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The glass of a crt's monitor is filled with lead. Consider that a crt monitor is an electron gun, and the health implications of sitting for hours on end of one, were it not full of something to keep x-rays from irradiating the sitter.

Some Reference:
http://www.svtc.org/hightech_prod/desktop.htm
http://www.qsrecycling.com/whatisacrt.html
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/comp-dic/lca-sum/ques8 .pdf

How has Apple handled recycling?

According to the "The 2005 Computer Report Card" by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, "Apple, Dell, Gateway, and HP are the companies that use recyclers that have signed the Electronic Recyclers Pledge of Stewardship. To learn more about the Recycler Pledge go to: http://www.svtc.org///cleancc/recycle/recycler_ple dge.htm".

In that report, note that Apple received the second highest score in the category of "DISPOSAL CHAIN". That category indicates the degree to which a company will audit the entire disposal chain (including work sub-contracted to suspicious companies in China, Taiwan Province, and Korea) to ensure that recycling of old computer equipment is done in accordance with the most ethical, most responsible practices.

Note that Apple management actually signed the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, committing to the gold standard of ethical, responsible recycling.

Finally, the recent decision by Apple management to take back old equipment for free is probably due to the tireless efforts of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and other groups in the Computer TAKE-BACK Campaign (CTBC). When Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech at the 2005 graduation ceremony at Stanford University, CTBC flew a banner over the ceremony. The banner exclaimed, "STEVE - DON'T BE A MINI PLAYER - RECYCLE ALL E-WASTE".

How has Apple handled recycling?

According to the "The 2005 Computer Report Card" by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, "Apple, Dell, Gateway, and HP are the companies that use recyclers that have signed the Electronic Recyclers Pledge of Stewardship. To learn more about the Recycler Pledge go to: http://www.svtc.org///cleancc/recycle/recycler_ple dge.htm".

In that report, note that Apple received the second highest score in the category of "DISPOSAL CHAIN". That category indicates the degree to which a company will audit the entire disposal chain (including work sub-contracted to suspicious companies in China, Taiwan Province, and Korea) to ensure that recycling of old computer equipment is done in accordance with the most ethical, most responsible practices.

Note that Apple management actually signed the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, committing to the gold standard of ethical, responsible recycling.

Finally, the recent decision by Apple management to take back old equipment for free is probably due to the tireless efforts of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and other groups in the Computer TAKE-BACK Campaign (CTBC). When Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech at the 2005 graduation ceremony at Stanford University, CTBC flew a banner over the ceremony. The banner exclaimed, "STEVE - DON'T BE A MINI PLAYER - RECYCLE ALL E-WASTE".

How has Apple handled recycling?

According to the "The 2005 Computer Report Card" by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, "Apple, Dell, Gateway, and HP are the companies that use recyclers that have signed the Electronic Recyclers Pledge of Stewardship. To learn more about the Recycler Pledge go to: http://www.svtc.org///cleancc/recycle/recycler_ple dge.htm".

In that report, note that Apple received the second highest score in the category of "DISPOSAL CHAIN". That category indicates the degree to which a company will audit the entire disposal chain (including work sub-contracted to suspicious companies in China, Taiwan Province, and Korea) to ensure that recycling of old computer equipment is done in accordance with the most ethical, most responsible practices.

Note that Apple management actually signed the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, committing to the gold standard of ethical, responsible recycling.

Finally, the recent decision by Apple management to take back old equipment for free is probably due to the tireless efforts of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and other groups in the Computer TAKE-BACK Campaign (CTBC). When Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech at the 2005 graduation ceremony at Stanford University, CTBC flew a banner over the ceremony. The banner exclaimed, "STEVE - DON'T BE A MINI PLAYER - RECYCLE ALL E-WASTE".

How has Apple handled recycling?

According to the "The 2005 Computer Report Card" by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, "Apple, Dell, Gateway, and HP are the companies that use recyclers that have signed the Electronic Recyclers Pledge of Stewardship. To learn more about the Recycler Pledge go to: http://www.svtc.org///cleancc/recycle/recycler_ple dge.htm".

In that report, note that Apple received the second highest score in the category of "DISPOSAL CHAIN". That category indicates the degree to which a company will audit the entire disposal chain (including work sub-contracted to suspicious companies in China, Taiwan Province, and Korea) to ensure that recycling of old computer equipment is done in accordance with the most ethical, most responsible practices.

