Thursday, September 13, 2012
I absolutely love Annie Leonard's animated videos because they're entertaining, packed with information and great for all age groups. I was first introduced to her work by a fellow student at Hawaii Pacific University about three years ago and I've been hooked ever since. Her teams' animated shorts are great conversation starters and also provide an excellent means of drawing attention to some very serious issues in a capacity that is fun and non-threatening.
In The Story of Electronics she addresses a
disturbing trend in electronics manufacturing which she calls
'designing for the dump'. The theory behind this concept is that
manufacturers are purposefully producing electronic goods that break
easily so that consumers will throw them away after minimal usage in
order to buy the newer 'more improved' model. One of the many
problems associated with this practice is that the electronic goods
are often filled with toxic substances and improperly disposed of causing toxic waste to build up on our planet at an alarming rate.
Thankfully, some electronics designers have started moving away from the toxins and more towards sustainable production methods. As mentioned in the video, however, we still have a long way to go.
Annie Leonard concludes this segment by urging consumers to demand stronger laws on toxic substances and on banning e-waste export to developing countries. After all, it's the access to information and entertainment that we're after, not the toxic waste!
Thankfully, some electronics designers have started moving away from the toxins and more towards sustainable production methods. As mentioned in the video, however, we still have a long way to go.
Annie Leonard concludes this segment by urging consumers to demand stronger laws on toxic substances and on banning e-waste export to developing countries. After all, it's the access to information and entertainment that we're after, not the toxic waste!
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2 comments:
This is an awaking story, as I have wondered where my old printer ended up. Luckily, I cannot afford to buy new gadgets. So, I am looking up. I also have asked, where does the huge and growing pile at the local dump end up? I don't want to make that trite statement. "It was better in the old days", but clearly some of that is true, if we are going to have more leukemia deaths and neurological disorders, because we are too hung up on faster development for greater profit. Is there time to stop the nonsense occurring? The best that we have, as intelligent heads of state, are not listening, or not able to keep up with all the challenges facing them. Some youth are simply in too big of a hurry to put in their time, to get their piece of the profit? A vicious cycle.
I am grateful for this story. Hopefully awareness at my level will pay off, by leading by example. I will continue to applaud my inability to purchase excess, and thereby help the environment, and at the same time spread the word. We need to start a minimalist society. Anybody there?
Marnya
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Marnya. It is quite disturbing to think about where our old electronics end up. Thankfully some electronics companies have started 'take-back' programs wherein they're able to recycle or reuse old electronics to make new products. I just found this site, e-stewards.org, which seems like a good reference for responsible electronics recycling. You're right though, the best way to avoid waste is to avoid excess.
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