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Computers were first created in the 1940's and by the end of 2002, one billion computers have been sold worldwide. The increase of computers being sold each year has been creating large amounts of electronic waste and can be a source of toxins if not treated appropriately. The problem that we are facing is that an average 24-kilogram desktop computer requires at least 10 times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to be made. Compared to automobiles or refrigerators that only require 1-2 times their weight in fossil fuels, computers have become a serious problem for our environment. By throwing out your old computers, it adds to the mountain of electronic garbage that helps to increase environmental pollution and global climate change. Since this is a problem, most people today are encouraged to recycle computer components so they could be used again. The recycling not only helps the environment but it also eliminates the need to dig out the fossil fuels from nature. I personally believe that the act of recycling these old computers is great for the environment and will help us to save the natural fossil fuels that we so very often use up. The other good news is that companies are now creating their computers from recycled materials to help out on the recycling process.

According to this article, when it comes to computers and the environment the main concern comes from the consequences created when disposing the machine. Overtime, the amount of computer sales have been skyrocketing. This increase, coupled with changing technology, led to large amounts of electronic waste. The metals commonly found in PC's are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, palladium, platinum, selenium, silver and zinc. Eight of the metals are listed as hazardous. I think that this article is true. Many people don't understand that computers need to recycled properly. If people were to start recycling their computers, i think our environment would look better.

The main concern with computers is the process of creating and disposal. The number of computers being made increases as demand goes up, and this has lead to mass electronic waste. This waste tends to be toxic and damaging to the environment. An average computer will use up ten times its weight in fossil fuels to make. As this is a big issue, the UN decided to review the complications it may have in the future. Significant energy use, long term health affects on people, and long term impacts on the environment are all problems. Solutions to this are viable though. Recycling from people and corporations go a long way. Selling of unused parts is always an option, or even a charity donation. This is a problem now, but might not have to be. Computer recycling is a big motion being taken by businesses, because it happens to be cost-effective and good for the environment. Only good things I have to say about the progression of environmental impacts of tech. Let's hope for a continuing trend.

This article is about a new recyclable solar cell. This new cell is made using plant-derived substrates. This is known as cellulose nanocrystal substrates (or CNC). These solar cells benefit from being truly disposable and by eliminating the waste that results from the use of alternative materials like petroleum or glass. These cells are not only transparent enough to allow light to pass into an embedded semiconductor. These cells dissolve in water which makes them recyclable. The only downside to this new cell is that it will not be available in the near future and the cells can only yield a 2.7-percent conversion efficiency rate while the normal cells can reach 10 percent. At least we now know that a clean fuel ear is well within reach. I think that this new cell is very cool because we have never seen anything like it before and will help us reduce a lot of waste when it is ready.

As technology constantly evolves, we replace our old electronics with brand new ones. on average, Canadian households have 24 electronic devices. When our old electronics go past their useful life, they become e-waste. In Canada, e-waste is a big issue. Environent Canada estimates that 140,000 tonnes and counting of e-waste is dumped in landfills every year. These electronics include harmful materials such as arsenic, mercury, and lead. Many of the electronics we buy were developed with planned obsolescence, which is planning to design a product with a life span. This is good for manufacturers, because it encourages consumers to buy their new products sooner, as these companies use cheaper components. Instead of old electronics dumped in the landfill, they can be recycled and used for new products. When planning to buy a new product, it is best to read reviews of the product and check if it lasts for a long time, or uses recyclable materials. Also, the cheapest model might not always be the best, and quality may come at increasing costs. in my opinion, if electronic companies plan for sooner obsolescence for their products, they should try to use more recyclable materials, and try to use less of materials that are harmful to the environment.

The main idea of this article is the possible effects on the environment that laptops have over desktops. This article discusses the possible of conserving natural resources, using energy efficiently, and how laptops contribute to landfill toxins. Connection: The main problem that laptops have is the resources that laptops are made of. For example, laptops are usually made of metals such as mercury, lead, chromium and other various metals that if not recycled could contaminate the land and resources around the landfill. For example if such metals end up in the landfill, they could contaminate ground water, land water, and the soil around the landfill. This wouldn't allow us to drink the water as well as growing crops or using the soil around the landfill. This highlights how important it is for us to create laptops that use less harmful metals and the importance of recycling laptops.  In my opinion, considering some of the harmful effects that laptops have they also have many positive ones. For example, now that people can use things such as power point presentations, sending emails, we don't need to use as much paper as we used to which saves paper and preserves trees. Due to computers, communication has also become much easier. People can now order things off the internet rather than drive far away to a specialty shop, their item is delivered by a delivery person who has many things to deliver. This is far more efficient than each person driving to a shop to buy something.  In conclusion, computers do have some negative effects on the environment but they also do have some positive effects and made our life much easier. Roman.