Note that Apple management actually signed the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, committing to the gold standard of ethical, responsible recycling.

Finally, the recent decision by Apple management to take back old equipment for free is probably due to the tireless efforts of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and other groups in the Computer TAKE-BACK Campaign (CTBC). When Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech at the 2005 graduation ceremony at Stanford University, CTBC flew a banner over the ceremony. The banner exclaimed, "STEVE - DON'T BE A MINI PLAYER - RECYCLE ALL E-WASTE".

It's true.

For speech and debate, I researched, wrote, and delivered a speech about electronic waste. To summarize it: we discard 7 million tons of electronics every year (that's 50 pounds from every man, woman, and child in America). Furthermore, e-waste is uniquely toxic: you can't landfill it (lead and mercury tend to leach out of electronics), and you can't incinerate it (plastics release dioxin when burned). So, as it turns out, we export it: according to "Exporting Harm", a groundbreaking exposé by the Basel Action Network, corrupt recycling corporations are illegally dumping electronic waste overseas. In fact, 50-80% of our supposedly "recycled" electronics actually end up in third-world villages, poisoning their land, water, and air.

The proposed solution was:

1. Ratify the Basel Ban on international hazardous waste export (157 other nations have already done so; the United States is the only industrialized nation on Earth that has refused to join.)
2. Phase out the use of 7 of the most toxic chemicals used in PC manufacturing (all of the European Union nations have already banned these 7 particular chemicals, and thanks to the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, the state of California will do so by 2007)
3. Adopt producer take-back programs (similar to those in Europe and Japan), in order to give manufacturers an incentive to design and build cleaner computers in the first place.* The easier it is for a company to recycle the "taken-back" computers, the more of an edge they have over their competitors.

In the meantime, as a consumer, it's very important to make sure that your local recycler doesn't export. The Basel Action Network maintains a list of recyclers that have pledged to get rid of hazardous wastes responsibly: http://www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html

*Note: because of this requirement, manufacturers will actually sell the "cleaner" version of a PC (made with fewer toxins) to European and Japanese consumers, and sell the "dirtier" version to US consumers.

Discarded computers and televisions are hazardous wastes - and when dumped into landfills or improperly recycled, pose a hazard to the environment and human health. The cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in computer monitors, television sets, and other video display devices contain significant concentrations of lead and other heavy metals. The State of California affirmed that:

"...when discarded, CRTs are identified as hazardous waste under both federal and State law and are required to be managed in accordance with all applicable requirements, including generator, transporter and facility requirements." Source: California Department of Toxic Substances Control March 21, 2001, Letter to Materials for the Future Foundation

As a hazardous waste, the disposal of CRTs in California municipal solid waste landfills is prohibited. Additionally, collection, whether for recycling or disposal, must be regulated and permitted as a hazardous waste activity. Other states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota and Maine, have taken similar steps. In those states without specific landfill bans for CRTs, any non-residential CRT containing hazardous waste is banned from landfilling under national hazardous waste laws.

Each computer or television display contains an average of 4 to 8 pounds of lead. 13 The 315 million computers that became obsolete between 1997 and 2004 contain a total of more than 1.2 billion pounds of lead. Monitor glass contains about 20% lead by weight. When these components are illegally disposed and crushed in landfills, the lead is released into the environment, posing a hazardous legacy for current and future generations. Consumer electronics already constitute 40% of lead found in landfills. About 70% of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) found in landfills comes from electronic equipment discards. These heavy metals and other hazardous substances found in electronics can contaminate groundwater and pose other environmental and public health risks.

The cracks about "why not just sell it on ebay" aside, this is a very good program.

Manufacturing computers and consumer electronics is a messy process, and the rapid speed of upgrades ensures that many tons of computer equipment are entering landfills regularly. Many of the components in computers are quite toxic, and probably a few other manufacturers have recycling programs in place for computers. Many of them require you to pay the company to take your old, beat up jonx.

The cracks about "why not just sell it on ebay" aside, this is a very good program.

Manufacturing computers and consumer electronics is a messy process, and the rapid speed of upgrades ensures that many tons of computer equipment are entering landfills regularly. Many of the components in computers are quite toxic, and probably a few other manufacturers have recycling programs in place for computers. Many of them require you to pay the company to take your old, beat up jonx.

