Coltan, What is it?

    Coltan is a metal ore that is mined from the earth. It is a combination of two very important metals; Tantalum and columbite. When coltan is refined down to tantalum it becomes a metal that is very good at conducting electricity and has a high melting point. These are important when being used as a conductor in electronics because at times, temperatures can be very high. Coltan is mined from the by hand because of it's soft properties. Once it has been discovered it is mixed around in large wash baths where the coltan sinks to the bottom. The article relates it to the mining of gold in San Francisco. The mining of coltan doesn't have any extreme environmental impact; however, the rebel groups are killing animals that are endangered. The ABC article then talks about how some of the mining companies in the Congo are actually mined properly. The article states "The path that coltan takes to get from Central Africa to the world market is a highly convoluted one, with legitimate mining operations often being confused with illegal rebel operations, and vice versa, making it difficult to trace the origin. To be safe, in recent months many electronics companies have publicly rejected the use of coltan from anywhere in Central Africa, instead relying on their main suppliers in Australia". One of the points in this article that made me particularly mad was when he said "coltan mining is very well paid in Congo terms". These miners are making $10-50 per week! This is outrageous. Could you imagine living off of 10 dollars a week to support you; let alone, you AND your family. Where's the world police when social justice needs  to be served? Sitting in other countries because oil is more important than bloodshed.