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I've got an idea for reducing computer e-waste.<br><br>I'd like to see the use of upgradable CPU/clock modules, <br>I/O modules, and North and South Bridge modules <br>so a machine could be upgraded without needing a new <br>motherboard, case, and power supply.<br><br>I'd pay a price and performance tax for such a green<br>layout. When I upgrade my modules I could then sell<br>the used ones on ebay to someone who can use them.<br>It would be far more efficient to collect, test, and ship <br>these used modules than to go through discarded <br>computers trying to figure out which ones still work.<br><br>Brian <br><br><br><br>> From: andid@cagreens.org<br>> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:48:05 -0700<br>> To: tnharter@aceweb.com<br>> CC: sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> Subject: Re: [Sosfbay-discuss] An Update on the Growing E-Waste Crisis<br>> <br>> Tian, I think I got you beat.<br>> <br>> I just remembered that I have the very first TV we bought in 1962; <br>> it's a Zenith color TV, has all its original tubes (yes, tubes!), and <br>> is in a piece of real furniture that closes up to hide the TV! Back <br>> then, we actually turned the TV off when company came or we had <br>> something better to do like eat, talk, or go out somewhere!<br>> Last time I turned it on to test it, it worked! (That was about 10 <br>> years ago.)<br>> Andrea<br>> <br>> On Mar 14, 2008, at 10:43 PM, Tian Harter wrote:<br>> <br>> > I should try to boot my Atari 520 ST and see what happens....<br>> ><br>> > Andrea Dorey wrote:<br>> >> OK, will people stop laughing at me now because I have my first <br>> >> typewriter that I used in college, and my first Mac—now 20 years <br>> >> old? ;- )<br>> >> A.<br>> >> On Mar 12, 2008, at 3:13 PM, Tian Harter wrote:<br>> >>>><br>> >>>> James Kao<br>> >>>><br>> >>>><br>> >>>> *An Update on the Growing E-Waste Crisis*<br>> >>>><br>> >>>><br>> >>>> James Kao, founder, president and CEO of Los Altos-based <br>> >>>> GreenCitizen,<br>> >>>> Inc., an innovator in the responsible recovery, recycling and<br>> >>>> accountability of end-of-life electronics last spoke to TASC in the<br>> >>>> summer of 2005. Since then, GreenCitizen’s convenient, safe and<br>> >>>> accountable solutions to help save the environment from harmful<br>> >>>> electronic waste have been widely accepted in Silicon Valley and<br>> >>>> San Francisco.<br>> >>>><br>> >>>> Every year, an estimated 400 million units of obsolete <br>> >>>> electronics are<br>> >>>> scrapped; this figure will rise to three billion units by 2010. <br>> >>>> While<br>> >>>> advances in technology continue to improve and enrich our lives,<br>> >>>> shorter product lifecycles mean an increasing stockpile of end- <br>> >>>> of-life<br>> >>>> equipment that needs to be managed. When discarded, much of this<br>> >>>> equipment ends up in landfills in the US, or is exported to third<br>> >>>> world countries. This is a global problem and it’s enormous: from<br>> >>>> collection, to responsible de-manufacturing, to finding new uses of<br>> >>>> the recycled materials, to inventing new sustainable materials that<br>> >>>> do not deplete the Earth’s resources or cause toxic harm to the<br>> >>> environment.<br>> >>>><br>> >>>> James will describe how the activities of GreenCitizen<br>> >>>> (www.greencitizen.com) have grown since its founding and why it <br>> >>>> is as<br>> >>>> important as ever that government, enterprise and individuals <br>> >>>> take a<br>> >>>> shared approach to solving this problem.<br>> >>>><br>> >>> James Kao is proud of the fact that GreenCitizen is now a money <br>> >>> making<br>> >>> operation. Every week GreenCitizen takes in two 53 foot <br>> >>> truckloads of<br>> >>> eWaste and recycle it responsibly. Every computer he sends to Fresno<br>> >>> to be responsibly disassembled is one more that doesn't go to Africa<br>> >>> or China to be scavenged and the remains left to pollute ground <br>> >>> water<br>> >>> or burned to pollute the air.