minerals
are exported for smelting in distant countries."</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;"><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/01/intel-all-of-our-microprocessors-made-this-year-are-conflict-free/">Intel:
All of our microprocessors made this year are
"conflict free"</a> (Ars Technica/Cyrus
Farivar) "While the move might seem like a PR
coup for Intel-indeed it's the first major tech
company we're aware of to announce such a
conscientious plan-the company is not
necessarily doing it solely out of the goodness
of its heart. In 2012, the Securities and
Exchange Commission <a
href="http://sec.gov/news/press/2012/2012-163.htm">voted
to approve</a> new rules that would require
American companies to publicly disclose whether
they use 'conflict minerals' originating from
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or
neighboring countries."</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;"><a
href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/11/15/conflict-mineral-deadline-looms-for-electronics-makers/">Conflict
mineral deadline looms for electronics makers</a>
(WSJ CIO Journal/Joel Schectman) "The new rules,
part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform, require
companies to disclose whether their products use
certain metals sourced from mines controlled by
armed groups in the war-torn Democratic Republic
of Congo. Companies need to make their first
report in May. A legal challenge brought by
business groups against the rule caused many
companies to delay preparation for the
requirement, in the hope that it would be
overturned, said Howard Heppelmann, a general
manager at supply chain software maker PTC Inc.
A federal district court in the District of
Columbia <a
href="http://blogs.wsj.com/riskandcompliance/2013/07/24/court-rules-against-business-groups-in-conflict-minerals-lawsuit/">ruled
against the groups</a> in July."</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;"><a
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/student-reporter/towards-electronics-free_b_4171929.html">Toward
electronics free of conflict minerals</a>
(Huffington Post/Wasima Khan) "In fact, it is
claimed that the US legislation has caused a '<a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/08/opinion/how-congress-devastated-congo.html">de
facto embargo</a>' in some parts of DR Congo.
This apparent success has led to a decrease in
conflict financing but at the same time
increased poverty for mining communities. In
addition, when American and European buyers
started to draw back from conflict-ridden
regions in the DR Congo, Chinese corporations
gained a <a
href="http://www.theworld.org/2011/10/chinese-conflict-minerals-congo/">virtual
monopoly</a>. Allegedly, they exploited this
advantage to lower the prices of the minerals
with 20 to 30 percent. Under such circumstances,
it's doubtful whether the law reforms in the
United States can reduce the problem while other
countries do not restrict the purchase of
conflict minerals."</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<p style="text-align: left; font-size: 20px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;"><small><strong><em>Users
fact:</em></strong></small><br>
</p>
<div style="text-align: justify; font-size: 16px;
font-family: arial; line-height: 110%;">How many
U.S. manufacturers could be using conflict
minerals? The Securities and Exchange Commission
estimates that about 1,200 companies will be
required to submit conflict minerals reports to
them this May.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
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