Do Computers have a negative impact on the environment?

My position: Position 2: Save the environment


According to the article "Computers & The Environment", "In 2002, approximately 41 million computers will become outdated; and current analysis by the National Safety Council estimates that 63 million computers became obsolete in 2005. It is estimated that 75 percent of these obsolete computers are stored, and by 2007, these stored computers will amount to about 500 million computers needing to be disposed." These are very startling facts to a world that is already facing gobal warming issues and many other enviromental issues. As technology advances, the recycling methods need to advance with it. Often times people do not think there are ways to recycle their computers, so nothing ever gets done about it and many times people will simply throw their computers away in the trash and think nothing of it.

Computers contain many different chemicals/elements such as mercury, gold, cadmium, and lead. These things, when not contained properly, can hurt the environment we live in. All of these things can be recycled and reused again. Also, remember that computers are composed of glass, steel, and plastic. Again, these things can be reused because these are things we use on a daily basis in our lives.

Instead of throwing computers away we can repair and/or upgrade them, and either reuse them ourselves or give them to someone that cannot afford a brand new computer. My dad works with computers, and many times when his company is purchasing new computers they will offer the older models that are being replaced, to employees. If the employees do not take the computers, then they send them off to be refurbished and are then sent to schools.


http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/12/computers-the-environment/