Why Gorillas Don't like Cell Phones - Illegal Mining For Rare Ore Used In Cells Is Pushing Them Out of Their Habitat

Society is becoming addicted to cell phones. You no longer pass by other cars on the road to find occupants speaking to each other. Instead, you see the passengers (and driver) each on their individual cell phone talking to someone else.

Outside of schools, kids are not talking to each other face-to-face, they are on their cell phones. Goodness, people LOVE cell phones. I cannot imagine the panic if suddenly cell phones were banned. People would have to learn how to speak directly to each other again! Oh, the horror! Are humans capable of communication without text messaging? Would kids actually start passing notes in class again?

Aside from all that, let me tell you who does NOT like cell phones ...

Gorillas.

Cell phones use a rare ore called Coltan as a semi-conductor. This rare ore is found primarily in Central Africa. Guess who else lives in that Congo region of Central Africa? Yes, you guessed it, gorillas live in Congo.

Fact is, Americans alone are upgrading their cell phone about every 18 months now (as opposed to every three years not too long ago). The demand for new cell phones is increasing and showing no stop in demand. This has created an onslaught of illegal miners in Central Africa. As more Coltan is mined, gorillas, and other animals, are being forced out of their habitat. Many illegal miners feel pressure for food and turn to hunting gorillas for meat while they are mining in Congo. This entire process is a large threat to the gorilla species as a whole.

So, you may be wondering what you can do about this. Do you, as an individual, have the power to assist the gorillas in Congo?

Yes, you do.

It has been estimated that there are over 150 million used cell phones sitting around peoples homes. They are stuffed in drawers, maybe the kids are playing with them, perhaps packed in a box and forgotten. Worse yet, some people simply throw their old cell phones away causing not only danger to the gorillas, but danger to our environment.

There is an alternative. Recycle your cell phone. The fewer the new cell phones that miners need to provide Coltan for, the lower the threat to gorillas. The fewer the cell phones in landfills, the better for our environment. Being that some companies will pay you for your used cell phone, you can also make a few bucks off recycling your cell phone, too. Protect the environment, help the gorillas, and make money... How is that for a win-win situation?