Name: Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics
Uploaded: 2014-06-16T15:13:13.000Z
Duration: 9 min 32 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

When I was in third grade, my mother left home to work as a migrant worker.

When I was in seventh grade, we stopped hearing from her.

My mind was set on earning as much money as possible.

My dream was to leave home, to leave the countryside and the mountains behind me.

I was only 14 when I started to work at the factory.

I went to work because my parents worked so hard all year long

In China, every year, over 12 million teenagers leave home to find work.

who must travel far from home just to make a living.

My work days started at 8 a.m. and ended at 11p.m.

There were no holidays. I only had one night off a month.

We sat there all day cleaning phone chips and using chemicals.

There was an Apple screen, and a Nokia screen.

When I wasn't eating or sleeping, I will be wiping something.

There was no other ventilation, no windows.

The smell was horrible at first, but I eventually got used to it.

This should be the best time of his life,

but unfortunately he was diagnosed with leukemia in May 2009.

After three examinations over twelve months,

he was confirmed to be occupational leukemia,

an aggressive form of cancer caused by benzene.

that is banned in most Western Countries for industrial use.

China, maker of more than 50% of the world's cell phones, is an exception.

Now I've been through 28 chemotherapy treatments.

It feels like thousands of ants biting my insides.

I've been living in this hospital for six years now.

It feels like a prison, and there's no way to escape.

It took 19 months of struggle to prove my leukemia was workplace-related.

I petitioned to the government authorities many times

and told him not to tell other workers what was wrong.

There were several people who accompanied me to the hospital when I received the diagnosis.

They carried a bag with them, a bag of money.

They concluded my cancer was not caused from working at the factory,

When I was on the street, I would take a close look at anyone who had a physical resemblance to my mother.

I was worried what had happened to her, and that she was suffering.

You know what? When I was in the hospital, I couldn't walk,

I had expected that I would be responsible,

that I would try to relieve some of the burdens from my parents.

But the truth is, I ended up as their burden.

Six weeks after this interview, Ming Kunpeng committed suicide.

He couldn't take the struggle any longer-

the pressure of dealing with this illness,

I propose that we all stand up and hold a silent tribute for Ming.

For those of us who are alive, we need to fight for our rights, for justice

Benzene is a horrifying poison that causes cancer.

We want to deliver a message to the public

that benzene can be replaced by safer alternatives.

We want brands to take responsibility for working conditions at their supplier factories,

and good occupational health and safety measures, and policies and practices.

And banning the use of benzenes is part of that.

It's just part of supply chain responsibility.

Benzene is widely used in various industries..

Sporting goods, printing, and electronic products

as well as finishing materials contain benzene.

Not only are the workers working in very toxic environments,

but the customers who buy the products are also exposed to benzene

At the moment, consumers don't have a benzene-free choice.

so you can't go to a shop and ask for the one or the other thing.

But consumers can ask and can get in touch with brands,

and say, "What is this whole issue with benzene? "

"I'm worried and concerned about benzene poisoning,"

In China, over 200 million people are working in hazardous environments.

According to Chinese government statistics, one person will get poisoned by toxic chemicals every five hours; the majority from benzene.

Expert assert this number is much higher.

A benzene-free electronic device would cost consumers less than one USD more.

I'm sorry I'm not there to take care of you.