Transcript Computers and Society David A. Sonnenfeld Soc 430 WSU Tri-Cities November 1, 2006 Overarching Question • How can citizens participate in governance of complex technologies and systems? From critical.

Computers
and
Society
David A. Sonnenfeld
Soc 430
WSU Tri-Cities
November 1, 2006
Overarching Question
• How can citizens participate in governance
of complex technologies and systems?
From critical theory of technology (cf. Habermas
1976; Feenberg 1991, 1999; Sclove 1995)
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Global Electronics
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Clean, ultramodern industrial image
Complex technologies, toxic materials
Short product life, rapid change (Moore’s law)
Rapidly growing hazardous wastes
Closed, competitive, proprietary
Powerful and “footloose”
Governance/ regulatory challenge
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Research Methodology
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Global research network
Scholars and activists
Analysis and participant observation
Collaboration, discussion & debate
Peer-reviewed
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Research Approaches
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Political economy
Global commodity chains
Life-cycle analysis
Participatory action research
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Electronics’ Toxic Lifecycle
• Extraction/ processing of raw materials
– Mining
– Precious, heavy metals
• Manufacturing/ assembly
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Intensive resource use (esp. water)
Lead, other heavy metals
Chemicals: solvents, dopants, etc.
Hazardous waste, by-products
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Electronics’ Toxic Lifecycle
• Marketing/ packaging/ distribution
– Heavy hype, latest, greatest gizmos
• Use/ reuse/ maintenance
– Rapid obsolescence, disposal
• Recycling/ disposal
– Hazardous waste in landfills
– Air and water pollution
– Health hazards
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Resource Use, Waste Generation
Production of a single, 8-inch wafer:
 4,267 cubic feet of bulk gases
 29 cubic feet of hazardous gases
 3,023 gallons of de-ionized water
 27 pounds of chemicals
 3,787 gallons of waste water
 9 pounds of hazardous waste
SVTC (2004)
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Resource Use, Waste Generation
Annual est. at a single Intel wafer fab in NM:
 832 million cu. feet of bulk gases
 6 million cu. feet of hazardous gases
 591 million gals. of de-ionized water
 5 million lbs. of chemicals
 738 million gals. of waste water
 2 million lbs. of hazardous waste
SVTC (1999)
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High-Tech Toxics
Approx. 700 compounds used to make one workstation, incl.:
• Circuit boards: lead, cadmium
• CRTs: lead oxide, barium
• Flat screens and switches: mercury
• Electrical cables and casing: brominated flame retardants
• Printers: carbon black
SVTC (2004), BAN (2002)
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Occupational* Health Issues
• Anecdotal research findings
– Reproductive impacts (miscarriages, birth defects)
– Cancer (breast, uterine, cervical, testicular, gastrointestinal, brain)
– Need for further research
• LaDou (1994)
– Worker exposure to toxics higher in electronics
than in chemical industry, even pesticide mfg.
* and community
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Occupational Health Issues
Workloss Occupational Illnesses as a Portion of All Reported Injuries and
Illnesses, USA 1997-2001
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All Manufacturing Industries
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Electronic Components and Accessories (367)
Semiconductor and Related Devices (3674)
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Percent
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10
8
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2
0
1997
1998
1999
Source: LaDou (2004), using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
2000
2001
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Labor Rights Issues
Right to safe and healthy workplaces, communities
• Right to know: hazardous materials, medical records
• Right to protective devices, ergonomic environments
• Right to good, independent medical care, and to
compensation for work-related illness and injury
• Right to refuse dangerous work
• Right to organize, collective bargaining, due process
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Electronic Waste
Who is responsible?
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Manufacturer
Brand owner
Consumer
Local governments
National environmental agencies
Supranational bodies
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Electronic Waste (e-Waste)
• Where does it go? In the USA,
– More than 12 million obsolete computers per year
– More than 300,000 tons of electronic junk per year
– Only 3% refurbished, reused
• EPA ban on landfill dumping
• Worldwide ban on transnational shipment of
hazardous waste (Basel Convention)
• Genuine and bogus "recycling"
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(c) 2002 Basel Action Network
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(c) 2002 Basel Action Network
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(c) 2002 Basel Action Network
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(c) 2002 Basel Action Network
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Environmental Justice Issues
• Unequal distribution of environmental impacts
– Double indemnity: in the workplace & at home
– Women, ethnic minorities, immigrants, poor
– Intergenerational (born & unborn children)
• Access to health care
• Access to power, institutions
• Intensification of social inequality
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Regulatory Challenges
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Technologies change faster than agencies' capacity
Materials used are proprietary
Firms resist making research findings public
Regulation difficult in advanced industrial democracies
Even more difficult in newly industrializing countries
Firms capable of relocating relatively quickly
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Citizen Action
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Sick and injured workers
Health professionals
Labor advocates
Community organizations
Transnational advocacy networks
Academics
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Source: SVTC, Photo by Ching-Po Kao
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Source: Hazards Magazine (2001)
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2002 Computer Report Card
(selected results)
Rank
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5
8
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19
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27
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Grade
Passing
Needs Improvement
Needs Improvement
Needs Improvement
Needs Improvement
Needs Improvement
Needs Improvement
Poor
Poor
Failing
Failing
Failing
Failing
Failing
Failing
Company
Fujitsu
Canon
IBM
NEC
Toshiba
Sony
Apple
Hitachi
Hewlett-Packard/ Compaq
Dell
Samsung
Philips
Gateway
NEC International
Wyse Technologies
(c) 2003 Computer TakeBack Campaign
Country % Total Score*
Japan
51.5
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Japan
48.5
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U.S.
