Do computers have a negative effect on the environment?
Posted by Tracee Thompson on Monday, December 8, 2008
I think that computers and other forms of technology do have a negative effect on our environment. A computers lifetime involves production, use, and followed with disposal. This ties each computer closely to the environment. On a website called CPSR.com it says that a computers production involves trace metals and other substances that have health hazards in the handling toxics in the production and the computers end of life processes. It also mentions that at the end of a computers useful lifetime it can create challenges when being disposed by hazardous material that may be present and the diffifulties in recycling.
On a second website called UNU.edu i found very detailed information about computer and the environment. I says that to make on desktop computer the fossil fuels used weigh over 240 kilograms, and sometimes even 10 times more than the actual computer. I also states that a very large amount of chemicals and water go into the production of computers. The main environmental effect that is associated with using fossil fuels is climate change; using chemicals is health effects that can occur on microchip production workers; and using water is causing scarcity in some areas around the world. All of these environmental effects are very important and involve a lot of attention.
I believe that there is not enough attention and importance places on hoe computers do have a negative effect on the worlds environment. When buying a dektop computer or any other type, the consumer does not think about the effects that this computer may have on the environment, they just think about which one if the fastest or the smallest or the "coolest". The environment needs everyones attention and people all over the world need to know if the things they do and use have an effect on it.
**Links to the websites used for information are included in the above paragraphs.**
On a second website called UNU.edu i found very detailed information about computer and the environment. I says that to make on desktop computer the fossil fuels used weigh over 240 kilograms, and sometimes even 10 times more than the actual computer. I also states that a very large amount of chemicals and water go into the production of computers. The main environmental effect that is associated with using fossil fuels is climate change; using chemicals is health effects that can occur on microchip production workers; and using water is causing scarcity in some areas around the world. All of these environmental effects are very important and involve a lot of attention.
I believe that there is not enough attention and importance places on hoe computers do have a negative effect on the worlds environment. When buying a dektop computer or any other type, the consumer does not think about the effects that this computer may have on the environment, they just think about which one if the fastest or the smallest or the "coolest". The environment needs everyones attention and people all over the world need to know if the things they do and use have an effect on it.
**Links to the websites used for information are included in the above paragraphs.**