[imc-tech-solidarity] Computers' environmental impact up: UNU Study

[evan]

This  might be of interest to folks on this list, in general it talks 
about the environmental impact of computers and touches a little on 
recycling as has happened with the tech solidarity project.

Of course, the text of the article is insanely expensive, if somebody 
has access to a university connection perhaps they can download and 
share a copy.

-evan

> Kuehr, Ruediger & Eric Williams (eds.):
>
>  Computers and the Environment : Understanding and Managing Their 
> Impacts
>
>  Kluwer Academic Publishers, Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science 
> Series, Dordrecht/NL, October 2003, 300 pages,
>
>
> Paperbound: ISBN 1-4020-1680-8, EUR 32.00 / USD 35.00 / GBP 22.00
>
> Hardbound: ISBN 1-4020-1679-4, EUR 75.00 / USD 83.00 / GBP 52.00
> What are the environmental impacts associated with personal computers 
> (PCs)? How should we manufacture, buy, use and dispose of them so as 
> to reduce these impacts? Governments and firms are increasingly 
> responding to mitigate some of the problems. In the E.U., Japan, and 
> Taiwan, mountains of waste computers are being dealt with via 
> legislation mandating recycling. Measures are also being taken to 
> reduce the content of lead, mercury and other toxic substances put 
> into computers in the first place. Are these responses enough? Do we 
> understand enough about the impacts to take appropriate social 
> response?
>
>
>
> These questions are taken up in a new edited volume in the 
> Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science series from Kluwer 
> Publications: Computers and the Environment, edited by Ruediger Kuehr 
> and Eric Williams. Collecting perspectives from manufacturers, 
> recyclers, environmental scientists and policy analysts, the volume 
> presents a set of analyses on issues important for understanding and 
> planning response to the environmental challenges posed by computers.
>
>
> Some highlights of the volume include:
>
> 	• 	Manufacturing computers is materials intensive; the total fossil 
> fuels used to make one desktop computer weigh over 240 kilograms, some 
> 10 times the weight of the computer itself. This is very high compared 
> to many other goods: For an automobile or refrigerator, for example, 
> the weight of fossil fuels used for production is roughly equal to 
> their weights. Also, substantial quantities of chemicals (22 kg), and 
> water (1,500 kg) are also used. The environmental impacts associated 
> with using fossil fuels (e.g. climate change), chemicals (e.g. 
> possible health effects on microchip production workers) and water 
> (e.g. scarcity in some areas) are significant and deserve attention.
>
>
> 	• 	The environmental benefits and economic costs of recycling 
> computers under the European Union legislation WEEE depend very much 
> on how the system is implemented. Recycling managed by a monopolist 
> concern, whose main interest is meeting simple recycling targets for a 
> fixed fee, could result in an expensive system with relatively small 
> environmental benefit. A multilateral concern aimed at maximizing 
> profit and reuse across the life cycle presents a more promising 
> picture.
>
>
> 	• 	Decisions by consumers on how PCs are used and disposed of have an 
> enormous effect on environmental impacts. Extending the usable life is 
> very effective for reducing all types of burdens, but relatively few 
> older PCs are being resold, refurbished or recycled – most are stored 
> in warehouses, basements, or closets and eventually end up in 
> landfills. Awareness building and incentives are needed so that 
> consumers will consider environmental issues when buying, using and 
> finally disposing of a computer.
>
>
> TABLE OF CONTENTS
>
> Preface by  Eric Williams and Ruediger Kuehr
>
> 1. Computers and the Environment: An Introduction To Understanding and 
> Managing their Impacts
> Ruediger Kuehr, German T. Velasquez, Eric Williams
>
> 2. Information Technology Products and the Environment
> H. Scott Matthews and Deanna H. Matthews
>
> 3. Environmental Impacts in the Production of Personal Computers
> Eric Williams
>
> 4. How the European Union’s WEEE Directive Will Change the Market for 
> Electronic Equipment—Two Scenarios
> Klaus Hieronymi and Axel Schneider
>
> 5. IBM’s Environmental Management of Product Aspects
> Reinhard Höhn and Anne Brinkley
>
> 6. Environmental Management at Fujitsu Siemens Computers
> Harald Podratzky
>