The cracks about "why not just sell it on ebay" aside, this is a very good program.

Manufacturing computers and consumer electronics is a messy process, and the rapid speed of upgrades ensures that many tons of computer equipment are entering landfills regularly. Many of the components in computers are quite toxic, and probably a few other manufacturers have recycling programs in place for computers. Many of them require you to pay the company to take your old, beat up jonx.

The cracks about "why not just sell it on ebay" aside, this is a very good program.

Manufacturing computers and consumer electronics is a messy process, and the rapid speed of upgrades ensures that many tons of computer equipment are entering landfills regularly. Many of the components in computers are quite toxic. On a smaller scale, I'm sure the same is true of the iPod.

Apple's recycling program is probably worded as broadly as it is so as to avoid confusion, but the important part is that they don't exclude iPods that are utterly broken and irreperably from the program. That means that assuming you can get it to them, they'll put it in the recycling program no matter how badly bashed up it is.

Incidentally, Apple, IBM, and probably a few other manufacturers have recycling programs in place for computers. Many of them require you to pay the company to take your old, beat up jonx.

The OpenBSD folks must ensure that all Taiwanese code is carefully examined for Trojan horses and other malware that the Taiwanese deliberately planted. The best thing to do is to simply ban the use of Taiwanese code.

As well, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition regularly assesses computer companies to determine whether they have good environment policies and respect for workers' rights. Chinese companies (including those in Taiwan) consistently fail on both counts. Why should we condone this sort of behavior by working with the Taiwanese?

Like the Chinese, the Taiwanese have long supported the occupation of Tibet.

Our conscience requires us to reciprocate by banning the Taiwanese from participation in the Open Source movement.

The OpenBSD folks must ensure that all Taiwanese code is carefully examined for Trojan horses and other malware that the Taiwanese deliberately planted. The best thing to do is to simply ban the use of Taiwanese code.

As well, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition regularly assesses computer companies to determine whether they have good environment policies and respect for workers' rights. Chinese companies (including those in Taiwan) consistently fail on both counts. Why should we condone this sort of behavior by working with the Taiwanese?

Like the Chinese, the Taiwanese have long supported the occupation of Tibet.

Our conscience requires us to reciprocate by banning the Taiwanese from participation in the Open Source movement.

Our conscience requires us to avoid buying Chinese computers and other Chinese products. As for the Linux clusters, here is one approach to creating a green clustered computer which is fast but may not be the fastest machine. We willingly sacrifice a little bit of speed in order to promote the environment and workers rights.

Buy 16 Sony desktops, of which many are actually assembled in the United States of America. Alternatively, buy 16 Fujitsu or Toshiba desktops. Sony, Fujitsu, and Toshiba are committed to protecting the environment. Another alternative is to buy 16 Siemens-Nixdorf desktop.

Then, get a copy of Linux and Beowulf, and presto (!), you have a supercomputer in your office. The total cost should run you about $10,000.

Our conscience requires us to avoid buying Chinese computers and other Chinese products. As for the Linux clusters, here is one approach to creating a green clustered computer which is fast but may not be the fastest machine. We willingly sacrifice a little bit of speed in order to promote the environment and workers rights.

Buy 16 Sony desktops, of which many are actually assembled in the United States of America. Alternatively, buy 16 Fujitsu or Toshiba desktops. Sony, Fujitsu, and Toshiba are committed to protecting the environment. Another alternative is to buy 16 Siemens-Nixdorf desktop.

Then, get a copy of Linux and Beowulf, and presto (!), you have a supercomputer in your office. The total cost should run you about $10,000.

The Silcon Valley Toxics Coalition http://www.svtc.org/has some very interesting links to articles related to computer and enviroment. I am not worried about the space issue of throwing away the computers, I am worried about the issue of putting all the lead (and other materials) into our eviroment. The World needs to realize just how costly computers are going to be to our eviroment in both creation and disposal. The $10 per computer will not be enough to even think about covering the true cost of getting any computer disposed of safely. I can't say live without computers, but people need to think about buying less of them, and using them longer. Hopefully Linux will have a role in this.

probably it ends up like this

(And for a larger perspective I came up with while in a obviously fevered state, check out my horrible hyperlink haiku)

I worked at this little computer store in rural Louisiana. After a couple of years, we ended up with about 14 dead MGA/CGA/EGA monitors and decided to have some fun.

