Environmental%20impacts%20of%20IT%20hardware

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Environmental impacts of IT hardware
Eric Williams United Nations University
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The United Nations University (UNU)

• Think-tank for the UN system (not degree granting
  university)
• UNU Centre in Tokyo
• Network of Research and Training centers around
  the world.
• Topics
• Environment and Sustainable Development
• Peace and Governance

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• The worlds billionth personal computer was
  produced in 2002.

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• Computers have made life convenient
• But what about their impacts on the environment?
• Big? Small?
• Well understood? Unknown?

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Environmental impactsand IT hardware

1. Energy and material use
2. Possible long-term health effects on high-tech
   workers
3. Chemical emissions from factories
4. Exposures to toxic materials in equipment (e.g.
   lead, brominated flame retardants)

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The Macro microchip

• Average annual growth of global semiconductor
  industry is 16 per year
• What are the environmental implications of this
  new industry? High-tech is often perceived low
  impact.
• Assessment of energy, chemicals and water use in
  production of a 32MB DRAM chip.

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The 1.7 kg microchip

• For 32MB DRAM chip
• Fossil fuels consumed in production 1,200 grams
• Fossil fuels consumed in use 440 grams
• Chemicals destructively consumed 72 grams
• Water use is 36,000 grams per chip.
• Total fossil fuel and chemical use to produce
  2-gram memory chip ? 1.7 kg

Source Williams, Ayres, Heller (2002)
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Entropy and energy use

• Chip manufacture is extremely energy and
  chemicals intensive. Fossil fuels to make one
  chip is 600 times the weight of the chip. For
  automobile, figure is 12, aluminum can 4-5.
• Why? Chip is extremely organized both at
  microscopic and mesoscopic scales. Reduction of
  entropy requires energy.

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The 290 kg desktop computer

• Total fossil fuels to produce a desktop computer
  with 17 inch CRT monitor 290 kg, 14 times its
  weight
• Total energy (production operation) of a
  computer larger than a refrigerator.
• Structure of energy very different 83 is for
  production, 17 for operation. For refrigerator,
  production/operation is 12/88.

Source Williams (2003)
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Managing End-of-life computers Resell, Upgrade,
Recycle

• Rapid obsolescence and increased adoption gives
  rise to e-waste problem (more on this in next
  presentation)
• How to manage?
• Evaluate waste management wisdom (3Rs) for
  computers
• Resell used computer to secondary users
• Upgrade replace processor, memory, hard disc
• Recycle disassemble computer, recover materials
  (metals, glass, plastic)

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Evaluate environmental effectiveness
Case desktop computer, home use, base case
Source Williams and Sasaki (2003)
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Electricity use of IT equipment

• 1999 Forbes article Dig More Coal the PCs are
  coming said computers and networks account for
  10 of electricity use in US.
• Seems to be overestimate, LBNL study showed 3.
• Hardware trends

New processors ?
LCD screens ?
Standby modes ?
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Health impacts on semiconductor workers

• Hundreds of chemicals used, many toxic. Complex
  and changing mix
• Possible increased incidence of cancers and birth
  defects
• Some empirical work showed link between glycol
  ethers and miscarriage rates. Link to cancers not
  known (no major study done yet)
• Series of lawsuits filed against firms by workers
  (IBM, National Semiconductor) Major suit against
  IBM now proceeding to trial.

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Chemical emissions

• Possible impacts from accidents and usual
  operation of plants
• 1980s case of 1,1,1-trichloroethane leak in
  Silicon Valley empirical work suggested
  increased birth defects in local communities.
• EHS practice of firms has no doubt improved. Good
  enough? No lawsuits have surfaced in 90s

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Exposure to toxic materials in equipment

• Two substances attract the most attention
• Lead , in CRT monitors and circuit boards
• brominated flame retardants (e.g. polybrominated
  diphenyl ether (PBDE)) in casings and circuit
  boards.
• Precaution principle concern has led to EU ban
  on lead and certain flame retardants in circuit
  boards from 2006. No scientific evidence yet.

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Summing up

• Energy use is significant
• (home computer refrigerator)
• Health effects due from toxic chemical exposure
  (workers and nearby eco-systems) is possible, but
  still poorly understood.
• CRTs contain significant lead ( 1kg).

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More info new book

• Table of Contents
• Computers and the EnvironmentAn Introduction
• Information Technology Products and the
  Environment
• Environmental Impacts in the Production of
  Personal Computers
• How the European Unions WEEE Directive Will
  Change the Market for Electronic EquipmentTwo
  Scenarios
• IBMs Environmental Management of Product Aspects
  
• Environmental Management at Fujitsu Siemens
  Computers
• Energy Consumption and Personal Computers
• PCs and ConsumersA Look at Green Demand, Use,
  and Disposal
• Strategizing the End-of-life Handling of Personal
  Computers Resell, Upgrade, Recycle
• Todays Markets for Used PCs
• Recycling Personal Computers
• Operations of a Computer Equipment Resource
  Recovery Facility
• Managing PCs through Policy

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• Thank you!
• More information
• www.it-environment.org