> 7. Energy Consumption and Personal Computers
> Danielle Cole
>
> 8. PCs and Consumers—A Look at Green Demand, Use, and Disposal
> Mohamed Saied and German T. Velasquez
>
> 9. Strategizing the End-of-life Handling of Personal Computers: 
> Resell, Upgrade, Recycle
> Eric Williams and Yukihiro Sasaki
>
> 10. Today’s Markets for Used PCs—And Ways to Enhance Them
>  Eric Williams and Ruediger Kuehr
>
> 11. Recycling Personal Computers
> Stefan Klatt
>
> 12. Operations of a Computer Equipment Resource Recovery Facility  
> Joseph Sarkis
>
> 13. Managing PCs through Policy: Review and Ways to Extend Lifespan
> Ruediger Kuehr
>
> Contributors
>
> Index
>  
> Toronto Star Mar. 8, 2004
>
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> UN body find units' lifespans shorter, energy use growing
> One low-tech solution: foster healthier second-hand market
>
>
> RACHEL ROSS
> TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
>
> A new report released by an international think tank suggests that 
> while computers are getting smaller their environmental impact is 
> growing.
>
>  The study, conducted by researchers affiliated with the United 
> Nations University, tracked the use of energy and materials in the 
> computer manufacturing process.
>
>  UNU researchers Eric Williams and Ruediger Kuehr found that the 
> average desktop computer with monitor requires 10 times its weight in 
> chemicals and fossil fuels to produce.
>
>  "It takes at least 240 kilograms of fossil fuels alone," Williams 
> said in an interview last week.
>
>  Cars and refrigerators require only one to two times their weight in 
> fossil fuels, he said.
>
>  The study is part of a book edited by Williams and Kuehr called  
> Computers And The Environment which will be released today. In 
> addition to Williams' and Kuehr's own research, the book includes 
> several chapters written by people inside the industry.
>
>  According to the book, the environmental impact of PCs is increasing 
> partly because the latest microprocessors eat up more electricity than 
> their predecessors.
>
>  Sales of personal computers have also continued to grow. Despite the 
> recent tech slump, the study found that PC sales continue to grow by 
> about 10 per cent a year, worldwide.
>
>  IDC Canada research analyst Eddie Chan said the lifespan of the 
> average home computer decreased in 2003, from 4.4 years in the first 
> quarter of last year to 4.2 years in the fourth quarter. Chan said the 
> increasing requirements of computer peripherals account for some of 
> the demand for new PCs. People want a new computer that will work with 
> their MP3 player or DVD burner, for example.
>
>  Many manufacturers have been working hard to make manufacturing less 
> energy and chemical intensive, according to Williams. The main 
> motivation: saving energy and materials helps the company's bottom 
> line.
>
>  But Williams said there is still much that can be done to lessen the 
> environmental impact, including what he calls "environmental 
> supply-chain management."
>
>  It's time manufacturers investigated the environmental record of 
> their suppliers, he said.
>
>  Consumers can also help out by making an effort to resell their old 
> machines, instead of just throwing them out.
>
>  Keeping computers out of landfills should be a top priority, the 
> authors argue, in order to stop harmful chemicals from seeping into 
> the ground water.
>
>  But that might require some encouragement and education from the 
> government.
>
>  "Unfortunately, a lot of people just don't know how to go about 
> selling or buying a used computer," he said.
>
>  It's also hard to tell if you're getting ripped off because there's 
> no standard pricing for second-hand equipment.
>
>  There should be a Blue Book for used computers, Williams said, just 
> like the one that offers guidelines for pricing used cars.
>
>  Kuehr said tax incentives for people who upgrade their computers 
> instead of scrapping them should also be considered.
>
>  But first, governments around the world will need to make the issue a 
> priority.
>
>  "The whole topic of the book is not really an issue among politicians 
> yet. It should be," Kuehr said. "We have to develop long-term 
> strategies and beware of problems."
>
>  United Nations University was established in 1973 by the U.N. General 
> Assembly as an international research group that investigates issues 
> of global importance.
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