The monitors were all loaded up into a truck and taken out into the swamps, and set up on 55-gallon drums. Myself and three other people then proceeded to blow the fuck out of them with a number of weapons

Quite fun.:-)

Quite Toxic

But why recycle what you can shoot?

IBM has handed 6% of the market for PC's to a Chinese company. HP and Dell will be hurt bad by this move. They will be forced to brutalize their workers just like the Chinese companies; otherwise, HP and Dell will be priced out of the market.

Finding the link that explains Reebok's strong support for human rights and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is relatively easy. Chinese folks have trouble in finding the link because they are lying.

By the way, Amnesty International itself gave Reebok an award for its excellent commitment to human rights and CSR.

Chinese culture and Western culture are very different.

Further, at the web site for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, you will find that all the companies which received a passing grade on the environment are American and Japanese companies. There are several American companies that failed. However, all the Korean and Chinese companies flunked.

Also, many American companies are committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The best example of their commitment to CSR is the Sullivan Principles. All American companies, with the exception of Marathon (now bankrupt), in South Africa abided by the Sullivan Principles to hire and promote employees without regard to their race or ethnicity. The Sullivan Principles helped to end apartheid in South Africa.

Indeed, Chinese culture and Western culture are very different.

A side issue is the sale of sensitive technology to Lenovo, which may have connections to the Chinese military.

In my opinion, IBM should sell its operations to a European company or a Japanese company. For the latter, I suggest Toshiba. It currently sells laptops that use a finger mouse just like the one in IBM's current notebooks. For the former, I suggest some Eastern European company. Eastern Europe could use the work. Also, Poland currently has many personal computer manufacturers.

IBM may receive a small-ish price from an Eastern European company, but there are larger issues here. IBM management should ponder its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and help to expand Western culture. Unlike the Chinese, the Eastern Europeans are certainly committed to Western values.

A side issue is the sale of sensitive technology to Lenovo, which may have connections to the Chinese military.

In my opinion, IBM should sell its operations to a European company or a Japanese company. For the latter, I suggest Toshiba. It currently sells laptops that use a finger mouse just like the one in IBM's current notebooks. For the former, I suggest some Eastern European company. Eastern Europe could use the work. Also, Poland currently has many personal computer manufacturers.

IBM may receive a small-ish price from an Eastern European company, but there are larger issues here. IBM management should ponder its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and help to expand Western culture. Unlike the Chinese, the Eastern Europeans are certainly committed to Western values.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) has been doing annual studies of major computer companies and evaluating how well they support the environment. All the Korean and Chinese companies (including companies based in Taiwan province) had a failing grade in the studies.

VIA may have produced a lead-free motherboard, but VIA abuses its workers and integrates lead into other products.

Ballmer should wake up and license his new PC to American and Japanese companies, particularly those on the SVTC's list of recommended companies.

VIA may have produced a lead-free motherboard, but VIA abuses its workers and integrates lead into other products.

Ballmer should wake up and license his new PC to American and Japanese companies, particularly those on the SVTC's list of recommended companies.

I find you've got a point, and *gasp* it's making me think about my position that "being an environmentalist can be good for the economy" might not be the way to go.

However, I think there are some additional long-term costs by being more environmentally friendly. (It's the end of the work-week for me, and I'm a little tired to fit this into your "10k workers, 100k consumers, $100B cost" model right now, so bear with me) Consider this lawsuit of IBM, where workers sued because they were believed to have higher cancer rates because of their jobs. (Yeah, I know, IBM won)

If the costs for changing the environmental conditions now is less than the costs for healthcare + the costs of lawsuits + the costs of environmental changes later, isn't that good for business? is that good for the people who work in and around there? why not do it now?

Taiwan is little better than a thug . The majority of spies for Beijing do not come from the mainland Chinese immigrant community. The spies come from the Taiwanese community.

The Taiwanese also admire Nazis and are the major customers for human organs culled from unwilling prisoners in mainland China.

The Taiwanese have no sense of corporate responsibility and are the worst exploiters of children in sweatshop factories.

Earlier in the year, I proposed that we include Taiwan in the ongoing boycott of products made in China, and the radio host agreed with me.

God damn the Taiwanese.