47.0
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Japan
45.6
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Japan
45.6
31
Japan
44.1
30
U.S.
41.2
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Japan
38.2
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U.S.
33.8
23
U.S.
27.9
19
Korea
25.0
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Europe
17.6
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U.S.
2.9
2
Europe
0.0
0
Taiwan
0.0
0
* out of 68
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Dude, take back everyone's old Dell !!
The computer you're using contains lead, mercury, cadmium, flame retardants and other toxic materials and is considered
hazardous waste, when it's thrown away. There are between 300 million and 600 million used computers in the U.S. and
no good system for safely handling them. Keeping computers and all kinds of consumer electronics out of landfills and
incinerators is imperative to protecting our public health and the environment. Even recycling them is difficult because
they’re full of toxic materials.
The Computer TakeBack Campaign has formed to bring about a solution to America electronics junkpile – e-waste.
Join us in making computer producers responsible for the safe design, manufacturing and recycling of their equipment.
We're calling on Dell Computer Corporation to lead its industry to a solution. Take a minute and tell Michael Dell to take
it back, make it clean and recycle responsibly.
SIGN THE PETITION...
(http://www.toxicdude.com)
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(c) 2003 Computer TakeBack Campaign
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Industry Response
• Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)
promising for 10+ years to conduct health studies
• Individual firms aggressively defensive
• Some technical improvements, e.g. movement
away from use of lead solder
• Some brand owners (e.g. Dell, HP/ Compaq)
responding to pressure for end-of-life takeback
• Occupational health and other social
improvements are being made even more slowly
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Industry Response
• Some adoption and certification of environmental
and occupational management systems (ISO/ BSE)
• Little to no disclosure of health effects, medical data
• Low wages remain critical to corporate success
• Global electronics remains closed, competitive, and
powerful, all towards maximizing profits
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Regulatory Successes
• EU's Waste from Electronic and Electrical Equipment
(WEEE) Initiative
• EPA ban on landfill dumping of e-waste
• Basel Convention ban on transnational shipment of
hazardous waste
• State and local governmental regulation of underground
storage tanks
• Local emergency response teams (e.g. firefighters) play
leading role in establishing community right-to-know laws
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Conclusions
1. In this age of globalization, what is required to enable
citizen oversight of complex technologies?
• Rule of law: framework of basic rights for the protection of
those encountering and addressing problems
• Cooperation between those on the front-lines, supporting
professionals, advocacy groups, and academic researchers
• Scientific data: self-generated, corporate, or public
• International legal frameworks (WEEE Initiative, Basel
Agreement, Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
International Framework Agreements)
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Conclusions
2. Additional things which, unfortunately, have proved
necessary to catalyze industry change:
• Human sacrifice
• Unnatural disasters
• Tireless advocacy
• Relentless litigation
• Media coverage
• Market instruments
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Conclusions
3. The global electronics industry is capable of improving
social and environmental practices, e.g.:
• Adoption of environmental product design practices
• Elimination of CFCs
• Adoption of ISO 14000 environmental management systems
• Development of lead-free soldering, components, products
• Adoption of occupational health and safety systems
• Recognition of trade unions
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Conclusions
4. Nevertheless, the industry has a long way to go to achieve
sustainable product design, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life
management.
5. Good-faith corporate social and environmental auditing,
reporting, and other responsible practices are critical to achieve
these ends.
6. Broad recognition of labor rights and environmental justice as
essential ingredients of sustainable industrial development.
7. Citizens, workers, and environmental policy advocates have an
irreplaceable role to play in working with industry and
regulatory agencies to achieve these ends.
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References
• Castells, Manuel (1996, 2000) The Information Age: Economy, Society and
Culture. NY: Blackwell
• Evans, Peter (1995) Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation.
Princeton: Princeton University Press
• Feenberg, Andrew (1991) Critical Theory of Technology. NY: Oxford University
Press
• Feenberg, Andrew (1999) Questioning Technology. NY: Routledge
• Habermas, Jürgen (1970) Towards a Rational Society: Student Protest, Science
and Politics. Boston: Beacon Press
• Mazurek, Jan (1999) Making Microchips: Policy, Globalization and Economic
Restructuring in the Semiconductor Industry. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
• Sclove, Richard (1995) Democracy and Technology. NY: Guilford Press
• Smith, Ted, et al., eds. (2006) Challenging the Chip: Labor Rights and
Environmental Justice in the Global Electronics Industry. Philadelphia: Temple
University Press.
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Online Resources
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Asia Monitor Resource Center (AMRC)
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Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational Accident Victims (ANROAV)
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Basel Action Network (BAN)
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Computer TakeBack Campaign (CTBC)
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Electronic Waste Guide (Switzerland)
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Environmental Health Coalition (EHC)
www.environmentalhealth.org
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Greenpeace China
www.greenpeace.org/china/en
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Greenpeace International ~ Hi-Tech Toxics Campaign
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Hazards Magazine
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International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH)
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Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network
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Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC)
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SOMO ~ Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (NL)
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Taiwan Assn. for Victims of Occupational Injuries (TAVOI)
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Taiwan Environmental Action Network (TEAN)
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Texas Campaign for the Environment (TCE)
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Thai Labour Campaign
www.thailabour.org
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Toxics Link (India)
www.toxicslink.org
www.amrc.org.hk
anroav.org
www.ban.org
www.computertakeback.com
www.ewaste.ch
www.greenpeace.org/international
www.hazards.org
www.ijoeh.com
mhssn.igc.org
www.etoxics.org
www.somo.nl/index_eng.php
www.hurt.org.tw
www.iepanet.org/index2.php
www.texasenvironment.org
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