The dystopian lake filled by the world's tech lust

Link: The dystopian lake filled by the world's tech lust

Summary: Baotou is a mine for rare earth minerals and these elements are the unsung heroes of modern technology as they are found in almost everything from flatscreen Television  to mobile phones. The Inner Mongolia China lake was once used for farm land and turned lake due to flooding and river damming and it has been used for the deposition of toxic waste such as cerium and neodymium. Cerium is used to polish touchscreens for smartphones. Neodymium is a well-known magnet used to make headphones and hard drives. Due to the increase demand for electronic devices, the Inner Mongolia China lake hence becomes badly polluted.

Opinion: The reason why we choose this news to be on the front cover of the Time magazine is because we believe that it is an important news everyone should know about. Many people often think that electronic devices are environmentally friendly because reading books online save trees and most people relate to electronic devices causing negative effects to our body. However, these smartphones or laptops are proven to be affecting the environment too. The demand of smartphones will only grow in the recent years, the waste created would increase and that one day the waste would be out of control. I think there is a need for everyone to be aware of the harm those devices bring to the environment.