Taiwan is little better than a "thug". The majority of spies for Beijing do not come from the mainland Chinese immigrant community. The spies come from the Taiwanese community.

The Taiwanese also admire Nazis and are the major customers for human organs culled from unwilling prisoners in mainland China.

The Taiwanese have no sense of corporate responsibility and are the worst exploiters of children in sweatshop factories.

Early this year, I had proposed on a major radio program, that we include Taiwan in the ongoing boycott of products made in China, and the radio host agreed with me.

God damn the Taiwanese.

Taiwan is little better than a "thug". The majority of spies for Beijing do not come from the mainland Chinese immigrant community. The spies come from the Taiwanese community.

The Taiwanese also admire Nazis and are the major customers for human organs culled from unwilling prisoners in mainland China.

The Taiwanese have no sense of corporate responsibility and are the worst exploiters of children in sweatshop factories. I proposed that we include Taiwan in the ongoing boycott of products made in China, and the radio host agreed with me.

God damn the Taiwanese.

Taiwan is little better than a "thug" [geocities.com]. The majority of spies for Beijing do not come from the mainland Chinese immigrant community. The spies come from the Taiwanese community.

The Taiwanese also admire Nazis and are the major customers for human organs culled from unwilling prisoners in mainland China.

The Taiwanese have no sense of corporate responsibility and are the worst exploiters of children in sweatshop factories. I proposed that we include Taiwan in the ongoing boycott of products made in China, and the radio host agreed with me.

God damn the Taiwanese.

Taiwan is little better than a "thug". The majority of spies for Beijing do not come from the mainland Chinese immigrant community. The spies come from the Taiwanese community.

The Taiwanese also admire Nazis and are the major customers for human organs culled from unwilling prisoners in mainland China.

The Taiwanese have no sense of corporate responsibility and are the worst exploiters of children in sweatshop factories. I proposed that we include Taiwan in the ongoing boycott of products made in China, and the radio host agreed with me.

God damn the Taiwanese.

Given the new attitude at Dell, perhaps it now wants to support AMD because AMD is simply more American than Intel. Intel hires a much larger number of foreign workers than AMD. Of course, Intel is also a slave galley, just like most Chinese companies. In fact, many bosses at Intel are Chinese.

Brutality and cruelty are a Chinese way of life.

You see the same shocking attitude in a recent survey of computer companies . The Chinese companies (e.g. Acer) received failing grades on supporting the environment. Sun Microsystems, which is dominated by former and current Chinese H-1B workers, also received a failing grade.

Nonetheless, China is about to experience a dramatic decline in its population -- due to AIDS. The single strongest catalyst for the spread of AIDS is an inferior culture, characterized by lying, arrogance, and bigotry. After the number of Chinese declines to barely 100 million, there will be too few Chinese to damage the environment. So, the American government should ratify the Kyoto treaty

Nonetheless, China is about to experience a dramatic decline in its population -- due to AIDS. The single strongest catalyst for the spread of AIDS is an inferior culture, characterized by lying, arrogance, and bigotry. After the number of Chinese declines to barely 100 million, there will be too few Chinese to damage the environment. So, the American government should ratify the Kyoto treaty.

You see the same shocking attitude in a recent survey of computer companies. The Chinese companies (e.g. Acer) received failing grades on supporting the environment. Sun Microsystems, which is dominated by former and current Chinese H-1B workers, also received a failing grade.

Nonetheless, China is about to experience a dramatic decline in its population -- due to AIDS. The single strongest catalyst for the spread of AIDS is an inferior culture, characterized by lying, arrogance, and bigotry. After the number of Chinese declines to barely 100 million, there will be too few Chinese to damage the environment.

So, the American government should ratify the Kyoto treaty.

If you think that even a 95% decrease in the lead in the microprocessor would have as much as 0.1% impact on the amount of lead in a desktop computer, think again!......pointing at the CPU and calling attention to it while the Intel chip is not the real problem.

I wouldn't say it is even .1% of the problem

CPU's in desktops often get pulled and used in other systems. Pulling a CPU out of socket requires no burning or chemical reaction, hence nothing is released in the enviroment.

As most if not all Desktop CPUs today are faster than 500 MHz, they can find a useful life in lower end low cost computers somewhere. Somebody does not need more than that to browse the web and check email.

