metal ore

Some info on different metal ores.


COMMODITIES
In search of fair trade commodities
The hunger for metals is increasing worldwide. Breastfed, it is often at the expense of the poorest, the marginally benefit from the valuable ores in their homeland. This contradiction is documented in a recent study.
Enjoy with a clear conscience - with coffee or chocolate that is comparatively easy. Sources and processing of raw materials required are manageable. Fairtrade Arabica beans come from Ethiopia or Brazil, for example, cocoa grows mainly in West African countries. Customers who place value on such products, they can now even be found at discount stores.
But who wants to have a car driver would have a really good feeling, dispense ultimately to be transportation. Especially since the supply of parts used in car construction is so complex that even the manufacturers do not have a complete overview of the origin and history of individual products more.
This finding may seem surprising at first glance, it is surprising on closer inspection, however. Because cars are made, such as mobile phones, computers or washing machines from a sometimes even for experts only hard on looking crowd different commodities. Iron ore, copper and bauxite to make two-thirds of a car. Where those resources come from, are the conditions under which they mined and processed, the producer is often not known. It could, indeed, they would have to know it in order to meet their responsibilities - at least that the church aid my "Bread for the World" and "Misereor".

The car - a product full of more or less valuable materials
With the support of the NGO "Global Policy Forum" (GPF) have examined the degradation and supply conditions in the resources sector and thereby put the question of the responsibility of the German automotive industry. The result was the study with the bold title "From Ore to car". The results are alarming: The exploitation of natural resources in many countries have "serious" violations of human rights and environmental problems resulted complained GPF CEO Jens Martens. In the study, there are case studies from India, Peru, Zambia and other emerging and developing countries. So it is obvious to a global problem.
Controversial copper mining in the Philippines
This applies also to people in Tampakan in the Philippines. They suffer from the copper mining industry, to a subsidiary of the Swiss-British "Xstrata" Group operates there. Joy Pelino, pastors and social workers in the region falls, a damning verdict: "There is no dialogue with the indigenous population, paramilitary security forces her from access to the forest," Pelino told at a public meeting of the Christian relief organizations in mid-September in Berlin.

David vs. Goliath: Joy Pelino defends itself against corporations
By copper mining is threatening the water supply for rice cultivation, the civil rights activist complained of the Philippines. In its commitment to the copper mining that he is left in the lurch by the government. No wonder, since the've concluded the contracts with multinational companies for the exploitation of valuable natural resources that lie beneath an approximately 10,000 hectares. The situation is still the fact that Pelinos reported to the affected population is partially divided.
Gives you the words of the priest committed faith, it seems also profiteers outside the group to give that brings the copper out of the ground. That such a project can be corruption in the game is common knowledge. However, the copper business is in the Philippines, the "Xstrata" Group must go economically brilliant, otherwise the resident of Switzerland largest commodities trader "Glencore" not provide $ 36 billion for the takeover.
Trade secrets are important
Whether the mined under questionable circumstances is built from the Tampakan copper-region in German cars is difficult to estimate. Because the authors of the study "From Ore to car" acknowledge openly, to be encountered in their study on the ecological, social and human rights impact of vehicle production "to its limits". This was due to the information policy of the company. Whether BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen - were in doubt, questions about the origin of metals having regard to the "commercial confidentiality" unanswered, according to the study.

The fusion of "Glencore" and "Xstrata" is approved but not yet legally completed
From an open approach to its critics, the carmakers are apparently still far away. At the public hearing in Berlin not an official representative of the three major German automakers was there. They had tried in vain about regretting the organizers. After all, put a freelance consultant in the automotive and supplier industry critical questions. Badenhausen who has seen many years of leadership roles in the Daimler Group, the industry is in spite of allegations on the right track.
"Availability risks" and "human rights risks"
As evidence of the engineering doctorates are among other measures passed by the company policies on social and sustainability standards to be met by the supplier companies. "Maybe there is something more to be done," admitted Badenhausen, which overlooks the purchasing departments of the car manufacturers. He confirmed ultimately restrained manner what Jens Martens of "Global Policy Forum" accuses the company be clear: not to verify compliance with the standards. He had the feeling that the guidelines were a "chore to comply with demands from society."
Martens also requires more responsibility from politics. Which could and should have more influence on the observance of human rights. But in the center of both the raw materials strategy of the Federal Government and the Alliance of German commodity economy is a sufficient supply of the industry with important metals. It will pay more attention to "availability risk" rather than "human rights risks," says Martens. "Do not competitive advantage but are bought at the price of human rights violations," warns the expert.
Questionable business partner

Commodities expert Jens Martens of "Global Policy Forum"
A glance at the list of German partners can Martens' skepticism plausible. Because including sporadically are also countries that have significant democratic deficits or a ruthless economic system. In the past and this year bilateral agreement with Mongolia and Kazakhstan were completed. Discussions are under way with among others Chile, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa.
The German policy with that of its raw materials strategy in a difficult tension moves, she knows. It was crucial to find a "reasonable compromise," said Thomas Gäckle from Berlin's Federal Ministry of Economics. There he leads since March 2011, the subdivision commodity policy. The German government was "good will" to fulfill their responsibility to be said Gäckle. One can be in setting up trading systems certified by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The result the source of the coveted metals can be traced back. Violations of international conventions for the protection of wage dumping about child labor or environmental destruction could be prevented or sanctioned.
Transparency 'yes, but ...'
That sounds good in theory, but in practice the working world sees in many emerging and developing countries with rich natural resources differently. The expert from the German Ministry of Economics argues pragmatically: statutory transparency, yes, but please, so that it is workable. What Gäckle on behalf of the German government says it is clear that the competition with companies from around East Asia should not be "changed dramatically, disabled or weakened."