09.01.10

An Electronic Wasteland

Posted in Environment, Waste at 5:58 am by cynthia

Catching up on recorded episodes of 60 Minutes, I came across this powerful segment entitled The Wasteland. The program traveled to a region in China which processes tons of e-waste (the term used for all of our technological products when we throw them out. Watch the episode and then read my commentary…

Watch CBS Videos Online

As you all, this week, are keeping track of your daily interactions with technology, I hope you will also ask yourselves where does it all go when you’re ready to upgrade to the next newer, cooler, faster version?  Maybe we should try to hold onto our hardware for just a bit longer, or try to find someone who could use that model that we believe no longer does it for us.

And if these topics interest you, make sure to also watch The Story of Stuff and Edward Burtynsky’s Manufactured Landscapes.

Finally, any ideas on what we can do with our old hardware so that it doesn’t end up in the places documented by this segment?