Even if the CPU gets tossed in the dump somewhere, as I'm sure many 286/386/486s do, the CPU itself is embedded in a ceramic or plastic chip that will protect it from reaching the enviroment for a very long time.

As the parent has pointed out, the lead in the solder on the circuit boards is _many magnitudes_ greater in both quantity and potential exposure to the enviroment.

It seems that the biggest growing export (besides jobs) is trash, where some third world country can worry about the problem. Officials there often look the other way because they want to tax the trade.

It's not just circuit boards, but computer monitors have four pounds of lead in the CRT, which is a magnitude worst than the accompanying circuit board. The plastics used to build the cases is toxic also, especially if recyclers burn the plastic, as they often do. Don't forget all the other countless devices or e-junk (cell phones, TVs, radios, VCRs) that are more likely get tossed.

But even worse by another magnitude (as bad as this is) is car batteries

Brazil, India, several countries in Asia collect mountains of car batteries, where they sit in the open and rain water washes all the chemicals into the groundwater. They are burned and smelted, and the process pollutes the enviroment further.

So, when talking about a CPU, compared to all the other toxic junk there is, it is insignificant in the extreme.

What if they count the raw materials needed for creating each part?

How much of what chemicals do you need to make an IDE ribbon cable, the green part of the boards, the fans, the sockets. Seems like it would add up fast and it wouldn't be all at one or two manufacturing plants (so it wouldn't be the PC manufacturer moving all the material or using the water, a co like Gateway probably uses nearly no water for what is essentially an assembly and packaging process), its probably more like over 100 or more different sources for all the parts for all the parts.

If you want to see what so-called computer recycling does with all the toxic crap that gets built into a machine, check this out:
SVTC
Property Labels from California
pdf
zip
html version no pictures (the pics are startling)

What if they count the raw materials needed for creating each part?

How much of what chemicals do you need to make an IDE ribbon cable, the green part of the boards, the fans, the sockets. Seems like it would add up fast and it wouldn't be all at one or two manufacturing plants (so it wouldn't be the PC manufacturer moving all the material or using the water, a co like Gateway probably uses nearly no water for what is essentially an assembly and packaging process), its probably more like over 100 or more different sources for all the parts for all the parts.

If you want to see what so-called computer recycling does with all the toxic crap that gets built into a machine, check this out:
SVTC
Property Labels from California
pdf
zip
html version no pictures (the pics are startling)

What if they count the raw materials needed for creating each part?

How much of what chemicals do you need to make an IDE ribbon cable, the green part of the boards, the fans, the sockets. Seems like it would add up fast and it wouldn't be all at one or two manufacturing plants (so it wouldn't be the PC manufacturer moving all the material or using the water, a co like Gateway probably uses nearly no water for what is essentially an assembly and packaging process), its probably more like over 100 or more different sources for all the parts for all the parts.

If you want to see what so-called computer recycling does with all the toxic crap that gets built into a machine, check this out:
SVTC
Property Labels from California
pdf
zip
html version no pictures (the pics are startling)

What if they count the raw materials needed for creating each part?

How much of what chemicals do you need to make an IDE ribbon cable, the green part of the boards, the fans, the sockets. Seems like it would add up fast and it wouldn't be all at one or two manufacturing plants (so it wouldn't be the PC manufacturer moving all the material or using the water, a co like Gateway probably uses nearly no water for what is essentially an assembly and packaging process), its probably more like over 100 or more different sources for all the parts for all the parts.

If you want to see what so-called computer recycling does with all the toxic crap that gets built into a machine, check this out:
SVTC
Property Labels from California
pdf
zip
html version no pictures (the pics are startling)

What if they count the raw materials needed for creating each part?

How much of what chemicals do you need to make an IDE ribbon cable, the green part of the boards, the fans, the sockets. Seems like it would add up fast and it wouldn't be all at one or two manufacturing plants (so it wouldn't be the PC manufacturer moving all the material or using the water, a co like Gateway probably uses nearly no water for what is essentially an assembly and packaging process), its probably more like over 100 or more different sources for all the parts for all the parts.

