assignment 5

1.     Cellphone Hell -Americans threw out almost 3 million tons electronics in 2006. This is called e-waste. Fastest growing population problem. The article talks about how companies and people buy sell and trade for these electronics because there is money to be made inside of them with gold silver copper and etc.

2.     Purgatory- Talks about what to do with your old phones suggests ideas like sending it out to greenphone.com where they cut you a check for your old phone and plant a tree for it there are many companies like this they could also give your cellphone to others who cant afford new ones overseas. There’s places also doing the wrong thing with phones and using it to profit.

3.     Heaven- No heaven for cellphones. The article talks about how to many new phones come out with newer things that people want. Right now, there are roughly 470 models of phone for sale in the United States. About 16 new ones come out every month. Is an interesting fact I came upon.

4.     It is estimated that over 220 pounds of mine waste is generated to extract the gold for a circuit board of just one cell phone.

5.     I replaced my last phone because it was broken. It is sitting in my house in a dresser. My computer is still in my house. I will sell it somewhere eco friendly and make money.

6.     Mining of this occurs in any country that will not regulate and watch it they way it should be mostly in third world countries. The environmental impact is its releasing harmful chemicals that are in the cell phones and old computers like lead and any other dangerous things that are unsafe a harmful to the people that work with them who don’t use any protection from it.  It is not regulated in these third world countries and that’s why they do it there.

7.     Current electronic waste management contributes to increasing levels of toxic chemicals building up in our bodies. Lead mercury and

Plastics and Polyvinyl Chloride. Brominated Flame Retardants which is so harmful to your body.

8. Disposing of e-waste in landfills has the potential to cause severe human and environmental health impacts. To avoid these risks, the Electronic Waste Recycling Act (Senate Bill 50) was signed into law in 2004. SB 50 established and funded a program for consumers to return, recycle, and ensure safe and environmentally sound disposal of covered electronic devices (CEDs). But the government doesn’t follow through with it.