<br>> >>><br>> >>> GreenCitizen has had enormously good luck with media access. <br>> >>> During the<br>> >>> three and a half years the company has been around they have <br>> >>> spent about<br>> >>> $100 on advertising. Word of mouth and press coverage has done a <br>> >>> lot to<br>> >>> make the company more widely known. The company also does a lot of<br>> >>> tabling and speaking in front of community groups to generate <br>> >>> visibility.<br>> >>> Kao showed us slides of kids playing recycling games GreenCitizen <br>> >>> had<br>> >>> developed to make eWaste recycling more fun. Over the past few <br>> >>> years<br>> >>> GreenCitizen has picked up many reputable corporate sponsors, and is<br>> >>> always working on getting more.<br>> >>><br>> >>> GreenCitizen generates a lot of statistical information about the <br>> >>> eWaste<br>> >>> they take in. Kao showed us a chart of the most recycled brands, <br>> >>> with<br>> >>> Apple being number one. He mentioned that the coming digital <br>> >>> transition<br>> >>> for TV has resulted in a huge rise in the number of TV sets being<br>> >>> recycled. It used to be that all the glass, lead, and copper was <br>> >>> needed<br>> >>> for the next generation of TVs and monitors. One problem is that now<br>> >>> that those are being made with LCD screens the lead and glass is no<br>> >>> longer as needed. GreenCitizen is part of the industry wide <br>> >>> search for<br>> >>> new uses for the stuff.<br>> >>><br>> >>> GreenCitizen recycles a lot of eWaste from their two offices, but <br>> >>> it is<br>> >>> only a small percentage of the eWaste out there. The company <br>> >>> plans to<br>> >>> open offices in Berkeley, San Mateo County, Campbell/Los Gatos, <br>> >>> and the<br>> >>> Presidio in San Francisco during the next year. They have also <br>> >>> developed<br>> >>> a kiosk that works inside a big box store, so that customers <br>> >>> there can<br>> >>> recycle on the premises for store credit. James is excited by the<br>> >>> win-win synergies that kind of thing will develop.<br>> >>><br>> >>> During Q&A a number of other points came up:<br>> >>><br>> >>> GreenCitizen has recently expanded into computer repair. This <br>> >>> extends<br>> >>> the useful life of many machines. Also, GreenCitizen likes providing<br>> >>> computer systems to schools and community groups at very reasonable<br>> >>> prices. The company sells such systems with a promise to take it <br>> >>> back at<br>> >>> the end of its life at no charge.<br>> >>><br>> >>> The average American buys ten small transformer containing power<br>> >>> supplies every year as part of buying electronic products. James Kao<br>> >>> thinks it would be great if these things could be standardized and<br>> >>> modularized enough that people could get the power supply only <br>> >>> when they<br>> >>> needed another one. Green Citizen is working with a number of design<br>> >>> firms to make this vision a reality.<br>> >>><br>> >>> For more information, please visit:<br>> >>><br>> >>> http://greencitizen.com/<br>> >>><br>> >>> --Tian<br>> >>> http://tian.greens.org<br>> >>> Monday I fixed the fill valve in my toilet. It only took $10 or<br>> >>> so, three trips to OSH, and one to Minton Company on my bicycle.<br>> >>> _______________________________________________<br>> >>> sosfbay-discuss mailing list<br>> >>> sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> >>> http://lists.cagreens.org/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss<br>> >>><br>> ><br>> > -- <br>> > Tian<br>> > http://tian.greens.org<br>> > Monday I fixed the fill valve in my toilet. It only took $10 or<br>> > so, three trips to OSH, and one to Minton Company on my bicycle.<br>> ><br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> sosfbay-discuss mailing list<br>> sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> http://lists.cagreens.org/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss<br><br /><hr />Climb to the top of the charts! Play the word scramble challenge with star power. <a href='http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_jan' target='_new'>Play now!</a></body>
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