By Katie O'Reilly
There's a fine art to setting a mindful example while also providing some good old-fashioned fun.
That's why Sierra scoured toy stores, tech startups, kids' outfitters and adventure companies for unique gifts that are gentle on the planet, but that also provide developing minds with truly exciting fodder. Behold some of 2017's most ethically conscious—and awesome—toys, games, gear and more.
1.
We're all about encouraging kids to unplug, but at the same time, we can't ignore the fact that ours is an increasingly tech-dependent world. So, it doesn't hurt to instill the fundamentals of coding, engineering and STEM-centric problem-solving at a young age. The DIY Piper Computer Kit ($299) teaches kids aged 7-12 to assemble their own computers, and then code and program them. How? Through step-by-step instructions provided within the 3D worlds of popular computer games including Minecraft and Raspberry Pi. (So no, yours will not be the dreaded "boring" educational gift). Because the Piper set gives kids an active role in the technology they use (as opposed to one of passive consumption), teachers have been utilizing it more in school settings. What's more, Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak endorses it.
2.
The best way to get kids jazzed about nature, science and gardening? Growing a plant of one's own, of course. When his fifth-grade teacher gave him some seeds, Mark Chipkin grew his first plant—one that very memorably responded to his touch by dancing "like an animal." The experience got Chipkin so excited about the wonders of nature that he says it helped launch his career as a science teacher. He also went on to create TickleMe Plant greenhouse kits ($20), which contain everything kids need (soil, seeds, six pots and simple instructions) to grow indoor plants that are particularly interactive. Once they sprout, they close their leaves and lower their branches when tickled (or, as Sierra editors can attest, even merely touched). The kit also comes with "10 Fun Activities" for the TickleMe plant, as well as packaging (made from recycled plastic) that acts as a mini-greenhouse. For an added eco-bonus, the soil is made from discarded coconut shells.
3.
Nurture budding chefs' and foodies' interests with a cool gift that gives back: The Kitenge Child Apron ($20) from KAZI, a company that features goods crafted by African artisans, and whose profits help provide sustainable income to East Africa's rural poor. Normally wrapped around the heads or bodies of women in African villages, the multi-colored patterns used to create the Kitenge aprons (which are also available in adult sizes) showcase unique style, and carry special significance.
4.
Foster an appreciation for the art of wood-carving at a young age with the gift of the Morakniv Rookie ($20), created by Swedish knife-makers who've been making professional carving tools since 1891. With a rounded safety tip and finger guard to prevent slipping—along with a small, spindle-shaped handle for small hands—this knife is specially designed for children.
5.
Made from sustainably-harvested birch wood and non-toxic water-based inks, Modern Moose natural wood clocks ($49) teach kids the analog-era art of telling time. Available in the images of moose, sharks, foxes, suns and more, these old-school pendulum wall clocks also make for fun nursery and playroom decor.
6.
For a classic toy that may well instill a planet-saving ethos, look no further than the Tonka Mighty Builders Rugged Recycle Truck Play Set ($30). The 25-set package comes with batteries, a 4-piece take-apart-and-build recycling truck, a driver figure, safety cones, a trash bin and 17 durable "Tonka [email protected]" building blocks so kids aged 1+ can mix and match parts with other Tonka playsets to create their own vehicles. We vote this gift "Most Likely to Spark Some Formative Conversations About the Importance of Recycling."
7.
Keep little feet comfortable year-round with 100 percent boiled wool, which is naturally moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating and breathable. Giesswein is an Austrian houseshoe-maker known for hand-crafted wool products that use zero synthetic glues, are colored with vegetable dyes, and dipped in natural latex. And they have a playful line of adorable (and machine-washable) children's slippers created in the images of dragons, reindeer, polar bears and many other adorable creatures. What's more, their non-skid soles are safe for wee ones, as is the secure fit. This dirt- and water-resistant gift, suitable for indoor and outdoor play, is ideal for preschoolers required to wear shoes indoors, and available in babies', toddlers and children's sizes up to 10. Our favorite is the Klein Leine model ($51), which turns kids' feet into doggies busy chewing bones.
8.
The image of a shiny new bicycle beneath a garlanded tree has become iconic of the year-end gifting bonanza. Now, you can keep the trikes and little bikes of yesteryear out of landfills, thanks to Yuba Bikes, which offers the first kids' cargo bicycle built to grow with its rider—from 15 months to age six. The Flip Flop Balance Bike ($120) lets you start tots out on a low-frame setting. As they grow, you can flip the frame over to a higher setting (and even flip it back down for a younger sibling). Kids can load up the cargo hold with their adventure accoutrements of choice—be they rocks, toys or snacks. Best of all, the Flip Flop comes in a rainbow of solid colors and, for animal lovers, Giraffe and Cow prints, too.
Reposted with permission from our media associate SIERRA Magazine.
Though made in large part of plastic, glass, ceramics, gold and copper, they also contain critical resources. The gallium used for LEDs and the camera flash, the tantalum in capacitors and indium that powers the display were all pulled from the ground — at a price for nature and people.
"Mining raw materials is always problematic, both with regard to human rights and ecology," said Melanie Müller, raw materials expert of the German think tank SWP. "Their production process is pretty toxic."
The gallium and indium in many phones comes from China or South Korea, the tantalum from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Rwanda. All in, such materials comprise less than ten grams of a phone's weight. But these grams finance an international mining industry that causes radioactive earth dumps, poisoned groundwater and Indigenous population displacement.
