Mark Anthony Esperida

Technology's Price

Sure, that new computer models has more functions and that new cellular phone models have more, new cool features. As new models of the gadgets of today are more useful, do you know what happens to the old computer and old cell phone? They become wastes and trashes or as what we call electronic waste.
Experts estimated that there are almost eighty million computers that were junked last year. As what I have read in an internet article, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there were around four million tons of appliances and electronics that were discarded in the year 2000 in the United States alone. Only a few of them were reused to make new models. Most of them were just dumped ending up in landfills and dump sites, and the toxic that they contained, contaminated the environment. Computers and other gadgets contain toxic materials, such as lead and cadmium, which are found in circuit boards; lead oxide and barium in the monitor’s cathode ray tubes or its picture tube; mercury in switches and flat screens; and brominated flame retardants in circuit boards, cables and plastic casings .
Cathode ray tubes contain five to seven pounds of lead that protects the computer users from the radiation. It is beneficial for humans but in a landfill or in a dump site it seeps into the soil to the groundwater, affecting plants, animals, and most of all to human race. When ingested, this can cause hyperactivity, impaired hearing, decreased growth and brain damage and other physical or mental injuries or damages.
Think how much a gadget can affect to the environment. That is only computers, now here are other gadgets that affect the nature.
Aside from the well-known computers, some other appliances that contribute to electronic wastes are televisions, stereo equipments, radios, cameras, and cell phones, kitchen appliances like refrigerators and ovens and CD, Video-CD and DVD players.
The problem of e-waste is a very serious one. With the on growing technology advancement, disposals of big technological appliances also increases. To address this problem, to the most innovative country in the field of technology, major Japanese electronic manufacturers are investing in green electronics. To eliminate toxic chemicals, green electronics produce appliances that use lead-free products. Japan and the European Union have ordered manufacturers to pay for collection and recycling of their old products to new products.
In the Philippines, there are no campaign or government projects for the recycling of electronic waste. Information drive about its danger is of a few number, is lacking or almost absent. Though our country is in step with the rest of the world as far as advances of technology and gadgets are concerned, our efforts in managing electronic wastes are found waiting. When will the government and local officials move, soon? Well it is too late to move soon and they should do it today.

posted by markanthony @ 2:49 PM