Playstation 2 component incites African war
July 26, 2008
It is apparent that a rare metal needed to build the Playstation 2, has become the center of attention in a recent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Perhaps this is the new ‘blood diamond’?
The unrefined metallic ore is called, coltan. After processing, coltan then turns to a powder known as tantalum, which is widely used in the production of electronic devices such as cell phones, computers, and of course gaming consoles such as PS2.
Rwandan military groups and western mining companies have invested hundreds of million of dollars into the refining of this metal, and as a result, children have been forced to work in the mines, and the addtion of ‘prisoners-of-war’ to the industry.
But why does this focus fall on Sony and the PS2? It started with the consumer demand back in 2000, when Sony had trouble producing enough of the consoles to meet the consumer needs. They eventually needed an increase in the production of electric capacitors, which led to the “frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.”
“Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.”
