How Do Computers Pollute the Earth & How Can We Help It?
Computers have become an essential part of our lives, both at work and at home. Lack of access to the Internet is as unthinkable in the 2010s as it was extraordinary 20 years before. While computers have helped to reduce the millions of tons of paper and other resources spent on long-term hard storage of information, computers and associated products are causing their own environmental concerns, labeled under the term electronic waste, or "e-waste." Fortunately, there are things we can do as a society and that are being done by manufacturers to combat the effects of e-waste.
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History
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Computers are made up of a wide variety of materials: plastic, metal, silica and other minerals, rubber and glass. Many of these ingredients are found in a variety of electronic material, such as televisions and cell phones. Since computers continually improve and go down in price, they are high-turnover items that have a short lifespan before becoming obsolete. "The average lifespan of a computer has decreased from four or five years to under two years," according to Sacramento environmental consultant Brian Dardzinski for the Corporate Network Resources in Sacramento, California. Moreover, it is generally less expensive to simply replace a computer than it is to upgrade or update one.
Effects
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High turnover of computers creates a steadily growing stream of computers to landfills. This e-waste is a source of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium, which leach into the soil and underground water supplies from landfills. The average cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor contains anywhere from four to eight pounds of lead alone, according to Consumer Reports. Lead is also used to make the protective shields for computer chips. Additionally, batteries for laptops contain heavy metals like cadmium. These metals accumulate in the bodies of animals and humans until they reach toxic levels, resulting in birth defects, neurological disorders and even cancer.
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Considerations
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Many preservatives and chemicals in the plastic components of computers are toxic, too. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) pose significant health risks like cancer and reproductive issues, according to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. The production of these plastics, the mining for the heavy metals and oil for the plastics, the production of electricity to power the computers, and the mining of the coal to fuel those power plants all contribute to the toxins in our air, soil and water.
Prevention/Solution
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The biggest actions that can reduce this drain on our resources and damage to our environment is to reduce the amount of electricity used for computers, upgrade a system instead of replacing it and recycling or donating used computers for reuse. During the 2000s, only about 20 percent of e-waste was being recycled. The remaining 80 percent went to landfills or were exported overseas to landfills in other nations like India. This is despite the fact that 90 to 95 percent of computer components are recyclable, according to Consumer Reports.
Corporate Solutions
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Companies are also doing their part in reducing the negative environmental impact of computer equipment. LCD monitors have replaced lead-containing CRT monitors. Companies like National Semiconductor and Intel switched the material in their chips to a compound that does not contain lead in 2005. Companies are trying to create more environmentally friendly plastics and to use recycled materials in the manufacture of computers. Consumer support for these products will help to make them the norm.
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References
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- Photo Credit computer image by michele goglio from Fotolia.com
