Effects of Silicon on Globalization

The Silicon Trade that elevated "Silicon Valleys" into the most prosperous, technological and economical, cities in the world also impoverished the lower class by aggrandizing the schism between economic classes.

Silicon is created from processed silica (Si02 aka Quartz) that was smelted and blended with carbon and reduces the quartz to silicon to a liquid form shaped in molds. For all intents and purposes, Silicon originates from silica mines across the world that is processed in many Silicon Refineries. The Refined Silicon can then be transported into manufacturing locations to process them into various technologies that we use today. (Side note: Silicon is typically mined and refined at the same location (esp. 2023) but goods created from Silicon have to be imported)

The impact of Silicon is that the entire process is not produced in any single nation; it relies HEAVILY on imports and exports which is why Silicon impacts globalization so much.

On the first step of Silicon production, it needs to be mined. Let's take a look at some prominent mining locations in the Top 4 Countries of Silicon Mining and Production

China is the largest Exporter of Silica in the world. Based around 3 provinces, they provide for over 6,000,000 tons of Silica mined annually. While this may seem great, there are a lot of side effects that hinder the locals in those provinces...

According to the Natural Library of Medicine, "mining consumption of water resources, low recycling efficiency, heavy metal pollution, and other problems are very prominent, which not only further aggravates the local water shortage dilemma; but will also cause serious damage to local drinking water sources, crops, and ecological environments."

Obviously, Russia is in a war with Ukraine at the moment, so their mining locations are private as of July 2023.

Last known production number was over 5.6 million tons of Silica, but during the war, it has been estimated that Russia only produces 580,000 tons of Silica (which is still #2 in the world, but dramatically less than 5.6 million)

Brazil is the 3rd largest producer of Silicon in the world. The majority of the production is based on R.I.M.A. Industries in extracting and purifying the raw silica. However, most of the silica mined from Brazil is sent off through Porto de Santos near the headquarters of RIMA Industries.

Brazil has some of the largest mines in the world such as the Minas-Rio mines, so it is apparent that they dominate in the Silica mining industry in Brazil. The working conditions are properly regulated (for the most part) and thus the mining industry has mostly benefited the regions in Brazil. However, each individual mining organization makes less than optimal amounts.

Brazil produces around 390,000 metric tons of Silica per year.

The Silica mines in Norway are found to be commonly different from other mines around the world. Instead of shipping the raw Silica from the mines to the port and then into the Global Market, many mines along the coast (where the majority of the larger mines are located) directly ship from the mines into the global supply chain. For those mines that do not find themselves located along the coast, the Port of Olso acts as a convenient middleman.

Norway produces almost 350,000 metric tons of Silica, which is a huge number, but still dwarfs to the mines in China and other global industrial superpowers.

Taking a look of this document by the US Silicon Report:  Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 - Silicon (usgs.gov) 

Thankfully, the world isn't very cruel about mining especially in the nations of Norway, Brazil and the US (3rd-5th top producers) and the environments around the mines typically prosper due to the influx of new workers and economic wealth piling into those towns. No statements can be made (nor have any been published about work conditions) about China and Russia, but that statement can be assumed by the public.

The positive outlook for working conditions is generally good; it helps to keep Silicon mining side effects in mind. According to WorldAtlas, "Silicon mining causes erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water in the surrounding areas." This causes damages to the surrounding communities which might impact the future of those regions (similar to the regions affected by Cobalt Mining in The Democratic Republic of Congo). However, the impacts have been negligible as of now because of proper enforcement of health and safety regulations (outside of China and Russia whose policies about that are unclear).

The majority of manufacturing is in Asia (because 71% of Silicon is mined in China). These 4 companies/groups of companies provide for almost all of the circuits in the world (which is the primary consumer of Silicon) that makes all computer chips, microchips, car-chips etc.

The Silicon Trade that elevated "Silicon Valleys" into the most prosperous, technological and economical, cities in the world also impoverished the lower class by aggrandizing the schism between economic classes.

Silicon Valley has become, according to Cal-News, "The report estimates Silicon Valley’s aggregate household wealth is nearly $1.1 trillion" which is the result of the age of electronics and the impacts of daily usage of personal devices. However, it has also destroyed land around mines in those regions, but good support by the rich to help those areas have improved the quality of working and life into those areas by augmenting funding spent on safety and health regulations.

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