Environmental Damage: 'Nature Has Been Overexploited'
The problem is that modern technologies don't work without what are known as critical raw materials. Collectively, solar panels, drones, 3D printers and smartphone contain as many as 30 of these different elements sourced from around the globe. A prime example is lithium from Chile, which is essential in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles.
"No one, not even within the industry, would deny that mining lithium causes enormous environmental damage," Müller explained, in reference to the artificial lakes companies create when flushing the metal out of underground brine reservoirs. "The process uses vast amounts of water, so you end up with these huge flooded areas where the lithium settles."
This means of extraction results in the destruction and contamination of the natural water system. Unique plants and animals lose access to groundwater and watering holes. There have also been reports of freshwater becoming salinated due to extensive acidic waste water during lithium mining.
But lithium is not the only raw material that causes damage. Securing just one ton of rare earth elements produces 2,000 tons of toxic waste, and has devastated large regions of China, said Günther Hilpert, head of the Asia Research Division of the German think tank SWP.
He says companies there have adopted a process of spraying acid over the mining areas in order to separate the rare earths from other ores, and that mined areas are often abandoned after excavation.
"They are no longer viable for agricultural use," Hilpert said. "Nature has been overexploited."
China is not the only country with low environmental mining standards and poor resource governance. In Madagascar, for example, a thriving illegal gem and metal mining sector has been linked to rainforest depletion and destruction of natural lemur habitats.
States like Madagascar, Rwanda and the DRC score poorly on the Environmental Performance Index that ranks 180 countries for their effort on factors including conservation, air quality, waste management and emissions. Environmentalists are therefore particularly concerned that these countries are mining highly toxic materials like beryllium, tantalum and cobalt.
But it is not only nature that suffers from the extraction of high-demand critical raw materials.
"It is a dirty, toxic, partly radioactive industry," Hilpert said. "China, for example, has never really cared about human rights when it comes to achieving production targets."
Dirty, Toxic, Radioactive: Working in the Mining Sector
One of the most extreme examples is Baotou, a Chinese city in Inner Mongolia, where rare earth mining poisoned surrounding farms and nearby villages, causing thousands of people to leave the area.
In 2012, The Guardian described a toxic lake created in conjunction with rare earth mining as "a murky expanse of water, in which no fish or algae can survive. The shore is coated with a black crust, so thick you can walk on it. Into this huge, 10 sq km tailings pond nearby factories discharge water loaded with chemicals used to process the 17 most sought after minerals in the world."
Local residents reported health issues including aching legs, diabetes, osteoporosis and chest problems, The Guardian wrote.
South Africa has also been held up for turning a blind eye to the health impacts of mining.
"The platinum sector in South Africa has been criticized for performing very poorly on human rights — even within the raw materials sector," Müller said.
In 2012, security forces killed 34 miners who had been protesting poor working conditions and low wages at a mine owned by the British company Lonmin. What became known as the "Marikana massacre" triggered several spontaneous strikes across the country's mining sector.
Müller says miners can still face exposure to acid drainage — a frequent byproduct of platinum mining — that can cause chemical burns and severe lung damage. Though this can be prevented by a careful waste system.
Some progress was made in 2016 when the South African government announced plans to make mining companies pay $800 million (€679 million) for recycling acid mine water. But they didn't all comply. In 2020, activists sued Australian-owned mining company Mintails and the government to cover the cost of environmental cleanup.
Another massive issue around mining is water consumption. Since the extraction of critical raw materials is very water intensive, drought prone countries such as South Africa, have witnessed an increase in conflicts over supply.
For years, industry, government and the South African public debated – without a clear agreement – whether companies should get privileged access to water and how much the population may suffer from shortages.
Mining in Brazil: Replacing Nature, People, Land Rights
Beyond the direct health and environmental impact of mining toxic substances, quarrying critical raw materials destroys livelihoods, as developments in Brazil demonstrate.
"Brazil is the major worldwide niobium producer and reserves in [the state of] Minas Gerais would last more than 200 years [at the current rate of demand]," said Juliana Siqueira-Gay, environmental engineer and Ph.D. student at the University of São Paulo.
While the overall number of niobium mining requests is stagnating, the share of claims for Indigenous land has skyrocketed from 3 to 36 percent within one year. If granted, 23 percent of the Amazon forest and the homeland of 222 Indigenous groups could fall victim to deforestation in the name of mining, a study by Siqueira-Gay finds.
In early 2020, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed a bill which would allow corporations to develop areas populated by Indigenous communities in the future. The law has not yet entered into force, but "this policy could have long-lasting negative effects on Brazil's socio-biodiversity," said Siqueira-Gay.
One example are the niobium reserves in Seis Lagos, in Brazil's northeast, which could be quarried to build electrolytic capacitors for smartphones.
"They overlap the Balaio Indigenous land and it would cause major impacts in Indigenous communities by clearing forests responsible for providing food, raw materials and regulating the local climate," Siqueira-Gay explained.
She says scientific good practice guidelines offer a blueprint for sustainable mining that adheres to human rights and protects forests. Quarries in South America — and especially Brazil — funded by multilaterial banks like the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group have to follow these guidelines, Siqueira-Gay said.
They force companies to develop sustainable water supply, minimize acid exposure and re-vegetate mined surfaces. "First, negative impacts must be avoided, then minimized and at last compensated — not the other way around."
Reposted with permission from DW.