This article is based on recycling of the iPhone 5. Apple sold over 5 million iPhone 5's the first week it was introduced. Most of these buyers weren't first time owners. They were buyers of an iPhone 3, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, or an iPhone 4S. Some customers did successfully recycle them, but most iPhone's aren't efficiently thrown out. These resources are collected from our earth. Knowing that many iPhone's have been sold in the past years, there are many resources used from our earth that are getting wasted and overused. If there are going to be many more iPhone's invented, then this will be a problem to our environment and its going to affect our ways of living. In conclusion, if the iPhone if successful and continues to invent more, then we will be living in a different environment which will not be good.

Soon enough our future computers/laptops will be made out of paper. Now imagine how hard it will be to maintain its shape? Or how easy it would be to replace the parts?  Kinda looking forward to seeing this in the future

As you know, many laptops are made of wood, bamboo, carbon fiber and recently made of glass. Now recycled paper might be making its way to a computer. Paper PP Alloy is a paper-based material that is designed to be strong and sturdy. Also it is known to be far easier to recycle. For now many think this is a great start. PEGA assures us that you will be seeing this new material in the near future!

This article is talking about how a company in Las Vegas has opened up an electronic waste facility in Cincinnati. A new 50,000 square-foot facility was opened up in Northwest Boulevard in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. The goal of this facility is to recycle any old computers, monitors, TVs and any other electronic devices. This will help lessen and eventually stop E-Waste being dumped in landfills. The president of the company E-Waste said that if it has a battery or has been plugged in, bring it to our facility. I think this is a really good idea, because it will slowly stop all the junk being dumped in landfills and who knows where else, and now it can be recycled and maybe reused.

When people decide they have no use for old technology and do not think twice before throwing it out, they probably do not realize that their outdated piece of hardware finds its grave half way across the world. Possibly even in Guiyu, China where the largest electronic waste or "E-waste" dump site exists. People are oblivious to the fact that this is a recurring problem, not just a small matter of sorting and recycling through a few pieces of plastic, metal and wires. This black hole of scrapped computers, television sets, air conditioners and even refrigerators is toxic towards the environment, and is contaminating the growth of crops all around the area, such as rice, from the gases of the poisonous elements contained within the gadgets to make them work. The consuming pile of E-waste is not just environmentally deadly but also causes health hazards, along with the expensive and dangerous recycling operations that are needed. If people continue to neglect this issue, E-waste will continue to grow, swallow the earth with a blanket of harmful bi-products and affect everyone's lives, which is something we do not want. E-waste is hazardous and will eventually kill the planet with the path that it seems to be following without any real rise against the issue. This is such a nice way to give back to the environment don't you think? Polluting the earth and by proxy ourselves with technological garbage is obviously a smart thing to do, as if we aren't destroying the world enough already.

In July EPEAT a environment organization that allow computers to be sold only if they can be recycled properly has stop Apple from selling the MacBooks because to make a longer battery life Apple glued the battery cell to the aluminum shell which makes it impossible to take it apart according to iFixit. IFixit said he couldn't take the battery cell out with spill any of the battery acid. A few days later Apple fixed the problem. Now EPEAT has now given Apple the certificate for the MacBook Air and there other laptops are still being tested and also fixed other of its devices. If EPEAT didn't test Apple laptops they could of caused many environmental problems. Also EPEAT is also testing other companies' laptops, tablets, etc. Apple should have tested if this would have happened and should have fixed it instead of selling their products with this problem.  

The Berlin Boombox is a stereo for any type of device that has a headphone jack. It is entirely made out of cardboard and it is easy to construct. The guy who came up with this was inspired by the boomboxes from the 1980s, he was looking for an appealing and affordable speakers but couldn't find any so he came up with his own. I think this is pretty cool but the only thing that concerns me is the quality of the sound, because it is cheap and the speakers are probably not that good either, the quality of the sound might not be as good as regular speakers. 

Apple has done it again. They've just announced a new pair of apple earbuds, once again, trying to brainwash apple fanboys in buying their extremely overly priced product. "EarPods", they call it. They say the EarPods have been in development for three years now, making this the "perfect" apple accessory. Although the EarPods, compared to the old apple earbuds, have majorly improved in comfort and sound quality, it's just not something I personally would be crazy for. For 30 bucks, I can honestly and hands-down say that this is a total rip-off. When buying apple products, keep in mind that you are paying around 30% for the product and 70% for the name, Apple. Im not saying that Apple products are bad, I just think it's unfair to have to pay such a high price for products you can get for a lower price and better too.