Our globalised marketplace keeps prices relatively low, but at a cost: a vulnerable supply chain and, in some cases, reliance on countries with histories of exploitative workplace practices and child labour. It's time to look at our supply of raw materials 'We are expanding the amounts that we need of these materials, and there is still a question around whether we can get enough in time to implement the changes we've promised for the planet.' Which minerals are in your mobile? 1. Solar panels will also call for metals such as tellurium and silicon for the solar cells that turn sunlight into electricity. Green technologies such as electric vehicles and wind turbines require metals for wiring, batteries and components including copper, lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel and graphite. Alternatives like wind turbines, solar panels, hydro-electric dams and electric cars call for new technologies that also demand metals and other materials.' Richard says, 'We all acknowledge that we need to stop burning carbon for our energy. We also need them to make technology that will help the Earth become a cleaner, greener place. We don't just need these materials for our phones. Metals and minerals for green technologies
Richard hopes that by learning where these valuable resources come from and how they are being extracted, people will place more value on what they already have, understand the environmental (and human) cost of cheap electronics, reduce their own waste and make choices that in turn force manufacturers to lift their standards. They don't come from a factory, and the supply is dispersed around the world where sometimes business and environmental practices aren't the best.' 'It is really important that we all understand where the raw materials come from, that metals and minerals are in the Earth where nature puts them. 'We've found use for them in computers, cars and all kinds of machinery - it's technology that we didn't have 15 or 20 years ago that we now take for granted. 'I think most people do not have any idea of the range and scale of metals and minerals that are used to make electronics,' says Richard. Prof Richard Herrington, Head of Earth Sciences at the Museum, invites us all to take a critical look at the gadgets we love and the vital materials they are made of. Our insatiable appetite for the latest technology comes at a price.
A growing demand for electronic devices is putting pressure on supply chains and the planet.
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