If you want to see what so-called computer recycling does with all the toxic crap that gets built into a machine, check this out:
SVTC
Property Labels from California
pdf
zip
html version no pictures (the pics are startling)

Now Jose Worker and Randeep Worker will

Who do you think it was that was doing the work at the plant(s) in question?
It was poor immigrants and low skill workers and yes, of course IBM knew about it. The higher paid managers wouldn't be caught (dead) standing all day be marinated in chemicals.
This is the dirty part of the beautiful, feel-good Open Source world that is never really talked about here.

svtc
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf
http://www.ban.org
http://www.tufts.edu/tuftsrecycles/more/computers. html

Now Jose Worker and Randeep Worker will

Who do you think it was that was doing the work at the plant(s) in question?
It was poor immigrants and low skill workers and yes, of course IBM knew about it. The higher paid managers wouldn't be caught (dead) standing all day be marinated in chemicals.
This is the dirty part of the beautiful, feel-good Open Source world that is never really talked about here.

svtc
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf
http://www.ban.org
http://www.tufts.edu/tuftsrecycles/more/computers. html

So everyone should be a rational economizer, busy calculating their individual costs and benefits, and acting accordingly. Right?

Wrong. Human economic motivation is driven by two principal impulses: selfishness and compassion. Still, there is considerable variation across societies.

First consider Western society. Capitalism and free markets are essentially driven by selfishness. Each consumer and producer wants to maximize her own gain, regardless of the outcome to other consumers and producers. Adam Smith claims that selfishness is the only driving force. Is he right? Of course, not. Western consumers frequently prefer to buy environmentally friendly products that are neither the cheapest nor the highest quality. When organizations like the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition advertise that certain companies receive a failing grade on how they recycle used computers, those failing companies suffer a drop in sales. Furthermore, Western consumers frequently donate money and time to organizations like Amnesty International (AI) yet receive no product or service in return. So, clearly, compassion is a strong component of economic motivation.

However, the degree of selfishness and compassion varies across societies. Consider Taiwanese society. When Westerners like the Americans withheld investments from China after the brutal incident at Tienanmen Square in 1989 in order to force Beijing to change, the Taiwanese immediately seized this window of opportunity and poured money and technology into China, completely thwarting any American economic sanctions. (reference: "Reality of Taiwan") Note also that all the Taiwanese companies mentioned in the environmental study done by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition received failing grades. Why? Most Chinese in China (which includes Taiwan province and Hong Kong) simply do not care about the environment. They prefer to buy the cheapest product even if it damages the environment. Since the main customers of the Taiwanese companies do not care about the environment, those companies will do nothing to protect the environment. As for human-rights organizations like AI, most Chinese reject its principles. The Chinese are overrepresented in the business and engneering colleges of American universities but are underrepresented in meetings of AI. (You can verify this fact by just attending an AI meeting.) So, clearly, compassion is almost non-existent as a component of economic motivation in Chinese society.

Other societies fall somewhere between the two extremes of Western society and Chinese (or Taiwanese) society.

... from the desk of the reporter

So everyone should be a rational economizer, busy calculating their individual costs and benefits, and acting accordingly. Right?

Wrong. Human economic motivation is driven by two principal impulses: selfishness and compassion. Still, there is considerable variation across societies.

First consider Western society. Capitalism and free markets are essentially driven by selfishness. Each consumer and producer wants to maximize her own gain, regardless of the outcome to other consumers and producers. Adam Smith claims that selfishness is the only driving force. Is he right? Of course, not. Western consumers frequently prefer to buy environmentally friendly products that are neither the cheapest nor the highest quality. When organizations like the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition advertise that certain companies receive a failing grade on how they recycle used computers, those failing companies suffer a drop in sales. Furthermore, Western consumers frequently donate money and time to organizations like Amnesty International (AI) yet receive no product or service in return. So, clearly, compassion is a strong component of economic motivation.

However, the degree of selfishness and compassion varies across societies. Consider Taiwanese society. When Westerners like the Americans withheld investments from China after the brutal incident at Tienanmen Square in 1989 in order to force Beijing to change, the Taiwanese immediately seized this window of opportunity and poured money and technology into China, completely thwarting any American economic sanctions. (reference: "Reality of Taiwan") Note also that all the Taiwanese companies mentioned in the environmental study done by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition received failing grades. Why? Most Chinese in China (which includes Taiwan province and Hong Kong) simply do not care about the environment. They prefer to buy the cheapest product even if it damages the environment. Since the main customers of the Taiwanese companies do not care about the environment, those companies will do nothing to protect the environment. As for human-rights organizations like AI, most Chinese reject its principles. The Chinese are overrepresented in the business and engneering colleges of American universities but are underrepresented in meetings of AI. (You can verify this fact by just attending an AI meeting.) So, clearly, compassion is almost non-existent as a component of economic motivation in Chinese society.

