Assignment #3, Option 3

In this course we attempt to help you develop a concern for, and awareness of, the impact of the computer and its applications on the world into which it is being inserted. Many of these concerns relate to human welfare and the "Big brother" syndrome which the computer can create. More recently there has been discussion regarding the development of a "Green machine", that is a computer which does not have side effects which impact on the global environment from manufacture through usage to disposal.

• What would be the characteristics of a true (i.e. minimally environmentally damaging) "Green Machine" and how might such a machine not meet current operating expectations in order to meet the environmental restrictions?
• What steps are being taken by current manufacturers to reduce their environmental impact? Propose further steps that might be taken by which manufacture can be altered or modified to minimize the environmental impact. What effects might these changes have on the price of computers?
• Describe the steps that can be taken to minimize the risks to the company employees, and outline an educational plan for employees to reduce the environmental hazards of computing.
• Most companies realize that they will probably replace any machine they purchase in about 4 to 5 years. What steps can be taken to recycle computer parts? Describe innovative projects to reduce this problem.

  Help:

  There appear to be very few "technical" references that provide a good background in this area, though I do remember reading one or two articles in newspapers about the problems in Silicon Valley as the result of waste from chip companies. Provided below is an initial set of references and a newsgroup paper which may be useful.

  References:

  Paper:

  Bendz, Dianna J. Sept. 1993. "Green Products for green profits", IEEE Spectrum, pp. 63 ff.

  Howard, Bill. 30 Mar. 1993. "The Politically Correct PC", PC Magazine, Vol. 12, No. 6, p. 105.

  Machrone, Bill. 23 Feb. 1993. "My Computer's Turning Green", PC Magazine, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 87-88.

  Nadel, Brian. 25 May 1993. "The Green Machine", PC Magazine, Vol. 12, No. 10, pp. 110 ff.

  Perry, Tekla S. Feb. 1993. "Cleaning Up", IEEE Spectrum, pp. 20ff

  Rist, O. 11 May 1993. "How Green is Your PC?", PC Magazine, Vol. 12, No. 9, p. 30.

  Young, John Edward. 1993. "Global network : computers in a sustainable society", Washington, DC : Worldwatch Institute, 57 p.

  Electronic:

  Yurman, Dan. "Green Technology Markets; Opportunities, Barriers & New Paradigms", posted by dyurman@igc.apc.org 9 June 1994.

  Wallach, Dan S. (1994) "Typing Injury FAQ: General Info" Usenet news.answers. Available via anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu in pub/usenet/news.answers/typing-injury-faq/general. 7 pages.
  World-Wide-Web users will find this available as hypertext: http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/typing-injury-faq/top.html
  You may also want to try Dan Wallach's page: http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/tifaq
  Intel Corp. has an "Environment, Health and Safety Report" that may be useful.

  The RISKS bulletin board, recently made accessible from this set of pages, may contain some useful information on this topic. However, the key words "Green Machine" may not be the most suitable to find entries.

  Finally, we do have a computer recycling company in our area -- R. Frazier, Inc. They used to have a home page on BEV but it is no longer there. I believe they are located in Salem VA.
  "Guide to Energy-Efficient Office Equipment" By Marc Ledbetter, Pacific Northwest Laboratory.
  List of efficiency-related internet sites. There are several information sites that may be of interest.
  

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  Last updated 95/09/11