Other societies fall somewhere between the two extremes of Western society and Chinese (or Taiwanese) society.

... from the desk of the reporter

So everyone should be a rational economizer, busy calculating their individual costs and benefits, and acting accordingly. Right?

Wrong. Human economic motivation is driven by two principal impulses: selfishness and compassion. Still, there is considerable variation across societies.

First consider Western society. Capitalism and free markets are essentially driven by selfishness. Each consumer and producer wants to maximize her own gain, regardless of the outcome to other consumers and producers. Adam Smith claims that selfishness is the only driving force. Is he right? Of course, not. Western consumers frequently prefer to buy environmentally friendly products that are neither the cheapest nor the highest quality. When organizations like the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition advertise that certain companies receive a failing grade on how they recycle used computers, those failing companies suffer a drop in sales. Furthermore, Western consumers frequently donate money and time to organizations like Amnesty International (AI) yet receive no product or service in return. So, clearly, compassion is a strong component of economic motivation.

However, the degree of selfishness and compassion varies across societies. Consider Taiwanese society. When Westerners like the Americans withheld investments from China after the brutal incident at Tienanmen Square in 1989 in order to force Beijing to change, the Taiwanese immediately seized this window of opportunity and poured money and technology into China, completely thwarting any American economic sanctions. (reference: "Reality of Taiwan") Note also that all the Taiwanese companies mentioned in the environmental study done by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition received failing grades. Why? Most Chinese in China (which includes Taiwan province and Hong Kong) simply do not care about the environment. They prefer to buy the cheapest product even if it damages the environment. Since the main customers of the Taiwanese companies do not care about the environment, those companies will do nothing to protect the environment. As for human-rights organizations like AI, most Chinese reject its principles. The Chinese are overrepresented in the business and engneering colleges of American universities but are underrepresented in meetings of AI. (You can verify this fact by just attending an AI meeting.) So, clearly, compassion is almost non-existent as a component of economic motivation in Chinese society.

Other societies fall somewhere between the two extremes of Western society and Chinese (or Taiwanese) society.

... from the desk of the reporter

As an American company, Dell is a huge disgrace. Please read the "Environmental Report Card" produced by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. Dell received a failing grade and is little better than Taiwanese companies, which are notorious for destroying the environment and the health of workers. Dell even resorted to prison labor to implement its pathetic recycling program.

... from the desk of the reporter

As an American company, Dell is a huge disgrace. Please read the "Environmental Report Card" produced by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. Dell received a failing grade and is little better than Taiwanese companies, which are notorious for destroying the environment and the health of workers. Dell even resorted to prison labor to implement its pathetic recycling program.

... from the desk of the reporter

As an American company, Dell is a huge disgrace. Please read the "Environmental Report Card" produced by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. Dell received a failing grade and is little better than Taiwanese companies, which are notorious for destroying the environment and the health of workers. Dell even resorted to prison labor to implement its pathetic recycling program.

... from the desk of the reporter

Justice does not stop there. Since we require American companies like IBM to abide by stringent environmental and work regulations that protect both the environment and American workers, we must also require foreign companies like Acer from Taiwan province (located in China) to abide by the same stringent environmental and work regulations. Otherwise, IBM will be at a competitive disadvantage against companies like Acer. Acer products are cheaper than IBM products simply because Acer does not pay the cost of protecting the environment or the employees.

At the same time, non-Westerners like the Koreans and the Chinese simply do the care about the environment or the health of employees. Please read the environmental report card produced by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. All the Taiwanese and Korean companies received a failing grade on the issue of poisoning both the environment and their workers.

How can Westerners force non-Westerners like the Taiwanese and Koreans to enact and to enforce the same stringent environmental and work regulations that Westerners apply to Western companies like IBM? Simple. We boycott products made by Taiwanese or Korean companies. Please remember that when you buy products make in a particular country, you effectively support the value system in that country. Do not buy products made in either China or Korea.

If you have qualms about this boycott, please re-read the environmental report card produced by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

... from the desk of the reporter